Fort Hays State University Volume 24 Winter 2008

Inside This IssueWater Quality Project .................... 2

Coaching Changes ........................ 2

Student Honors .............................. 3

Agriculture Practicum................... 4

Judging Team News ...................... 4

Student Club News ................... 5-7

College Dean’s Message .............. 8

DISPATCHNEWS FOR ALUMNI & FRIENDS

From the Chair -- Dr. John Greathouse

—see Conference - page 5

FHSU has long been recognized for

its progressive use of computer

technology to enhance student learning.

The expectation that students now

bring this technology with them as they

arrive on campus has created a unique

instructional environment where

laptops and tablet computers steadily

are replacing the traditional pencil and

paper in the classroom.

Thanks to recent advances in networking

and wireless communication, opportunities

exist to take this technology into the mobile

work environment. These opportunities

complement the applied nature of our

programs where the students’ learning

environment often extends beyond the

physical boundaries of the campus

classroom.

This past year the department

collaborated with a group of senior

Information Networking, and

Telecommunications (INT) students on

a capstone networking research project.

The initial intent of the project was to

explore opportunities to bring faster

and more direct internet service from

campus to the University Farm office

facilities. Fiber optic lines and wireless

routers seemed to be the most logical

solution. It wasn’t long before the

students broadened their interests,

however, and began to examine

available technologies that would

create an electronic communication

network that could be accessed from

any location on the Farm – including

offices and remote field locations.

The students worked with our local/

regional communications provider, Nex-

Tech Wireless, to gain access to a

relatively new networking technology

that would provide remote connectivity.

Using EVDO (evolution data only/

evolution data optimized) technology,

access to the Internet and university

network has been made possible

through a commercially available

wireless broadband card. Signals routed

through cell phone towers provide a

continuous, reliable, and affordable

wireless communication environment

(“hotspot”) at any location on the Farm.

Use of this technology is not limited to

the Farm, however, because its

broadband connectivity provides remote

access wherever there is cell phone

service.

As a result of the professional and

comprehensive efforts of the INT group,

Nex-Tech Wireless donated a new

Panasonic Toughbook computer to the

department. This computer is designed to

operate in a rugged, mobile environment

and will provide the capability for further

experimentation with the EVDO

technology in an agricultural setting. We

greatly appreciate the efforts of the INT

students to advance the department’s

networking capabilities. Furthermore, we

are thankful to Nex-Tech Wireless

(Johnie Johnson, CEO/General Manager;

Brian Spurgeon, Director of Finance and

Development; and, Dorothy Stieben,

Agent Manager) for their cooperation and

generous support of this initiative.

The EVDO Project Team -- Front

Row (L to R): Brandon Rogers, Cody

Hollerich, Adam Haag, and Stephen

Brown. Back Row (L to R): Dr. John

Greathouse, Ms. Dorothy Stieben (Nex-

Tech Wireless), and Joshua Nelson.(Photo courtesy of Kurt Beyers,

University Relations)

Ag Outlook Conference -- Mr. Mick Glaze & Dr. Andrew Novotorov

The 31st Annual Agricultural Outlook

Conference, sponsored by the

Agriculture Department, was held on

October 31, 2008, in the FHSU

memorial Union. Dr. Larry Gould,

Provost, Fort Hays State University,

welcomed the nearly 100 registered

guests. After the opening remarks the

participants were enlightened by an

outstanding panel of speakers.

John Hay, Extension Educator from

the University of Nebraska, Lincoln,

NE, addressed the very popular subject

of ethanol with a presentation titled

“Cellulosic Bio-fuels – Agronomic and

Logistical Challenges.”

Hay told the crowd that cellulosic

ethanol is more difficult to produce than

corn ethanol because the cellulose in

plants is harder to break down and refine

than is the starch in grain. There is a

process called gasification, that is being

used with some success. Some major

crops being studied for cellulosic ethanol

production are corn stover, switch grass,

miscanthus grass and corn cobs.

Hay told the attendees that switch

grass could yield about 2-3 tons of

residue per acre; a 150 bushel corn

yield would result in about 4 tons of

residue if the entire crop was

harvested, and miscanthus could yield

up to 10 tons of residue per acre. Wind

and water erosion would be major

concerns in Kansas and Nebraska with

removal of the entire amount of

residue from a field. Miscanthus is a

very difficult crop to establish since it

must be propagated vegetatively and

it would take a long time to get to full

production capacity. It also has a high

water demand.

