Mrs. Kroeger has been nominated for the Golden Owl Award by administration for her tremendous contributions to helping the next generation of agricultural leaders, as well as continuing to build strong agricultural education and FFA programs at Deshler Public Schools.
Help us to see Mrs. Kroeger recognized as she deserves to be! Additional nominations can be submitted by the general public, current or former students, parents, fellow educators, school administrators and community members at the following link:
https://neffafoundation.org/wh...
Prior to coming to Deshler, Mrs. Kroeger received the Nebraska State Education Association Early Career Educator Award Recipient in 2022, as well as the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Spirit Award in December 2017.
Mrs. Kroeger is responsible for growing our chapter to 73 members, or 66% of our junior-senior high school, as well as numerous local and state awards. Receiving thousands of dollars in grants towards our greenhouse, Mrs. Kroeger took a chapter that started in 2017 with just 15 members, and has made it incredibly successful.
This year alone, Deshler FFA has competed in range judging, land judging, and livestock evaluation. The junior range judging team of Makenna Freitag, Kaden Kleen, Hutch Vacek, and Brooklynn Wit placed 3rd at our area contest and competed at state range competition near Beatrice. At state, the team received 14th out of 50 teams with Makenna Freitag placing 19th and Kaden Kleen placing 25th out of 216 individuals.
At the area land judging contest, Deshler FFA captured 2nd place. The team of Sam Hoops, Colton Isernhagen, Brent Buescher, and Gracie Hinz competed at State Land Judging near Broken Bow and placed 7th out of 46 teams, missing a qualification to the national competition by 35 points.
On November 4, at National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, IN, Lacey Schmidt, a 2021 graduate of Deshler Public School, received the first American FFA Degree in chapter history. The American FFA Degree is the highest degree that can be received in FFA. Less than 1% of FFA members receive this honor. Additionally, since 2021, we have had 11 students receive their State FFA Degrees, which is the highest degree that can be earned in Nebraska FFA.
At the 2023 Nebraska State FFA Convention, Sam Hoops was awarded the State Proficiency Award in Agricultural Mechanics-Repair and Maintenance Entrepreneurship. His application represented the state of Nebraska in the national proficiency awards and earned a silver.
Deshler FFA has seen tremendous success in Career Development Events over the years, qualifying a record number of teams (7) for state contests at the Nebraska State FFA Convention in March of 2023. 25 students had the opportunity to attend and compete in Lincoln. The Agricultural Mechanics and Technology Team of Sam Hoops, Kaden Lanham, Gavin Nash, and Blake Schardt placed 4th at state.
In 2022, Deshler FFA had the State Champion Poultry Evaluation Team, earning the team of Colton Isernhagen, Jayden Isernhagen, Ava Kniep, and Bryn Kniep the opportunity to compete at nationals. They earned a bronze. Deshler FFA has coordinated two community service projects this year. This spring, the chapter landscaped the Deshler Post Office, and throughout the summer, members took turns watering and weeding. In October, the chapter hosted a Farmer Appreciation Meal in Ruskin and Byron to thank farmers for their support and provide them with a meal during harvest. Many local businesses donated to the meal, and the chapter served 150 meals.
November 1st - 4th, 8 students attended National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, IN. The members attended workshops about leadership, community service, and future career opportunities. They attended sessions that included motivational speakers, highlighted awards from members across the country, and learned about opportunities in FFA.
Perhaps you are a student that took part in our FFA activities this year or last, or you are a parent or community member who has noticed Mrs. Kroeger's hard work. Help her receive the recognition she deserves by filling out the short nomination form online!