The Next Generation Scholarship Fund Awards

October 31, 2014

Next Gen Schol Blog - Scholarship Winner

Anthony Scheer, David Serfling Niman Ranch Memorial Scholarship winner

As this generation’s farmers and ranchers near retirement, we work to persuade our children and grandchildren not to leave the family farm. As an incentive, we developed a scholarship program called the Next Generation Scholarship Fund.

This fund is designed to raise awareness to the loss of traditional farming and ranching practices, and to ultimately help maintain this way of life. Our goal is to help give the children and family members of Niman Ranch farmers or other family farmers a better opportunity to return to the farm by helping pay for some of their education.

FACTS:

  •  98% decline in the number of family hog farmers since 1950.
  • 30% increase in farmers 75 years and older.
  • 20% decline in farmers 25 years and younger.
  • The average age of the American farmer today is 57.
  • The average age of a Niman Ranch farmer is 47.

Through the generosity of the following donors, winners received over $43,000 in scholarship dollars in 2014:

Congratulations to all our inspiring scholarship winners:

Nora Dodd Jase Kraft Noah Taylor
Rebecca Jostock Mollie Osterman Raeanna Crile
Katelyn Osterman Erin Senger Brett Osterman
Colton Ingels Summer Worthington Brent Parker
Hailey Meitner Lori Roseland Hannah Taylor

This year’s winner of the $6000 David Serfling Niman Ranch Memorial Scholarship is Anthony Scheer: “I’m honored to be this year’s recipient of the Next Generation Scholarship. It has allowed me to put all my focus on my education. I look forward to finishing school and continuing to produce quality pork for Niman Ranch for years to come.”

Anthony has been a Niman Ranch farmer himself since he was just 12 years old. In fact, a few years after he began selling hogs to Niman Ranch, Anthony inspired his parents, Chris and Joan Scheer, to become Niman Ranch farmers as well!

We’re honored to support such dedicated students so they may find their way back to the land. There is nothing more important to the Niman Ranch team than carrying sustainable farming traditions to the next generation.

Learn more about the Niman Ranch Next Generation Foundation and see how it impacts the next generation of farmers.

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