Midwest Heritage, a subsidiary of Hy-Vee, Inc., announced the recipients of their award-winning program to help youth get a start in the cattle industry. Jasmine was selected as one of five individuals from across the state to receive the award. As a recipient, she will receive three bred heifers.
Jasmine is a 7th grader who has been a Clover Kid, a member of the Shooting Stars 4-H Club. She has played softball and basketball through the Parks & Recreation League. This year, she plans to play basketball and softball and is joining the Indianola Middle School Trap Team in the spring. She has shown bucket calves, feeder calves, pigs, sheep, market heifers and market steers through 4-H. Jasmine took her proceeds from her fair animals and purchased seven ewes to start a sheep herd. She plans to become an agronomist when she graduates.
The goal of the Midwest Heritage Youth Heifer Program is to help future young farmers gain interest and knowledge of the beef cattle industry. Winners were chosen based on merit, future goals and their ability to care for the heifers. These individuals are 7th or 8th graders from Fremont, Lucas, Wayne, Warren or Madison County, Iowa. The program will span five years. Each participant will maintain accurate records of income and expenditures during the five years and will submit these records plus a brief summary of activities annually. At the conclusion of the five years, recipients are responsible for paying back the market value of the three bred heifers.
“The first two years of this program have been very successful and we are pleased with the interest that the local youth continue to have in agriculture,” said Allan Bangtson, Midwest Heritage Senior Vice President and Senior Lender. “This is the beginning of establishing a foundation herd and gaining financial self-sufficiency for these motivated individuals who were chosen to participate in the Youth Heifer Program.”