[Pages S2774-S2775]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

HOOSIER ESSAY CONTEST WINNERS

<bullet> Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I wish today to take the opportunity
to express my congratulations to the winners of the 2010-2011 Dick
Lugar/Indiana Farm Bureau/Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance Companies Youth
Essay Contest.
In 1985, I joined with the Indiana Farm Bureau to sponsor an essay
contest for 8th grade students in my home State. The purpose of this
contest is to encourage young Hoosiers to recognize and appreciate the
importance of Indiana agriculture in their lives and subsequently craft
an essay responding to the assigned theme. The theme chosen for this
year was ``Agriculture: Then and Now.''
Along with my friends at the Indiana Farm Bureau and Indiana Farm
Bureau Insurance Companies, I am pleased with the annual response to
this contest and the quality of the essays received over the years. I
applaud each of this year's participants on their thoughtful work and
wish, especially, to highlight the submissions of the 2010-2011 contest
winners Alexis J. Carmony of Falmouth, Indiana, and Collin Bowlin of
Jasper, Indiana. I submit for the Record the complete text of Alexis's
and Collin's respective essays. I am pleased, also, to include the
names of the many district and county winners of the contest.
The essays and winners follow.

Agriculture: Then and Now

(By Alexis J. Carmony)

Indiana agriculture is important to me because of the basic
values it instills in my life. Agriculture is about hard
work, appreciation for life and living things, the importance
of our soil and water conservation, perseverance, ability to
overcome hardships, and being creative in dealing with
factors beyond man's control.
Indiana agriculture has an amazing responsibility. Years
ago, Indiana farmers were proud to feed their families from
the farm; today Indiana farmers are proud to feed the world
from their farms. The heart of Indiana agriculture has not
changed from decades ago. Past generations had to physically
work hard to produce their product, whereas the present
generations have to work as hard for the skill it takes to
market their product.
From the time I went with my great grandfather to feed his
cattle and sensed his love for those animals, I was hooked on
agriculture. Even when those animals did not cooperate,
grandpa still loved them. He has cared for livestock for
years, and he enjoys it today as he did years ago. My great
grandfather continues to be active in Indiana agriculture
today and models what agriculture is all about: hard work,
appreciation for livestock and plants, and good stewardship
of our earth.
In closing, I will leave you with a quote from William
Jennings Bryan, ``American Politician and Orator''; 1860-
1925, that summarizes my thoughts on Indiana agriculture.
``Burn down your cities and leave our farms, and your cities
will spring up again by magic; but destroy our farms and the
grass will grow in the streets of every city in the
country.'' I believe agriculture was the foundation of our
country then and still is today.
____

Agriculture: Then and Now

(By Collin Bowlin)

Slowly standing up from the seat of his Case-IH tractor in
which he has been sitting for the past two hours, he wears a
smile that turns into a grimace until the shooting pain eases
and his knee pops back into place. The pain in his knee is
the result of the many years of hard work he has put into
farming this land. Steadily stepping down from the tractor,
he points to where he stopped making the windrows of hay and
now I climb onto the tractor. It is my turn to take over,
where he left off.
He has made his livelihood from farming these rolling hills
in southern Indiana, growing crops of corn, soybeans, and
hay, and raising livestock which include beef cattle, swine,
and poultry. He is my grandfather. He has instilled in me to
take good care of these blessings, land and livestock. As a
young boy, Grandpa worked the land with a team of horses. Now
we have horsepower to more efficiently produce the food that
people rely upon every day. After his eighth grade year in
school, Grandpa had no choice but to end his schooling early
in order to help out on his family's farm. As an eighth grade
student today, I have many choices, and I know I will attend
college in the future.
My love for raising, showing, and judging beef cattle and
pigs has given me many opportunities. Agriculture will always
play a huge role in my life. I am proud to be one voice
supporting the agricultural industry which provides food,
fiber, and fuel to the world. The economic and environmental
issues facing farmers today need to be addressed by
knowledgeable people. So now, it is my turn to take over,
where Grandpa left off.
____

2010-2011 District Essay Winners

District 1

Gabrielle Carlson, Quinn McGovern.

District 2

Katie Lopshire, William Joseph Rockey.

District 3

Shelbi Perry, Dakota Burghardt.

