PEMBERVILLE – Hundreds gathered at the Riverview Banquet Center Monday night to recognize and reward
members of the Eastwood FFA for their accomplishments.
Andy Lang and Laurie Ruch, along with Dan and Shelli Morlock were recognized with honorary membership in
the chapter. The Morlocks were not present as they were hauling cattle to Columbus for the Dairy Expo.
Chapter member Garrett Tuck, who works at the Morlock farm, accepted the award on their behalf.
Among the top students honored were Kevin Martin, Star Chapter award winner, and Logan Browne, who was
named Star Greenhand. Clayton Kemner was the most prolific proficiency award winner; while several
students were recognized with scholarship awards.
Lang has supported the chapter by being an auctioneer for six years at Babyland at the Wood County Fair
for the chapter. The former FFA member graduated in 1990 and serves as a district sales representative
for Pioneer Seeds. His introduction said he "continually supported the FFA members throughout the
years."
Ruch is the assistant treasurer for the Eastwood School District. She has worked closely with the chapter
on various items including balancing record books and the FFA treasury. Her introduction read, in part,
"She has been loyal to the FFA in always supporting our fundraisers and always encouraging the
members."

The Morlocks have supported the chapter by donating a calf annually to display at the Babyland exhibit
during the county fair. The couple also allows the chapter to sell the calf at its auction and to
receive the proceeds. They have worked with the chapters "Food for America Program" the last 3
years, where Shelli Morlock discusses the management practices of freshing a cow. The Morlocks have had
many FFA members earn Supervised Agriculture Experience Placement hours by working on the dairy farm.

Martin, the chapter’s reporter, was named the Star Chapter Degree member, for a wide variety of activity
and success during the year. Some of his accomplishments are outlined below.
Browne was named the star greenhand, an award for first-year members, for his heavy involvement in a
variety of activities throughout the year. He also balanced his time with participation the school’s
basketball and football programs.
This year’s AgCredit 110 percent award was presented to Shelby Vaughn. Her supervised agriculture
education project consists of landscaping around the house and volunteer hours at other locations.
Diana Bushman earned the Wood County Soil and Water award.
The chapter accepted two donations. They received $2,500 from Monsanto, courtesy of Jeff Dierksheide, who
was the winning farmer for Wood County in the America’s Farmers Grow Communities contest. (A related
story will appear later.) Also the club received a donation from the Power of Yesteryear Tractor Club
for the assistance provided by chapter members.
Kemner earned agricultural proficiency awards for agricultural mechanics repair and maintenance
placement; fiber and oil crop production in both entrepreneurship and placement; and grain production
for entrepreneurship. Kemner recorded 1,142 hours of work on the home farm for the first award; produced
90 acres of soybeans on rented ground for the second award; and another 90 acres of corn for the final
award.
Michaela Moenter earned both the sheep and small animal production and care proficiency awards in both
entrepreneurship and placement in both categories.
Other proficiency awards went to Julie Russell for agricultural sales entrepreneurship for her barley
straw operation; Nichole Eschedor for beef production placement with 400 hours of work with the family
farm and Wood County Beef Producers; and Erin Nelson, equine science for placement for 600 hours of work
after school.
Bryan Cajka earned both the entrepreneurship and placement awards for forage crop production for his 36
acres of alfalfa; Jared Melcher earned both division honors in fruit production for his 18 acres of
apple orchards and work at the family roadside market; Brock Abke, for both divisions in landscape
management for his work at his parents’ lawn care operation; and Martin in both divisions for vegetable
production. His project was five acres of pumpkins sold at a self-served road side stand.
Martin was also recognized as the top citrus salesman with more than $2,400 in sales. Stephanie Dippman
and Michaela Moenter were second and third, respectively.
Nathan Gerwin was the top chicken barbecue salesman. Eschedor and Moenter were trailed in second and
third, respectively.
The top participation point award winners were also honored for each class. The winner received $50 and
the runner-up $25 from each class. For the freshman, Nathan Gerwin won, with a tie for runner-up to
Browne and Kirsten Ameling. Sophomore winner is Abke, with Kevin Martin runner-up. Junior winner is
Cajka with Nelson a close second. In the senior class Russell was the champion with Amanda Isaacson as
runner-up.
The top scholarship was the Grover Memorial Scholarship award of more than $1,380 which went to Russell.
The scholarship is awarded to a senior who plans to be involved in agricultural education.
Other scholarship winners were Isaacson, Eastwood 2000 FFA Scholarship; Amy Wolf, Clarence C. Spoerl
Memorial Scholarship; Courtney Summerville, Jim Eckel Memorial Scholarship; and the seniors who
completed all four years of agricultural education, Kelsey Appelhans, Shelby Vaughn Tiffany Wagoner,
Jacob Warns, Isaacson, Kemner, Russel and Wolf.
The most recent state degree winners, Kemner, Russell, Kristin Martin and Kayla Kowalski; as well as the
most recent American Degree winners, Corey Bettenbrock, Karen Burris, Michelle Dippman, Zach Frobose,
Bryan Melcher and Stephanie Shaffer were recognized.
The meeting closed with the "turning of the gavel" installing the new officers for the chapter.
Nelson will serve as president, with Madison Renollet as vice president. Abke returns as secretary;
Christine Russell takes over for Renollet in the the treasurer’s chair; Kevin Martin retains the
reporter seat; while Cajka stays as the chapter’s sentinel. Eschedor will be the new student adviser.