Three Iola High School FFA members earned state-winning proficiencies in their respective work projects.
Levi Meiwes was declared a State Star Farmer. Brody Nemecek was noted for his diversified livestock projects. Casen Barker was recognized for turf grass management.
Each of the three explained their work with short essays.
Levi Meiwes
At the beginning of his freshman year, Meiwes had 35 layer hens and a small poultry business. “During my high school years, my SAE has exponentially grown,” Meiwes noted. “I now have 150 chickens, many customers, real-world experience, and a career plan.”
He raised Barred Rock chickens his freshman year, selling eggs to family and friends on a regular basis for $2.50 a dozen.
Meiwes soon realized there were no others in his area selling farm-fresh eggs.
He eventually purchased 100 Red Sex Link chicks from a hatchery in Hackensack, Minn., which he raised in a homemade brooder.
He then sold 60 of the chickens, with the profit covering his startup costs, and to produce more eggs.
The work continued the next year, when Meiwes purchased an additional 60 chicks.
“The reason the started pullets were so successful is that individuals who wanted to raise their own chickens for eggs didn’t want to invest the money and time required to brood young chicks,” Meiwes explained. “I found it cheap and easy to purchase pullets that would begin to lay soon. I kept another 10 pullets for myself so I could produce even more eggs.”
By 2019, Meiwes shifted gears, buying chicks earlier in the winter so they could begin laying eggs earlier.
“As I kept several more, I began producing enough eggs. I decided that my production justified an egg producer license,” he noted.
Meiwes Poultry Farm is now recognized as an egg producer and distributor, which allows Meiwes to sell his eggs to restaurants and grocery stores.
“I consider this one of my biggest achievements,” he said.
Brody Nemecek
Nemecek’s supervised agricultural experience (SAE) focused on livestock.
As owner and operator of Nemecek Livestock, his project is unique because it focuses on three species that he markets to a broad customer base, Nemecek explained.