District 4

Rachel Girod, Nathan Chou.

District 5

Shane Slaven, Kiersten Mundy.

District 6

Katie Pfaff, Max Keller.

District 7

Easton Booe, Whitney Halfhill.

District 8

Josh Orschell, Alexis J. Carmony.

District 9

Anna Hagedorn, Collin Bowlin.

District 10

Amber Moore, Clayton Pottschmidt.

2010-2011 County Essay Winners

Adams

Eli Hill, Adams Central Middle School; Rachel Girod,
Bellmont Middle School.

Allen

Robert Ottenweller and Aubrey Fespel, Saint Joseph Hessen
Cassel School.

Bartholomew

Mark Buffo and Meredith Dickerson, Central Middle School.

[[Page S2775]]

Clark

David Elias Book, Borden Junior-Senior High School.

Clay

Easton Booe, Clay City Junior-Senior High School; Whitney
Halfhill, North Clay Middle School.

Dearborn

Matthew Bourquein, Sunman-Dearborn Middle School.

Decatur

Byron Haley and Sarah Gilley, South Decatur Junior-Senior
High School.

Delaware

Joseph Dorton and Chelsie Taylor, Delta Middle School.

Dubois

Collin Bowlin, Jasper Middle School; Anna Hagedorn, Forest
Park Junior-Senior High School.

Elkhart

Doris Mullett, Clinton Central Junior-Senior High School.

Floyd

Ryan Didat and Erin Embrey, Our Lady of Perpetual Help
School.

Franklin

Josh Orschell, St. Michael School; Ella Knight, Mount
Carmel School.

Greene

Drew Witty and Aubri Lehman, Linton-Stockton Junior High
School.

Hamilton

Matthew Hodges and Paige Bousamra, Carmel Middle School.

Henry

Jake Wicker and Katie Pfaff, Tri Junior-Senior High School.

Howard

Nathan Chou and Ava McClure, Northwestern Middle School.

Jackson

Clayton Pottschmidt, Immanuel Lutheran School; Jaylyn
Quade, St. John's Lutheran School.

Jasper

Sydney Dobson and Austin Fleming, Rensselaer Central Middle
School.

Jay

Brandon Muhlenkamp and Catherine Dunn, East Jay Middle
School.

Jefferson

Kaitlyn Boehm, Shawe Memorial Junior-Senior High School.

Lake

William Barney and Teresa Vazquez, Our Lady of Grace
School.

Lawrence

Anna Hawkins, St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School.

Marion

Max Keller, Immaculate Heart of Mary School; Emma Moore,
Creston Middle School.

Noble

William Joseph Rockey and Rachel Flory, Central Noble
Middle School.

Orange

Andrew Hawkins, Orleans Junior-Senior High School; Keisha
Levi, Paoli Junior-Senior High School.

Parke

Shane Slaven and Molly Jones, Rockville Junior-Senior High
School.

Porter

William Alex Sanders, Kouts Middle School; Gabrielle
Carlson, Victory Christian Academy.

Pulaski

Quinn McGovern, Winamac Middle School.

Putnam

Troy Davis and Kiersten Mundy, Cloverdale Middle School.

Ripley

Liam Tuveson and Brooke Siefert, Saint Louis Catholic
School.

Rush

Austin Rogers and Sarah Innis, Benjamin Rush Middle School.

Scott

Sarah Grace Hamelman, Scottsburg Middle School.

St. Joseph

Nicholas Kuyers and Adeline Jongsma, Covenant Christian
School.

Steuben

Sam Wilcox and Katie Lopshire, Angola Middle School.

Switzerland

Riley Phagan and Amber Moore, Switzerland County Middle
School.

Vanderburgh

Cooper Pratt, Plaza Park Middle School; Megan O'Leary, Good
Shepherd School.

Vermillion

David Craft and Bethany Lewis, North Vermillion Junior-
Senior High School.

Wabash

Devin Tracy and Jensen Zumbaugh, Northfield Junior-Senior
High School.

Warren

Curitis White and Maddie Rhea, Seeger Memorial Junior-
Senior High School.

Wayne

Evan Liggett and Michaela Castleman, Centerville Junior
High School.

White

Dakota Burghardt and Shelbi Perry, Frontier Junior High
School.<bullet>

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