STATE WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR FARM BUREAU ESSAY CONTEST

Andrea Ledgerwood of Angola and Travis Koester of Wadesville are the state winners of the 2012 youth essay contest sponsored by Sen. Richard Lugar, Indiana Farm Bureau Inc. and Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance.

A total of 595 eighth graders from 31 counties participated in this year’s contest. Ledgerwood, who is the daughter of Bob and Lisa Ledgerwood, attends Prairie Heights Middle School. Koester, the son of Dale and Lisa Koester, attends St. Wendel Catholic School. As state winners, both students will receive an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. “The Role of the Farm in a Healthy Diet” was the theme for the essay contest, according to IFB 2nd Vice President Isabella Chism. Chism chairs the Women’s Leadership Committee, which is in charge of the annual contest. The winners were announced March 9 at IFB’s annual Spring Conference. One boy and girl were chosen as finalists from each of Indiana Farm Bureau’s 10 districts, and the state winners were chosen from that pool of 20 finalists. Each of the finalists wins a $50 U.S. Savings Bond. The other finalists from District 2, in addition to Ledgerwood, Luke Lashure of Fort Wayne, St. Joseph Hessen Cassell.