Department NewsWinter 2008 Page 2

Department of Agriculture

212 Albertson Hall

Phone: (785) 628-4196

Dr. Garry Brower - Animal Science

Mr. Buddy Curry - Livestock Judging Coach

Ms. Stephanie Eckroat - Dairy Manager

Mr. Steve Engelhardt - Plant Tech II

Mr. Mick Glaze - Agricultural Business

Dr. Jean Gleichsner - Crops and Soils

Dr. John Greathouse - Animal Science

Dr. Brittany Howell - Animal Science

Mr. Brian Lockman - Swine Manager

Ag Department Faculty & Staff Information

FAX: (785) 628-4183

agdept@fhsu.edu

www.fhsu.edu/agriculture

Dr. Andrew Novotorov - Agricultural Business

Mr. Gary Rolland - Beef Manager

Ms. Melissa Rudell - Administrative Assistant

Mr. Bronc Rumford- Rodeo Coach

Mr. Ross Russell - Asst. Rodeo Coach

Dr. Robert Stephenson - Crops and Soils

Ms. Shelly Vandiver - Asst. Dairy Manager

Mr. Harland Werth - Crop/Shop Manager

Bronc

Rumford has

been named

the new head

coach of the

Fort Hays

State

University’s

rodeo team.

Rumford

was on the

rodeo team

while a student

at FHSU, competing in bareback riding,

steer wrestling and calf roping. In 1973,

he was one of three men from FHSU to

go to the College National Finals in the

All-Around Cowboy Classification. Fort

Hays State is the only university to

ever qualify three men for the all-

around classification. He graduated in

1974 from FHSU.

Rumford is the owner/manager of

Rumford Rodeo Company in Abbeyville.

The Rumford Company produces rodeos

all around the USA. Rumford Rodeo

Company has qualified either bulls or

horses for the National Finals Rodeo

almost every year. Rumford has been on

the National Finals Rodeo contractors

committee and also has been the

president of the Miss Rodeo America

Pageant. He also breaks and trains

horses at the ranch in Abbeyville

In December 2009, Rumford will

travel to Spain to put on rodeos

overseas. He has produced rodeos in

South America and Sweden as well.

Ross Russell

will be the

assistant

coach. Russell

is a 2008

graduate of

Fort Hays

State

University

with a degree

in justice

studies. He is

originally from

Minden, NE, where he participated in

rodeo in high school. He was on Colby

Community College’s rodeo team and

joined the FHSU rodeo team when he

transferred in fall 2006.

Rumford and Russell will replace Dr.Garry Brower, who coached the rodeoclub for 25 years. Brower continues inadministrative capacity with the rodeoteam and remains an associateprofessor of agriculture. (Articlecourtesy of University Relations)

Coaching ChangesWater Quality Project -- Dr. Bob StephensonThe water quality project initiated in

December 2006 continues across Trego,

Ellis, Russell and Ellsworth counties. The

research project in conjunction with

Kansas State University, the City of

Hays and several other agencies has

expanded in the number of sampling sites

and has gained nationwide attention.

Students from several classes and clubs

at FHSU have been involved with the

project from Soil & Water Management,

Agronomic Crop Production to the

Agronomy Club. Students have helped

collect water samples, recorded data

[oxygen content, salinity (salts), pH and

other parameters], analyzed samples for

total suspended solids (soil sediment)

and run tests for coliform and E. coli.

Students have also been involved in

making presentations regarding the

project at events in the Hays areas

(Water Festival and Home & Garden

Show at The Mall).

Bob Stephenson (FHSU Agriculture

Department), Stacie Minson (Kanopolis

Watershed Specialist) and James Leiker

(K-State Extension) have all made

presentations at various conferences and

meetings (Houston, TX, Las Vegas, NV,

and Lincoln, NE). Information regarding

the project and other on-going work can be

found at: www.MyKansasWatershed.com.

In the foreground Eric Klein

(Minneapolis) and Michael Dietz

(Ogallah), students in Agronomic

Crop Production, weigh samples

for the water quality project.

Fort Hays State University is

committed to diversifying the campus

and allowing students to study other

places. These places can be at other

universities within the U.S. or abroad. I

was able to attend classes at Moscow

State Agro engineering school in Moscow,

Russia for the 2008 spring semester.

