The Farmers’ Museum has announced the winners of the 2020 Junior Livestock Show’s Chobani Agricultural Leader Scholarships essay contest which recognizes young agricultural leaders in our region. Each year, youth who are participating in The Farmers’ Museum’s annual Junior Livestock Show are encouraged to participate in the essay contest.

2020 WINNERS:

2020 Terra Jackson Scholarship (Most outstanding essay)
Clare vanLieshout (Durhamville, NY)   READ ESSAY

Senior Scholarship Winners

Aidan Ainsle (Little Falls, NY)   READ ESSAY

Dylan Dyn (Jordanville, NY)   READ ESSAY

Autumn Madugno (Deposit, NY)   READ ESSAY

Junior Scholarship Winners

Abbie Ainsle (Little Falls, NY)   READ ESSAY

Ashley Madugno (Deposit, NY)   READ ESSAY

Jeffrey Palmetier (Hobart, NY)   READ ESSAY

Chobani helped establish this contest and has been the sole funder of the awards since 2014. Chobani also plays an active role in all the steps necessary to coordinate the event each year.

Since the beginning, Chobani has been committed to sourcing the freshest milk possible from nearly 1,000 farmers in our local communities. From Chenango County, New York, to Twin Falls, Idaho, we work with farmers who share our values and sense of community. That’s why we’re excited to recognize young agricultural leaders we believe embody the Chobani spirit.

The essay competition consists of two groups, each with its own goal. The Senior Scholarships category (ages 15-18) was developed to help advance a teenager’s path to becoming a local farmer and encourage leadership skills, personal growth and practical knowledge through further education. Awards can assist with the purchase of new equipment or livestock, or other agricultural training opportunities.  All Junior Livestock Show participants in this age group were asked to submit a 300-500 word essay answering questions such as “Why is farming important to you, your family, and the community?” and “Do you think farmers have a role in protecting the environment?”.

The Junior Scholarships category was developed to help youth, ages 8-14, grow as farmers–whether to further education, purchase a first animal or finance a visit to an agricultural camp. All Junior Livestock Show participants in this category were encouraged to submit a 200-250 word essay answering questions including “What is your favorite part about farming?” and “Why is farming important?”.

This year, the Terra Jackson Scholarship was added to honor a respected committee member who helped establish this essay contest. In honor of her commitment to youth in agriculture and the dedication she brought to the committee, a special scholarship of $500 was offered in her memory to recognize the most outstanding essay submission.

The scholarship recipients are determined by representatives of the awards committee consisting of representatives from the Junior Livestock Show and Chobani. Three $350 scholarships (Seniors), three $150 scholarships (Juniors), and the Terra Jackson Scholarship ($500) are presented annually to the winners.

Both Junior and Senior essays were written in the spring of this year.