2015 LOGAN COUNTY FAIR LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.com August 2-9, 2015 page 197
Agriculture affects every aspect
of their lives. She said it is fun
to see them come to realize that
not only is it the meat they eat
their parent bought at the grocery
store, but it is also the clothes
they wear and the homes they live
in that are provided through some
form of agriculture.
At the same time, she does have
the students who have grown up
on the farm. They know about
crops, they know about animals,
and her challenge is to find new
ways to challenge them and
expand their knowledge beyond
what they already know.
Wittler said it was fun to watch
both groups grow and learn. She
noted that she related to the “city
kids” because as a youngster
she was not from a farming
background. Growing up in Paris
Illinois, she said as a kid she had
a curiosity about agriculture,
she loved animals and began
exploring Ag Sciences through
4-H. She joined 4-H and had a
friend who was in the club also
that showed animals. She began
helping with that, and her interest
grew into a passion.
Wittler said that in Agriculture,
4-H and FFA marry well. She
noted that the advantage of 4-H
was that kids can start learning at
a young age. The two programs
teach many of the same concepts
- leadership, science, and life
experience, so when students in
4-H reach high school they are
better prepared for FFA.
One of her students that stands
out is Alyssa Summers, who
qualifies as one of those “city
kids.” She said Alyssa began
as an Ag student, and then
joined FFA. She has grown and
become a vital part of the local
organization, even serving as an
officer in the group.
In addition, there are several
of Wittler’s FFA members
who are from agricultural farm
backgrounds and also involved in
4-H. She noted in particular Sarah
and Dawn Irwin, whose family
has one of the very few dairy
farms in Logan County; Reagen
Tibbs, and Garrett Schreiner - all
of these kids showed livestock
this year at the Logan County
Fair, and all of them did well.
Reagen took Grand Champion
Spotted Barrow, Champion
Commercial Gilt, and Reserve
Grand Champion Gilt in the
4-H Swine competition this
year. Dawn Irwin took Grand
Champion Heifer Overall Breeds
in the 4-H Dairy Show. Sarah
Irwin took Grand Champion
Cow Overall Breeds and Senior
Showmanship in the Dairy Show.
Garrett Schreiner took Grand
Champion Ewe Lamb, Grand
Champion Ram Lamb, Grand
Champion Pair of Lambs, Grand
Champion Ewe, and Reserve
Grand Champion Wether in the
4-H Sheep shows.
Looking forward, Wittler said
that one area of understanding
that she wants to promote in the
classroom as well as in FFA is the
devastation of poverty. The week
before last Wittler accompanied
Sara Irwin and Alyssa Summers
to an FFA conference in
Washington D.C. At that
conference, one of the workshops
the girls participated in was a
demonstration of poverty.
Dr. Wittler explained the
workshop was about food
and what is or is not available
to certain income levels and
countries. The room was divided
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