Brett Petersen had dreamed of farming ever since he was young.

In fact, at the end of his sixth-grade year, the youth from Murdock was offered a job at his family farm — Petersen Farms Inc., a diversified crop farm — where he swept the floors and put away tools.

As he grew older, he gained the trust of his boss and others around him. Soon, more responsibilities were shared with him. A family farm incorporated in the 1970s, Petersen Farms runs 6,200 acres, which includes sugarbeets, field corn, sweet corn, peas, alfalfa and soybeans.

PROVEN PRODUCER: Brett Petersen, Murdock, receives the American Star in Agricultural Placement at the annual National FFA Convention in Indianapolis last week. (Photo by Val Aarsvold)

Petersen’s dedication to agriculture was acknowledged at the 89th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis last week. Petersen was awarded the 2016 American Star in Agricultural Placement, one of the most prestigious honors awarded to a student by the National FFA Organization.

During high school, Petersen continued working at PFI and learned more about the business. In his ninth- and 10th-grade years, he learned about preventive maintenance, as well as how to repair equipment when it breaks down. In addition, he became the primary operator of the sugarbeet conveyor. By his senior year in high school, he began doing all of the jobs associated with production of sugarbeets and invested in his own shares of sugarbeets. He also earned his pilot’s license and does crop scouting from the sky.

BRETT PETERSEN

Upon graduation, Petersen enrolled in Ridgewater Community and Technical College for farm operations management. He then had an opportunity to buy into a partnership that would eventually assume ownership of PFI. Petersen plans for his role in the partnership to be that of a sugarbeet specialist. He also intends to return to the college this winter to study agribusiness.

Each year at the National FFA Convention & Expo, four FFA members are honored with American Star awards for outstanding accomplishments in FFA and agricultural education.

The American Star awards, including American Star Farmer, American Star in Agribusiness, American Star in Agricultural Placement and American Star in Agriscience, are presented to FFA members who demonstrate outstanding agricultural skills and competencies through completion of a supervised agricultural experience (SAE). A required activity in FFA, an SAE allows students to learn by doing, either by owning and operating an agricultural business, working or serving an internship at an agriculture-based business, or conducting an agriculture-based scientific experiment and reporting the results.

Other requirements to achieve the award include demonstrating top management skills; completing key agricultural education, scholastic and leadership requirements; and earning an American FFA Degree, the organization’s highest level of student accomplishment.

Sixteen American Star Award finalists from throughout the U.S. are nominated by a panel of judges, who then interview the finalists during the National FFA Convention & Expo. Four are named winners and receive cash awards totaling $4,000. All American Star finalists receive a $2,000 cash award. The American Star awards are sponsored by ADM Crop Risk Services, Case IH, Elanco Animal Health, Farm Credit and Syngenta as a special project of the National FFA Foundation.

Petersen is the son of Paula and Kyle Petersen. He is a member of Kerkhoven Murdock Sunburg-KMS FFA Chapter, led by advisor Christa Williamson.

Source: National FFA