Bio: Jakobi, Brandon - Named State FFA Star Finalist (2022)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Jakobi, Donnerbauer

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 5/18/2022

Jakobi Named State FFA Star Finalist (2022)



Granton area youth Brandon Jakobi is a finalist for the state Star in Agribusiness and State Star in Agriculture Placement awards, both given out by the Wisconsin FFA Association. Submitted photo.

Continuing his tradition of high achievement within the FFA organization, Brandon Jakobi has been named a State Star finalist in the categories of agriculture placement and agribusiness. He is one of fine finalists for the State Star in Agribusiness award and one of 10 finalists for the State Star in Agricultural Placement award.

Jakobi, a Loyal High School senior, found out in late April that he was a finalist. He will interview at the Wisconsin FFA Convention in Madison June 13-16 to determine his final placing in each category.

Jakobi had to first earn his State FFA Degree to be eligible for the Star Award. He will receive his State FFA Degree at the convention.

To get his state degree he had to meet the following criteria:

Completed at least 360 hours of agriculture education instruction while in high school.

Have at least 24 months of FFA membership at the time of application.

Have received the Greenhand and Chapter FFA degrees.

Have earned and productively invested $1,500 or worked 1,000 hours in a supervised agricultural experience (SAE).

Participated in a least five different FFA activities above the chapter level.

Participated in the planning and completion of the chapter program of activities.

Have gained at least six skills or competencies gained through his SAE.

Given at least two public speeches with an agricultural topic, each at least five minutes in length.

Demonstrated leadership by performing 10 parliamentary procedure activities.

Shown a satisfactory record of scholarship, as certified by a school administrator.

Have served in at least four of the following six capacities: chapter FFA officer, FFA committee chair, FFA committee member, official state FFA representative in national or regional FFA activity, school activity (not FFA), or community activity (not FFA).

Have participated in at least 25 additional, unduplicated hours of community service.

“If you meet the above criteria, you can fill out an application to get your state degree. If you would like to take it a step further, you can apply for Star awards. There are four categories – Star Farmer, Star in Agribusiness, Star in Agricultural Placement and Star in Agriscience. Brandon has multiple SAEs, so he applied for both Star in Agribusiness and Star in Agricultural Placement,” Loyal FFA advisor Stephanie Donnerbauer explained in an email.

Jakobi’s agribusiness SAE involves his round baling business, which he started in summer 2017. Jakobi lives on a dairy farm near Granton and travels to nearby farms to make five-foot by six-foot hay and straw bales.

Jakobi applied for the Star in Agricultural Placement award for his work on his family’s farm and at Elusive Hill Dairy. He had to submit a secondary application and write a large essay about his SAE. These applications were all submitted to the Wisconsin FFA Center and reviewed by the state officers and their advisors.

Jakobi’s other FFA accomplishments include completing the Diversified Agriculture Production Proficiency his sophomore year and first-year applicant. That award encompassed all the work he does on the farm, such as fieldwork, taking care of the animals and working on his neighbor’s farm.

Also his sophomore year, he was named one of the top three state finalists for the Agricultural Services – Entrepreneurship Proficiency Award. Last year, he earned first place in that category, and received a cash award and plaque during the Wisconsin State FFA Convention.