Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Baltus, Craig, Keller
----Source: Tribune Record Gleaner (Loyal, Clark Co., WI) 2/21/1974
Greenwood FFA (Debbie Craig & Judy Baltus - 1974)
Mingling with Mary (By Mary Woods)
Throughout the country during the present week, young men and women involved in the Future Farmers of America (FFA) will celebrate a week that has been designated in honor of them. For the thousands of boys, it is no different than it was many years ago, but for Judy Baltus and Debbie Craig of Greenwood the story is a little different for girls are just “breaking the ice” as far as being active members of FFA.
A junior at the Greenwood High School, Debbie is the daugher of Mr. and Mrs. Thurman Craig of Willard. Debbie comes from a farm home of 320 acres, and at the present time the farm has 58 milking cows, with a total of 130 head of cattle. The cattle are registered Holsteins, and the Craig family has been on the farm since 1958, when they moved up from Indiana. According to Debbie, the barn has been remodeled a few times since they began farming and two silos have been constructed on the farm grounds.
For Debbie, farming is no new thing, “Ever since I was little I always helped on the farm in some way. At the present time, I do most of the feeding, help keep records on the herd, and help my sister with the milking.” Debbie also helps hay during the summer months and has been active in showing cows for her dad at fairs and dairy shows throughout the state. Being active in Willard’s 4-H Club, Debbie showed the grand champion at the Clark County Fair in 1968 and 1069, received a pink ribbon at the state fair in 1973, and received first at the 1972 and 1973 Wisconsin Junior Dairymen’s State Convention.
As an active member in the FFA, Debbie was elected as junior officer-secretary in 1972-73, and is presently senior officer-secretary. At last year’s FFA Banquet, she was named as top seed corn sales person for the organization and was a delegate to the state and national FFA conventions, held during the past summer. She also represented the Greenwood FFA at the state judging contest in 1972-73, receiving a fourth place in the dairy showmanship division. Debbie was also a member of the Greenwood FFA dairy steer judging team which participated at the Expo in Madison.’’
Besides being active in FFA, Debbie is a member of the Greenwood National Honor Society and the Pep Club. She enjoys horseback riding and reading, along with showing cows during the summer months. She wishes to go into the agri-business field when her high school education is completed. Debie is also involved in the FFA speaking contest, representing her chapter at the contest held at Abbotsford.
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A freshman at the Greenwood School, Judy has not had many chances to show here interest in the FFA, but as a first-year member, she is representing the chapter in the local Creed Contest. She is also a member of the Conduct of Meetings Committee within the chapter.
Coming from a large farm, Judy is presently residing at the John Keller home in Willard.
“I enjoy working on the farm and milking cows, stated Judy, and during the summer months I like to get out in the fields and work.”
For both Debbie and Judy joining FFA and taking Ag class was a unique experience at the beginning, but as time went on, “the boys just accepted us as one of them in the classroom. It took the boys a while to realize that we are just as capable as they are in agriculture, but they realize that now,” stated Debbie. “Many of the other girls in school thought that I was crazy taking the Ag class, but finally that wore off, too,” remarked Judy.
For both girls, FFA and belonging to the AG does have challenges. Debbie explained that having welding for 18 weeks is rather difficult but in time maybe that will improve too. “I just don’t have the knack for welding,” Debbie explained with a laugh.
As a girl in the Greenwood Ag class and being two members of a chapter with 49 boys, Debbie and Judy have determination to be active in many of the functions of the chapter and not let anyone or anything prevent them from showing that girls are just as good as boys when it comes to knowing and doing projects and work in the field of agriculture, and maybe after all they are just two of the many million girls who believe that it’s not a man’s world.