The experience began on January 15

with a flight to Moscow. The first two

weeks I was there the classes I took were

strictly about the Russian language to

help me and the five other American

students in the program become more

comfortable with the alphabet and some

basic survival communication. After the

first two weeks of classes the program

got into the normal schedule with classes

everyday. On Monday I had Russian

language, Tuesday and Thursday I had

Russian Experience -- Mr. Aaron Laddthe core classes and on Wednesday I

took tours of Russian agriculture. The

core classes were taught by American

professors with the spoken language

being English and they would last for

one month. The first was ag economics,

then a basic bioengineering class and

finally ag communication.

With the field trips I was able to see a

wide variety of places from dairy farms

to a yogurt processing plant, a 300 acre

greenhouse to a mushroom farm, the

second largest John Deere dealership in

the world to a Claas distribution center.

These tours would take the group from

within Moscow to 160 kilometers away

to the farms or factories.

—see Russia - page 3

Page 3Winter 2008 Student HonorsAgriculture Scholarships Dean’s Honor Roll

Fall 2007

Bryce Allen - Argonia

Jimmy Bishop - Goddard

Ty Brunswig - WaKeeney

Adam Frisch - Madison, NE

Cody Gillespie - Amherst, NE

Tyler Goetz - Grainfield

Emily Griess - Grand Island, NE

Brent Gruenbacher - Colwich

Jordyn Herman - Hill City

Scott Johnston - Rexford

Nathan Legleiter - Hays

Steve Leyerzapf - Abilene

Mallory Saathoff - Naponee, NE

Cassie Schmidtberger - Victoria

Macy Sexson - Weskan

Cord Sprague - Hays

Marci Stone - Garden City

Lyndon Wagner - Holly, CO

Blaine Walt - Collyer

Andrea Wilson - Gaylord

Spring 2008

Cody Gillespie - Amherst, NE

Brent Gruenbacher - Colwich

Jordyn Herman - Hill City

Stephen Hornung - Stratton, CO

Scott Johnston - Rexford

Wesley Kilmurry - Atkinson, NE

Heath Klein - Atwood

Stephen Leyerzapf - Abilene

Kirk Nielsen - Minden, NE

Mallory Saathoff - Naponee, NE

Seth Scheuerman - Scott City

Cassie Schmidtberger - Victoria

Chad Schmidtberger - Victoria

Macy Sexson - Weskan

Blaine Walt - Collyer

Departmental scholarships were

awarded this year to freshmen,

transfers, and continuing students

majoring in agriculture. Scholarship

recipients were selected on the basis of

academic achievement and interest in

agriculture.

Congratulations to each scholarship

recipient, and a special thank you to the

scholarship sponsors.

Ark RiverLane Bruce - Argonia

Department of AgricultureEndowedJosh Adelhardt - CunninghamMallory Saathoff - Naponee, NEWesley Sterling - Garden City

Edward and Carolyn Scanlon FundAmanda Brungardt - GorhamChelsea Cunningham - AshlandDrew Hubbell - SpearvilleKyle Klein - Dodge CityFrancis Rupp - Garden CityCassie Schmidtberger -VictoriaSage Sexson - WeskanChristopher Staub - St. JohnEmily Zillinger - Logan

Albert GrafWendy Dague - Washington

Martin and Amelia Gross FamilyCraig Dinkel - Palco

Guy Bemis Memorial ScholarshipTyler Algrim - Garden City

High Plains Farm CreditTy Brunswig - WaKeeney

Kansas Farm BureauBrent Gruenbacher - ColwichKaren Holliday - Liberty

Midland MarketingBrian Younker - Jetmore

To qualify for the Dean’s Honor Roll

at FHSU a student must complete 12 or

more credit hours with a GPA for that

academic term of at least 3.6.

Congratulations to the following

agriculture and agricultural business

majors for obtaining such an honor.

