[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 61 (Thursday, April 26, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2814-S2815]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               RECOGNIZING HOOSIER ESSAY CONTEST WINNERS

 Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I wish to take the opportunity to 
express my congratulations to the winners of the 2011 2012 Dick Lugar/
Indiana Farm Bureau/Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance Companies Youth Essay 
Contest.
  In 1985, I joined with the Indiana Farm Bureau to sponsor an essay 
contest for 8th grade students in my home State. The purpose of this 
contest is to encourage young Hoosiers to recognize and appreciate the 
importance of Indiana agriculture in their lives and subsequently craft 
an essay responding to the assigned theme. The theme chosen for this 
year was ``The Role of the Farm in a Healthy Diet.''
  Along with my friends at the Indiana Farm Bureau and Indiana Farm 
Bureau Insurance Companies, I am pleased with the annual response to 
this contest and the quality of the essays received over the years. I 
applaud each of this year's participants on their thoughtful work and 
wish, especially, to highlight the submissions of the 2011 2012 contest 
winners--Travis Koester of Wadesville, IN, and Andrea Ledgerwood of 
Angola, IN. I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the 
complete text of Travis' and Andrea's respective essays and I am 
pleased, also, to include the names of the many district and county 
winners of the contest.

[[Page S2815]]

  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                 The Role of the Farm in a Healthy Diet

                          (By Travis Koester)

       Americans talk skinny, but eat fat. What can farmers do to 
     help? American agriculture will feed the world with a safe, 
     abundant, and affordable food supply. This has been our 
     message in recent years. It is time for change. What word is 
     missing? Healthy! Farmers can help Americans through 
     education and making healthier food more available to low 
     income families.
       Living on a family dairy farm, what can I do? In a country 
     where more than two-thirds of the population is overweight, 
     adult food choices are often made on impulse, not intellect. 
     Americans say they'd like restaurants to offer healthier 
     items, but only 23 percent order those foods, according to 
     research firm Technomic. We must reach the public at a young 
     age. I can encourage teachers to welcome Farm Bureau Ag in 
     the Classroom. These educational programs can influence my 
     generation to eat healthy.
       However, healthy food generally costs more than unhealthy 
     food. How can we assist those with low incomes? Working with 
     Partners in Food, our family farm donates lean healthy beef 
     to local food banks, providing the underprivileged with 
     nutritious protein. Furthermore, I live in a community with a 
     plethora of gardens. Grandmother alone has four gardens! I 
     will encourage my community to share excess garden items with 
     the poor by using my family farm as a collection point. 
     Neighbors and family can share healthy fruits and vegetables 
     that I can deliver to local food banks promoting agriculture 
     at the same time.
       It is time for farmers to take action through education and 
     making healthy food more available to the poor. One farmer at 
     a time, we can make a difference and improve the health of 
     our fellow Americans. Will you join me? American agriculture 
     will feed the world with a safe, abundant, affordable, and 
     healthy food supply.
                                  ____


                 The Role of the Farm in a Healthy Diet

                         (By Andrea Ledgerwood)

       Indiana farms are crucial to our state's well-being. They 
     provide healthy foods we eat every day, including milk, eggs, 
     corn, and meat. The health of the animals occupying the farms 
     ensures the quality of the food. Indiana farmers take pride 
     in making sure only the healthiest products go to market.
       On that note, we also get nutrients from these products. 
     Milk from dairy cows can reduce the risk of health issues 
     such as osteoporosis, some cancers, type two diabetes, and 
     obesity to list just a few. It is just rich, cold, delicious, 
     wholesome, fresh milk from our Hoosier dairy farmers who care 
     about us. Hoosier farmers also grow sweet corn in the rich 
     Indiana soil. Sweet corn contains only one gram of fat per 
     ear of corn--that is seven times less fat than name brand 
     granola bars. It also has significantly more vitamin C than 
     most granola bars. Doesn't a crunchy, sweet, flavorful, fun 
     to eat summer treat from our fellow Hoosier farmers sound 
     delicious?
       If Indiana were to have more farmers' markets in our cities 
     and towns, I believe we could improve our state's average 
     health, including obesity. When we incorporate educational 
     and nutritional values, Hoosiers will soon realize that 
     eating healthy can be easy, affordable, and fun. The Farm 
     Bureau exhibit at the Indiana State Fair is an excellent 
     example of people working together to educate the public 
     about farm safety and the healthiness of homegrown farm 
     products. They have demonstrations, food samples, and very 
     knowledgeable people that care about your health. I believe 
     if we had more of those types of facilities around Indiana, 
     people will be more encouraged to consume the rich, tasty, 
     fresh farm products from our local Hoosier farmers. Don't you 
     agree . . . there's a lot more than corn in Indiana!!


