Clark named Southeast District Golden Owl finalist
The Kansas FFA Foundation is pleased to announce Karlea Clark, agriculture teacher at Cherryvale High School, as the Southeast District Golden Owl finalist, Kelly Hoelting, agriculture teacher at Mission Valley, as the East Central District Golden Owl finalist, Jim Weller, agriculture teacher at Chapman High School, as the North Central District Golden Owl finalist and Jeanie Wege, agriculture teacher at Hiawatha High School, as the Northeast District Golden Owl finalist for fiscal year 2026. The finalists will receive a $500 check and an engraved plaque.
From Sept. 1-Dec. 31, nominations were collected for the state’s top agricultural teachers from local students, parents, fellow teachers and community members across Kansas.
Nationwide — the national sponsor of the Golden Owl Award — partners with state FFA organizations to honor outstanding ag teachers. The State Winner will receive a $3,000 Nationwide-funded award and the Golden Owl trophy, and Nationwide is donating $5,000 to the Kansas FFA Foundation to further support Kansas agricultural education programs. This year, the award program honors outstanding ag educators in 15 states:
“Nationwide is proud to recognize the dedicated teachers who are educating and inspiring students to pursue careers in agriculture,” said Brad Liggett, president of agribusiness at Nationwide.
Clark, Hoelting, Weller and Wege will be in contention for the State Winner at the 2026 Kansas State FFA Convention in Manhattan.
12 Nebraskans attend 124th NFU Convention in New Orleans
Twelve Nebraska Farmers Union members attended the 124th National Farmers Union Convention in New Orleans recently where over 500 family farmers, ranchers and supporters from around the nation met.
In addition to NeFU President John Hansen, Nebraska was represented by four delegates. Lynn Belitz of Fullerton and Andrew Tonnies of North Bend represented the NeFU board of directors. Keith Dittrich of Meadow Grove and Bill Armbrust of Elkhorn represented the NeFU membership.
NeFU Members attending included Tammy Dittrich of Tilden, Ted and Ramona Thieman of Petersburg, Julie Hindmarsh of Fremont, retiring Midwest Agency General Manager Jeff Downing of Ashland, out-of-state member Willie Cade and new NeFU Executive Director Matt Gregory of Lincoln.
The convention delegates updated the NFU policy and also approved three Special Orders of Business on timely topics: Family Farmers, the Farm Crisis, and the Future of Food and Farm Policy; Family Farming and the Roots of Our Democracy; and Family Farming and Dairy Policy Reform.
The National Farmers Union board re-elected Hansen to the NFU Executive Committee and vice chair of the NFU Legislative Committee. Hansen was also re-elected vice chair of the Farmers Union Midwest Agency board of directors.
“The challenges facing family farmers and ranchers continue to grow more complex,” said NFU President Rob Larew of the three-day convention. “But through it all, NFU continues to do something Washington too often struggles to achieve: bringing people with diverse viewpoints together, working through tough issues and emerging with solutions they built collectively.”
Hansen, chair of the NFU Meritorious Service Committee and NFU President Larew presented retired Ohio Farmers Union President Joe Logan and retired Rocky Mountain Farmers Union President Dale McCall with the NFU Meritorious Service to American Agriculture award. The 125th Anniversary Convention will be held in San Antonio, Texas, March 7-9, 2027.