Kansas Farm CreditBrodie Williams - WallaceBrian Younker - Jetmore

Kansas Society of Farm Managers andRural AppraisersBlaine Walt - Collyer

Herbert L. Fought Fund

Adam Albers - Oakley

Bryce Allen - Argonia

Nikki Brobst - Stockton

Carmon Crawford - Cambridge, NE

Jennifer Daffer - Danbury, NE

Nicholas Dreitz - Brush, CO

Bruce Figger - Hudson

Amber Friedrichs - Bremen

Anna Friedrichs - Bremen

Cody Gillespie - Amherst, NE

Travis Goetz - Dodge City

Emily Griess - Grand Island, NE

Alan Haag - Danbury, NE

Jordyn Herman - Hill City

Mike Holton - Tonganoxie

Scott Johnston - Rexford

Joshua Klausmeyer - Goddard

Aaron Ladd - Effingham

Lanee Lausch - Scott City

Erin Montgomery - Guide Rock, NE

Jared Nelson - Formoso

Meagan Nelson - Paola

Kirk Nielsen - Minden, NE

Cody Pratt - Scott City

Cecilia Reiter - Jewell

Sam Rempe - Superior, NE

Aaron Roach - St. John

Evan Schluntz - Republican City, NE

Robyn Sellard - Bucklin

Lane Underwood - Esbon

James Ward - Dighton

Erica Wasson - Baldwin

Luke Whitehill - Garden City

Kelsey Wohletz - Denton

Jacob Wulfkuhle - Rossville

Charles and Lura Stuzman MemorialBenjamin Martin - Columbia, MO

Russiafrom page 2 Aaron Ladd (front

row center), is

shown with his

classmates in

Russia. Aaron is

an agricultural

business major

from Effingham.

The experience in Moscow allowed for

more than just classes about agriculture.

I was able to visit and see many of the

sights and celebrations in Moscow and I

was able to go to St. Petersburg for three

days. This experience has allowed me to

learn so much about agriculture but, it

also was a reminder that if Americans

want to remain a global leader we must

continue to work hard and never become

complacent.

Livestock Judging Team -- Mr. Buddy Curry

Student News Page 4Winter 2008

Crops Judging Team -- Dr. Bob Stephenson

The livestock judging team has nine

students preparing to start their year of

competition. This fall they traveled to

practices and a small mock contest.

This spring’s travel schedule will

include Express Ranch, National

Western, Fort Worth, Dixieland

Nationals, San Antonio, Houston and

NACTA. The planned fall contest

rotation is National Barrow Show, Mid-

American Livestock Judging Contest,

Agriculture Practicum -- Mr. Buddy CurryAGRI 316 Agriculture Management

Practicum is a course which provides

university credit for students who com-

plete an “internship” experience with an

agriculture emphasis.

We appreciate the interest and support

from the cooperators and organizations

that provide practicum opportunities.

The Fort Hays State University

Crops Judging Team has experienced

some exciting times during spring and

fall 2008. In April three members (four

needed for a team) went to Tarelton, TX

to practice and gain experience in the

NACTA (North American Association of

Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture)

Crops Contest. All three members did

quite well. Jordyn Herman would have

placed third in Plant & Seed ID had we

been competing for awards. This was

the first semester for all three

members. The team competed in the

2008 fall Regional and National ASA

(American Society of Agronomy)

contests held at Manhattan, KS and

Kansas City, MO, respectively. They

placed second at Manhattan and had a

strong showing in Kansas City. The

contest in Kansas City brings in teams

from all over the country. They are

already preparing for the 2009 KACTA

(Kansas Association of Colleges and

Teachers of Agriculture) and NACTA

The following businesses/individuals

supervised students this past year:

Ag Valley Coop - Indianola, NE

Crop Quest - Dodge City

Grainland Coop - Holyoke, CO

Lone Creek Cattle Company -

Valentine, NE

Midland Marketing - LaCrosse

Servi-Tech, Inc. - Dodge City

Triple J Farms - Logan

Your Insurance Corner - Stockton

Please contact the department if you

have an interest in supervising a

practicum student in the future.

Tulsa State Fair, Texas State Fair,

American Royal and North American

International Livestock Exposition.

FHSU freshmen and sophomore

teams are practicing to participate in

the NACTA competition in horse and

dairy judging. This is a tradition that

will continue so that the incoming

freshmen feel part of the team and

keep their interest up until it is their

time to join the senior team.

contest at Wooster, OH in April. They

are gaining momentum and hope to add

new members to the team this spring

semester.

2008-2009 Crops

Judging Team (L

to R): Dr. Bob

Stephenson, Coach;

Craig Dinkel

(Palco); Steve

Leyerzapf (Abilene);

Mike Holton

(Tonganoxie),

Jordyn Herman

(Hill City), and

Andrie Baird

(Brewster).

2009 Livestock Judging Team -- Front Row (L to R): Kris Young (Caldwell),

Kelsey Bonifas (Blue Hill, NE), Jacob Wulfkuhle (Rossville), and Emily Griess

(Grand Island, NE). Back Row (L to R): Drew Buettner (Kearney, NE), Adam

Albers (Oakley), Kirk Nielsen (Minden, NE), Avery Thalheim (Long Island), Nick

Henning (Ness City), Paul Case (Cheyenne, WY), and Mr. Buddy Curry, Coach.