                    2011 2012 DISTRICT ESSAY WINNERS

       District 1: Rachel Stoner, Kyle Venditti; District 2: Luke 
     Lashure, Andrea Ledgerwood; District 3: Ross Kindig, Grace 
     Ringer; District 4: Will Harris, Carley Myers; District 5: 
     Bailey Hayes, Jonathan Meredith; District 6: Aiden Foran, 
     Karsyn Gaynor; District 7: Courtney Brown, Sam Ellis; 
     District 8: Elizabeth Field, Brevin Runnebohn; District 9: 
     Halie Klueg, Travis Koester; District 10: Jerry Clayton, Anne 
     Franke.


                     2010 2011 COUNTY ESSAY WINNERS

       Adams: Carley Myers and Triston Vetter, Adams Central 
     Middle School. Allen: Haleigh DeVido and Luke Lashure, Saint 
     Joseph Hessen Cassel School. Bartholomew: Aaron Kruchten and 
     Audrey Wetzel, Central Middle School. Benton: Kendra Budreau 
     and Joe Stembel, Benton Central Junior-Senior High School. 
     Carroll: Morgan Dominguez, Delphi Community Middle School. 
     Cass: Jodi Aleshire and Derek Sullivan, Southeastern School. 
     Clay: Courtney Brown, Clay City Junior-Senior High School. 
     Crawford: Nicholas Lahue and Nickki Parks, Crawford County 
     Junior-Senior High School. Decatur: Sam Owens and Mika Shook, 
     South Decatur Junior-Senior High School. Franklin: Sydney 
     Browning and Dakota Busch, Mount Carmel School. Gibson: 
     Cecilia Hall, Saint James Catholic School. Hamilton: Trenten 
     Richardson, Carmel Middle School. Hendricks: Jonathan 
     Meredith, Cascade Middle School. Howard: Will Harris and Anna 
     Ortman, Northwestern Middle School.
       Jackson: Anne Franke, Immanuel Lutheran School; Christopher 
     Rust, Saint John's Lutheran School. Jay: Brett Laux and Abby 
     Reier, East Jay Middle School. Lake: Mechai Sharks, Our Lady 
     of Grace School; Kyle Venditti, Taft Middle School. Marion: 
     Aiden Foran and Karsyn Gaynor, Immaculate Heart of Mary 
     School. Monroe: Sam Ellis, Bachelor Middle School. Newton: 
     Ross Kindig and Grace Wernert, South Newton Middle School. 
     Owen: Caroline Sebastian, Owen Valley Middle School. Parke: 
     Ross Akers and Bailey Hayes, Rockville Junior-Senior High 
     School. Perry: Izic Holmes, Cannelton City Schools. Pike: 
     Taylor Carlisle, Pike Central Middle School. Porter: Rachel 
     Stoner, Morgan Township Middle School. Rush: Elizabeth Field 
     and Brevin Runnebolun, Benjamin Rush Middle School. Steuben: 
     Andrea Ledgerwood, Prairie Heights Middle School. 
     Switzerland: Jerry Clayton and Destiny Marcum, Switzerland 
     County Middle School. Vanderburgh: Halie Klueg, Thompkins 
     Middle School; Travis Koester, Saint Wendel Catholic School. 
     Wayne: Conner Allen and Amanda Wilson, Centerville Junior 
     High School. White: Zeb Davis and Grace Ringer, Frontier 
     Junior-Senior High School.

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