Bio: Steiner, Francis (FFA Promoter - 1973)

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

Surnames: Steiner, Doering

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 10/18/1973

Steiner, Francis (FFA Promoter - 1973)

A Granton man who has been actively supporting the programs and participants in the Future Farmers of America Organization will be honored at a community banquet, October 23.

The man, Francis Steiner, is known throughout the Clark County area and state for his promotion of FFA and his community.

Steiner, a graduate of Mauston High School and the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, came to Granton in the summer of 1949 teaching vocational agriculture.

With a beginning salary of $65 a week and a student Ag course enrollment of 39 students, Steiner now has 66 students in his classes, including a few girls.

Steiner is an honorary state and American farmer and has had 50 state and three American farmers in his classes. In 1968, he was given the Gold award as teacher of teachers with five of his former students’ presently teaching agriculture.

Steiner has also managed one of the largest and continuous night schools in the state for adult education.

Besides being active in FFA programs, Steiner is also active on the community front. He and his wife operate a drug store in Granton and both have been actively involved in the Granton Fall Festival and other community pride events. He is also a member of the Granton Rotary.

Steiner has shared several major chapter accomplishments with his FFA boys and they include the winning of the 1957 chapter safety award in the state with ten out of the last twelve years being recognized as national chapter award winners.

His students and FFA members have held four state offices and two of them have won the state American Institute of Cooperation (AIC) contest and gone to National AIC conventions.

In 1969 and 1972, two of his chapter members gained high rankings in oratorical areas of competition. One member took second in the state FFA public speaking contest while his son, Kevin, a member of the FFA, took second in the FFA creed competition.

In 1971, two more of his members took the number one place in a state demonstration contest, including another son and FFA member, Greg.

The banquet honoring Steiner is open to the public with tickets available from any Granton FFA member or the Granton School where the event will be held. Speaking will be Floyd Doering, state supervisor of agriculture.