Kansas State FairEach year, FHSU manages the

milking parlor at the Kansas State Fair

in Hutchinson. Stephanie Eckroat

coordinates the effort with the

assistance of Shelly Vandiver and

various FHSU Dairy employees.

Wendy Dague (left) with Stephanie

Eckroat relax after presenting a

milking demonstration at the 2008

Kansas State Fair.

Student News Page 5Winter 2008

Agronomy Club -- Dr. Bob Stephenson

2008-2009 Agronomy Club Officers (L to R): Drew Hubbell (Spearville), Presi-

dent; Andrie Baird (Brewster), Secretary; Dr. Bob Stephenson, Advisor; Bryce Allen

(Argonia), Treasurer; and Lane Bruce (Argonia), Vice-President.

During spring 2008 the club took a trip

to South Dakota to visit several

producers who have been no-till farming

for over two decades. There were 10

students who attended the no-till

conference in Salina in January. Several

members attended the Husker Harvest

Days in fall, sponsored a booth at

Oktoberfest where they sold food to raise

funds, worked with DTA in their annual

Adopt-A-Highway, rang the bell for the

Salvation Army and helped with Toys for

Tots. In spring the club will assist with

the annual Big Creek cleanup.

The students also held social events

including: bowling (both fall and spring),

a Christmas dinner/social with DTA, a

spring golfing fun night at Precision

Valley golf, and a spring cookout.

Conferencefrom page 1

To put things in perspective Hay

pointed out that we would need to

harvest the entire corn stover residue in

Thomas and Sheridan counties to

operate one cellulosic ethanol plant. The

likelihood of that happening is pretty

small, since not every farmer would want

to contract every acre to cellulosic

ethanol production. You would then need

to look at the surrounding counties for

additional residue. Even then it would be

difficult to get enough contracted acres.

Harvesting the cobs with the grain is

being done now in some parts of

Nebraska which has the least agronomic

risk to land deterioration but cobs yield

only about one half ton of residue per

acre.

Hay concluded that if cellulosic

ethanol production were to come about in

the near future it will most likely be in

small or existing refineries which can

process mixed feed stocks. Additionally

plants may need to have regional

collection and processing of the biomass

which would then be shipped to a larger

ethanol facility. They will most likely

need the support of government

subsidies. Right now the economics do

not justify taking land out of grain

production to plant switch grass for

ethanol. Switch grass could however be

grown on marginal land. Presently there

are no standards set that would dictate

what the quality and conditions of the

residue would need to be upon delivery to

an ethanol plant. Finally, there is a

possibility that plants will start to use

distiller’s grain, a byproduct of corn

ethanol production, for feedstock for

cellulosic ethanol.

Krista Gordan, area Wind Project

Manager for Iberdrola Renewables

Energies USA, a North American

subdivision of a Madrid-based

corporation based in Portland, OR,

talked about wind energy production in

Kansas. Ms. Gordan said her company

presently has seven wind projects in

operation or under construction in

Kansas.

Farmers and communities can both

benefit from having a wind project.

Revenue will be generated during the

construction phase which includes

concrete (nearly 400 yards per tower),

rebar, aggregate, road building

evacuation, trenching, electrical work,

and general construction labor. After

the tower is in place there would be an

additional annual rent income to the

land owner.

Gordan said that most generators

weigh nearly 70 tons and are 250 feet

in the air. Presently no generators are

being manufactured in Kansas.

Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, South

Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota and some

eastern states do manufacture the

wind turbines. It is hoped that by 2020

nearly 20% of our electrical energy

needs can be produced from wind

energy.

Andy Gottschalk, of R.J. O’Brian

and Associates and HedgersEdge.com,

LLC, Greenwood Village, CO,

presented his “Outlook for Grain.” He

pointed out that the rapid increase in

corn use for ethanol production since

the beginning of the century is the

primary factor accelerating world

demand for corn.

Gottschalk reminded the group that

we are at the tightest world corn ending

stocks we’ve ever seen. World demand for

grain, for food, feed and fuel will

maintain grain prices at a higher plateau

than during prior periods. There is little

relief in sight. This will serve to limit

livestock herd expansion and may

ultimately shrink the domestic livestock

herd. Any problems during the growing

season could propel corn prices

substantially higher. Long term price

support exists at $3.50 for corn with

resistance at $5.25, and for wheat expect

to find support at $5.00 with upside

resistance at $7.00. Soybeans would be

looking at a pricing range from $7.75-

$11.50.

