Meet the Stars Over Indiana

NOBLESVILLE, Ind. — Four Indiana FFA members were named Stars Over Indiana at the state convention, an honor for their had work in and outside of the classroom.

From launching businesses to conducting research, these students demonstrated their dedication and commitment to advancing Indiana agriculture.

Star In Agribusiness

Luke Schilling produces and sells Big Doug’s Secret Seasoning, a family recipe turned successful business. One hundred percent of the profits go to nonprofit organizations.

He’s developed skills in marketing, inventory management and food safety.

Schilling attends Purdue University and studies agricultural systems management and agribusiness management. After graduation, he plans to pursue a career in ag sales and marketing.

“I like the fact that I can do it on my own and push it toward however large I want it to be,” he said. “The entrepreneurial side of it has been what I really enjoy doing — finding different ways to sell it, whether that’s through my website, face-to-face sales or even getting into the FFA Country Market.”

Star In Agriscience

Jenna Lawler has conducted multiple research projects in the areas of food science and agricultural safety, including research on egg noodles, hearing protection, honey pasteurization and milk digestibility.

By designing experiments, collecting data and analyzing results, she has identified opportunities to improve industry practices and increase awareness about agriculture.

Lawler plans to study food science at Purdue. After graduation, she’d like to build a career creating policies that improve food safety and sustainability.

“One of the biggest things I’ve taken away from doing agriscience is to stay curious and build a network,” she said. “I couldn’t have done these projects alone. I had to rely on the community around me, people who knew more than me and people who could give me access to materials I didn’t have.”

Star Farmer

Faith Lortie owns and manages a Holstein dairy herd. Her responsibilities include daily milking, breeding decisions, herd health management and showing at the local, state and national level.

She has developed a productive and efficient operation. She attends Black Hawk College, where she studies agricultural education and communication.

Lortie dreams of a career where she can educate the public about agriculture and the dairy industry.

“When I started my herd, I bought one heifer from a local farmer,” she said. “It’s all grown from there. I really appreciate that my herd is almost 100% bred and owned cattle, so they’re all out of cattle that I’ve bred and continue to breed.”

Star In Agricultural Placement

Clark Showalter works in natural resource management across forest lands, wetlands and wildlife habitats on a family property.

He began work at age 11 and now has active involvement in land management decisions and field operations on over 1,000 acres of forest, more than 500 acres of wildlife land and 12 acres of wetlands.

His responsibilities include invasive species control, habitat improvement, water level management and equipment operations.

Showalter plans to study forestry at Purdue. One day he’d like to have his own consulting business to help landowners manage their forests.

“I do all sorts of stuff for wildlife, like hunting and fishing population controls,” he said. “We do population surveys to make sure things aren’t overpopulated or underpopulated. We do lots of timber stand improvement projects to make sure that the forest is healthy and is going to be good for future generations. We also flood and lower wetland levels.”