GREEN BAY, Wis. — Two young adults are getting help from Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative to follow their dreams in agriculture.
Edge has awarded $1,000 education scholarships to Cora Carpenter and Jessica Magdanz.
Carpenter grew up on her family’s farm, Redrock View Farms in Darlington, Wis. She attends Iowa State University where she is majoring in agricultural and life sciences education with a communications option. She plans to graduate in May 2021.
While in college, Carpenter has interned with the University of Wisconsin-Extension and is currently interning with Fair Oaks Farms in Indiana. At Iowa State, she is involved in Sigma Alpha, Dairy Science Club, Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow and other organizations.
“This scholarship will help me continue my education at Iowa State University,” Carpenter said. “I am beyond grateful for Edge’s contribution to my education. I strongly believe in educating consumers on the importance of agriculture. The dairy industry has helped shape me into the person I am today, and I strive to promote and educate about the agriculture industry just like Edge does because they truly are a ‘voice for milk.’”
The second scholarship recipient, Jessica Magdanz, recently graduated from Weyauwega-Fremont High School and is planning to attend the University of Wisconsin-River Falls to major in agricultural education. Magdanz (pronounced “Maig-Danz”) has been involved in 4-H, FFA and band throughout high school, along with working on her family’s dairy farm, Magdanz Dairy, in Pine River, Wis.
“Thank you, Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, for selecting me to be a recipient for this scholarship,” Magdanz said. “I am super excited to take the next step in my life and attend college at UW-River Falls.”
“Growing up on a dairy farm will greatly benefit my future career of becoming an agricultural educator because I will be able to apply all that I have learned to the classroom,” she said. “Raising animals and working on the farm has made my passion for agriculture grow strong and I am excited to teach others about the importance of all aspects of agriculture.”
This is the sixth year Edge has offered scholarships to help finance higher education for the children of its members. Tim Trotter, Edge’s executive director, said the co-op plans to continue to award scholarships for exceptional dairy-minded students in the years to come.
“As the voice of milk, Edge recognizes the importance of developing future leaders in our dairy community,” Trotter said. “Cora and Jessica demonstrate great potential to be leaders in helping agriculture meet challenges and sustain success. We are happy to support them and look forward to seeing the positive difference they will make.”
Students competing for the scholarships were judged on academic achievement, leadership and participation in school and community activities, academic honors, goals and aspirations, recommendations and work experience.
About Edge:
Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative provides dairy farmers throughout the Midwest with a powerful voice — the voice of milk — in Congress, with customers and within their communities. Edge, based in Green Bay, Wis., is one of the top cooperatives in the country based on milk volume. For more information, visit voiceofmilk.com.