On the “Cattle Outlook”, the feeder

supply is still outside of feedlots as

forage has been adequate to hold cattle

out of placement into the feedlots.

Gottschalk said to expect dressed

weights to be at record highs as grain

prices remain high, because generally

speaking gain will still be cheaper than

replacements. It might pay producers to

background calves since calves appear to

be under priced compared to yearlings. A

final note was that the value of the dollar

has very little effect on the amount of

exports or imports of agriculture

products.

Alan D Barkema, Senior Vice-

President, Federal Reserve Bank of

—see Conference - page 7

Student News Page 6Winter 2008

Block & Bridle Club -- Ms. Wendy Dague

2008-2009 Block & Bridle Club Officers (L to R): Dr. Brittany Howell, Co-

Advisor; Emily Griess (Grand Island, NE), President; Bridget Brown, (Hays), Trea-

surer; Jason Smelser (Oskaloosa), Vice-President; Wendy Dague (Washington),

Secretary; and Mr. Buddy Curry, Co-Advisor.

The 2007-2008 school year was full

of activity again for the FHSU Block

and Bridle Club. The 2007-2008

officers were Danielle Dinkel (Palco),

President; Mallory Saathoff (Naponee,

NE), Vice President; Jamey Parker

(Downs), Secretary; and Molly Fletchall

(Beloit), Treasurer.

The year’s activities included serving

food for the annual FHSU Back to

School Picnic, participating in the

Endowment Association Phonathon,

hosting the Northwest District FFA

Dairy and Livestock Judging Contests,

and providing demonstrations and

information for children at Ag

Awareness Day. We also had fun

creating a float for the Homecoming

parade, and won the FHSU President’s

Award and $150! Block and Bridle also

hosted the campus wide Little

International Fitting and Showing

Contest in the spring.

The BIGGEST event of the year was

hosting the 88th National Block and

Bridle Convention in Kansas City with

Kansas State University’s Block and

Bridle Club. This had been a three year

long effort of planning and fundraising

to make the event possible.

Fifteen club members, along with

club co-advisor Dr. Brittany Howell met

the members of the Kansas State B &

B Club to begin the fun. FHSU

President Edward Hammond gave a

wonderful opening welcome to the

schools from across the country. The

keynote speaker was retired General

Richard B. Myers, 15th Chairman of the

Joint Chiefs of Staff. Friday was tour

day: showing off Kansas animal and food

industry locations such as Rottinghaus

Holsteins, Judd Ranch, Mashed O

Ranch, Mill Brae Ranch, Hill’s Pet

Nutrition Center, Sysco, Handke Farms

Feedlot, Peeper Ranch, Triumph Foods,

and Kansas City Steak Company. The

next day Dr. Jerry Jaax (KSU Vet

School) spoke about bioterrorism in

agriculture, and Mr. Charlie Arnot (CMA

Consulting) spoke about why consumers

don’t understand and don’t trust what we

tell them about agriculture. Then a panel

of experts representing beef, dairy,

swine, horse and small animals

focused on current issues in animal

science. The panelists included Mr.

Larry Dreiling, Dr. Rick Tanner, Dr.

John Sticka, Dr. Mike Tokach and

Mr. Bruce Brinkmeyer. Attendees

then got the afternoon to spend at

the American Royal and then buses

took them to a dinner and dance at

the Angus Hall of Fame in

Smithville, MO compliments of Mr.

Tom Burke.

The club members worked

extremely hard to make it a very

successful convention and they had a

lot of fun too! There were over 400

participants from 37 schools in

attendance.

Delta Tau Alpha - Agriculture Honor Society -- Dr. Jean GleichsnerOver the past year, Delta Tau Alpha

(DTA) has been very active both on- and

off-campus. The chapter participated in

a variety of activities including: the

Adopt-A-Highway Program, Agriculture

Freshmen Recruiting, Christmas Tree

Angel Program, and Homecoming

2008-2009 DTA Club Officers (L to R): Mallory Saathoff (Naponee, NE), Presi-

dent; Marci Stone (Garden City), Treasurer; Brodie Williams (Wallace), Vice-

President; Jordyn Herman (Hill City), Secretary; and Dr. Jean Gleichsner, Advisor.

Banner Contest. The club again spon-

sored a pitch tournament (fall and

spring) and the Ag Quiz Bowl. The club

hosted a joint Christmas Party with the

Agronomy Club.

