This year’s Jefferson County Agribusiness Banquet held on Friday, March 16, at Fairbury Junior-Senior High School was successful. The Jefferson County Agribusiness Banquet is an annual event organized by the Jefferson County FFA Alumni to give an opportunity for agriculturalists and business people to meet for an evening including a meal, awards and entertainment. The FFA is very involved – setting up for the banquet, serving the drinks, and cleaning up afterwards.
“The Fairbury FFA is proud to be a part of this annual event,” said Thomas Dux, Fairbury FFA Advisor. “It’s great experience and exposure for our chapter, and an enjoyable evening.”
This year’s banquet served about 325 guests, and had 35 local businesses serve as table sponsors and additional businesses as speaker sponsors.
The event is not designed to be a fund-raiser, but rather is a community service of the FFA Alumni. The ticket price assists with expenses.
“We are pleased to see this long-time tradition in Jefferson County,” said Lana Likens, Fairbury FFA Alumni secretary. “We are very appreciative of all of the work of our local FFA chapter to make it possible, as well as of the area businesses who serve as table sponsors and speaker sponsors.
The evening included Fairbury Public Schools Superintendent Steven Grizzle providing information on the Farm 2 School program, which provides locally raised beef and pork for the Fairbury School lunch program. He also honored donors to the program so far, and accepted a donation from the Fairbury FFA Alumni.
The Fairbury FFA Alumni Scholarship of $500 was presented to Ashley Griffey, who will be attending Southeast Community College-Milford.
Entertainment was provided by Dave Thorell, member of the Nebraska Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Thorell retired from dedicated service to rural listeners in 2016 after 42 years of service on KRVN in Lexington. Thorell speaks of agriculture and rural Nebraska with authenticity and humor.
The meal was catered by Ricky’s of Hanover, Kan.