Last spring the chapter held the 15th

annual Ag Quiz Bowl. Participating

teams tested their knowledge in the

areas of agribusiness/economics,

agronomy/horticulture, animal science,

and general agriculture knowledge. The

team of Michael Dietz (Ogallah),

Jordyn Herman (Hill City), and Steve

Leyerzapf (Abilene) was victorious.

The DTA chapter hosted the 49th

National DTA Convention on the

FHSU campus. Activities included

geocaching, agricultural tours and Ag

Quiz Bowl. The banquet speaker was

Dr. Gary Hulett, Professor Emeritus of

Biology at FHSU, who spoke about his

climb up Mount Kilimanjaro, the

highest mountain in Africa.

Next year’s convention is at Missouri

State University in Springfield and

marks the 50th

anniversary of DTA. It

will be a very special event.

Dr. Jean Gleichsner continues to

serve as National Advisor. She has

served as National Advisor since spring

2003.

Student News Page 7Winter 2008

Rodeo Club -- Dr. Garry BrowerThe 2008-2009 women’s team is

currently in fourth place with Jamie

Elwood (Oberlin) 2nd in breakaway roping

and 3rd in barrel racing. The fall schedule

included Colby, Pratt and Alva with

Northwestern Oklahoma State

University, Panhandle State University

and Southwestern Oklahoma State

University in the first three positions in

the women’s team competition and

Panhandle, Southeastern and

Northwestern leading the men’s team

competition.

A long time goal has been

accomplished by Dr. Edward Hammond

funding two positions for the rodeo team.

As a result, we have hired Bronc

Rumford as the coach and Ross Russell

as the assistant coach. I would encourage

every rodeo alumni to send Dr.

Hammond a note of thanks for his

generosity and support during times of

budgetary tightening. In addition to the

positions, Dr. Hammond has made a

commitment to enhancing the image of

the team; therefore, at the spring rodeos

you will see new team shirts and coats.

The spring rodeo dates have not been

finalized; however, the schedule includes

Kansas State University, Garden City

Community College, Fort Scott Community

College, Panhandle State University,

Southwestern Oklahoma State University,

Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College and

Rogers State University.

The 2008-2009 Team includes:

Saddle Bronc Riders: Shane Harmon

(Hill City) and Garret Ludwig (Sterling).

Calf Ropers: Quentin Hall (Brewster,

NE) and Ty Rumford (Abbeyville).

Steer Wrestlers: Cody Pratt (Monte

Vista, CO) and Ty Rumford.

Goat Tyer: Jenna Rolland (Hays).

Breakaway Ropers: Jenna Rolland,

Nicki Brobst (Phillipsburg), Jamie

Elwood, Katie Reimler (Manhattan),

and Brodie Williams (Wallace).

Team Ropers: Matt Becker

(Mankato), Jamie Elwood, Quentin

Hall, Garret Ludwig, and Cody Pratt.

Bull Rider: Cody Kiser (Augusta).

Barrel Racers: Jamie Elwood,

Courtney Miley (Abilene), Katie

Reimler, and Cecilia Reiter (Jewell).

If you have recruits or questions

contact Bronc [Cell: 620-694-0380,

Office: (785) 628-4689, Email:

cbrumford@fhsu.edu], Ross Russell

[Cell: (308) 830-1425, Office: (785) 628-

4689, Email: rdrussell@fhsu.edu] or

Garry Brower [Cell: (785) 770-2852,

Office (785) 628-4366, Email:

gbrower@fhsu.edu].

Kansas City, MO, shared his thoughts

on the present U.S economy. He said our

economy has been doing a tail spin over

the last year. Much of this started with

the housing markets. Creditors became

too liberal with their lending. People got

into mortgages that they could not

afford. This in turn caused problems for

Conferencefrom page 5

some of the larger lenders and now they

are reluctant to lend at all. New home

building hasn’t been this low since 1991.

Fuel prices rising, high unemployment, a

mistrust of banks and big corporations,

and a great amount of uncertainty about

the economy have all led to a drastic

slow down in consumers spending.

The good news is the Heartland of

America including Kansas is surviving

the crisis fairly well. The employment

rate is growing, the housing market has

been picking up with home prices

dropping only slightly. The oil boom has

been a great relief for many land owners

and farmers. Farm incomes have been up

over the past few years. Barkema

reminded us that the economic crisis

going on around us will get better with

time.

It was a great conference and plans

have started on next year’s conference.

This year the Agribusiness Club has

expanded its opportunities to members

of the Agriculture Department.

Currently the Agribusiness Club has 27

active members. This year the club is

now doing more to bring agricultural

experiences and careers to its members.

In the spring of 2008, the club took a

tour of agricultural based businesses in

Nebraska. The club visited with

potential employers and other

successful agricultural companies. The

Agribusiness Club spent four days in

Nebraska touring some interesting

companies. The tour included Ag West

Commodities, Case-New Holland

Combine Plant, Pioneer Hi-Bred, Meat

Animal Research Center, Abengoa

Bioenergy Ethanol plant, Prairieland

Dairy, Oxbow Hay Company, Farm

Credit Services of America, Rain and

Hail LLC, MBA Poultry (Smart

Chicken), ExMark Manufacturing, and

Pet Supply. Our club was able to talk to

potential employers and gain more

resources for the future. We were able to

see many fascinating things, and learn

2008-2009 Agribusiness

Club Officers (L to R):

Brian Younker (Jetmore),

President; Blaine Walt

(Collyer), Vice-President;

Tyler Algrim (Dodge

City), Treasurer; and

Molly Fletchall (Beloit),

Secretary. Not pictured:

Mr. Mick Glaze and Dr.

Andrew Novotorov, Co-

Advisors.

valuable information. This year we plan

to go to eastern Kansas and northwest

Missouri.

The club is active in the community

through volunteer work in Hays. We

volunteer with Tigers in Service and

work to achieve our goal of 20 hours of

community service. This year a few

members donated blood for the

American Red Cross Blood Drive at

FHSU. The club has formed a team to

participate in the Up Till Dawn cancer

event. Each member of the team sent

out 50 letters to try to raise money that

Agribusiness Club -- Mr. Brian Younker

will be used in cancer research. In

February our team will stay up all night

and walk for cancer. Almost all of

members participated in the

Department of Agriculture’s Ag Outlook

Conference. We will also be helping the

community of Hays in many other ways

throughout the school year.

The members have discovered a way

to network amongst themselves through

learning about each other’s experiences.

Many Agribusiness Club members have

gained valuable knowledge through

internships and trips around the world.

Department News Page 8Winter 2008

From the College Dean -- Dr. Jeff BriggsThe College of Health

and Life Sciences

(CHLS), consisting of

the departments of

agriculture, allied

health, biological

sciences, health and

human performance,

communication

disorders, and nursing, is home to a

number of flourishing undergraduate and

graduate programs and multiple

research and service initiatives. Primary

campus goals this year center on

internationalizing the campus and

curricula, enhancing wellness

opportunities for the entire campus

community, and improving access and

retention of Hispanic students. In

addition, the university has focused on

increasing the quality and quantity of K-

12 teachers and improving the writing,

computational, and computing skills of

all FHSU students. The Department of

Agriculture plays a significant role in

many of the institutional initiatives and

continues to serve the educational needs

of students in our service area and

beyond. With strong academic programs,

excellent hands-on experience, service-

learning opportunities, and abundant

possibilities for student involvement and

leadership through professional

organizations, the department provides

an education that is second to none. In

addition to the traditional emphasis

areas, the new agricultural education

program will provide opportunities for

students to seek teaching licensure and

pursue careers in education that were not

available previously. This is a

meaningful addition to the department

that expands opportunities for student

career development.

What an exciting time to be part of

agriculture. This is an extraordinary

moment for the agricultural industry and

rural America. We are right at the center

of dramatic changes and challenges as

fuel and renewable energy are added to

the food, feed, and fiber industry. Fort

Hays State University has many

challenges ahead and we are ready to

work toward strengthening the academic

programs that provide the

entrepreneurial backbone of western

Kansas and the region. The goal of

academic programs in the CHLS is to

develop an advanced class of graduates

who can enter the workforce with highly

specialized skills that bridge the gap

between theory and practice. Through

meaningful educational experiences

provided by caring faculty, our graduates

develop technical expertise in their area

of specialization as well as skills in

communication, technology applications,

and an understanding of and sensitivity

to complex issues inherent in today’s

workplace. Through the continued

support of so many, we have been able to

provide a foundation for various

development activities which enable our

departments to continue to provide

cutting edge preparation in our

respective disciplines. Thank you for

your continued support of Fort Hays

State University.

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

600 PARK STREET

HAYS, KS 67601-4099

NONPROFIT ORG.

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

HAYS, KS

PERMIT NO. 4