to September 2015 Newsletter.


THE CONNECTION
Serving Businesses Since 1934
September 2015
WWW.COZADCHAMBER.COM
2015 Farm Family
Highlights
Congratulations to
Dave & Ann
Burkholder
Meet Amanda White
Western Valley Ins. & Kiffin Murphy
Agency BAH
Pages 4
Henri Assistant Director
Caroline Gaudreault
Page 5
Church of Christ Events
Page 5
2015 Ag Service Awards
M2C - Mission 2 Cozad
Pages 7-8
Congratulations to
Ann Smith and
Judy Eggleston
Hay Days Breakfast at Cozad
Christian Church
Hangar Dance at Mid State Aviation
Page 8
Quilts Around the Block Highlights
Pages 10-12
Farmer Businessman Appreciation
BBQ
2015 Farm Family
2015 Ag Service Awards
Pages 9-15
Upcoming Events
HAY DAYS
SEPTEMBER 11-12
Senator Ebke Visit - LR35
Page 16
Hay Days
Parade Form
Pages 17-18
Hangar Dance at Mid State Aviation
Page 19
Chuckwagon Feed
FCCLA Tailgate
Page 20
Dog N Jog
Page 21
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Grand Generation Events
Hunter Safety Course
Page 22
CH AM BE R CH AT TE R
Cozad Farmer’s Market
Every Saturday through October
8:00-10:00AM
City Parking Lot
8th & F
Grand Generation
Farmer’s Market
Every Wed through October
4:00-7:00PM
Grand Generation Center
410 W 9th St
CUMC Women’s Luncheon
Thursday, September 3rd - Noon
at Camp Comeca
Guest Speaker Suzanne Osborne Hince
Carolyn Sharp Retirement
Reception
David McNally, C.P.A. invites
you to attend a retirement
reception in honor of Carolyn
Sharp on Friday, September 4th
from 10AM-4PM at
905 Meridian.
FCCLA/United Way Tailgate
Party
Friday, September 4th from
5:30-7PM
On east side of CHS.
Performance by the band, dance
& cheerleaders.
Burger or Hotdog, chips,
cookies, drink, ice cream bar for
$6/person.
Thrivent Financial Event
Wednesday, September 9th from
7:00-9:00PM
Cozad Business Center
(121 W 9th St)
Hosted by Thrivent Financial
Rep Justin Lemmer
Get important financial
strategies and learn
Who Is Thrivent?
Hay Days Tickets
Ride tickets will be sold from
Aug 31-Sept 11 at:
Homestead Bank
Security First Bank
First Bank & Trust
Cozad Chamber Office
also
Sonny’s Super Foods on
Sept 8th-10th 5:30-9:00PM
Western Valley Insurance &
Kiffin Murphy Agency BAH
Friday, September 11 from
5:00-7:00PM or longer.
In parking lot behind office
(903 Meridian)
Welcome Amanda White to the
team and enjoy food & drink
while listening to the
James Lee Band!
Hay Days Breakfast
Saturday, Sept 12th from
7:00-10:00AM at
Cozad Christian Church
(821 Ave. F)
Pancakes, Eggs, Sausage, Coffee
& Juice —
Freewill Donation
Hay Days Parade
Sat Sept 12th
9:30AM Line Up
10:30AM Judging
11:00AM Parade begins
Entry forms available at the
Chamber office.
American Lutheran Church
Chuckwagon Feed
Saturday, Sept 12th
11:30AM-1:00PM at American
Lutheran Church (200 E 12th St)
Eat in air conditioned comfort!
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Hunter Education Course
Sept 14-16 & 21-22
7:00-9:00PM
Paulsen Inc Offices (E Hwy 30)
Register online:
www.HuntSafeNebraska.org
For more info contact Tim Wolf
308-784-2587
Eastside Animal Clinc
13th Annual Dog-N-Jog
Thu Sept 17th 8:00PM
Lake Helen, Gothenburg
Glow Sticks Provided!
Run in a 5K or a 1 mile Fun Run/
Walk! Dogs optional.
Proceeds will benefit the
Gothenburg United Fund.
Call Eastside Animal Clinic for
more info 308-537-7549
Red Cross Blood Drive
Tuesday, September 22nd
11:30AM-5:30PM
Catholic Church Parish Hall
613 W 13th St
To make an appointment
call or text Amanda
308-660-6709
State Chamber Legislative
Forum
Wednesday, September 23rd
at Noon
Lexington Grand Generation
Center - 407 E 6th St
The presentation will include:
*Key business related bills in the
2015 session of the Nebraska
Legislature.
*Important issues awaiting the
Legislature in 2016.
*The latest state rankings in
areas important to the business
community.
$6.50 for lunch. Please RSVP to
the Lex Chamber 324-5504
Shop at Chamber Businesses for your chance
ey
to win $25 Weekly in Cozad Cash Dollars
$3,461,300.00 Spent In Cozad!
C
C
C
Based solely on the number of cards turned into the Chamber office.
August
ozad
hamber
of
Preferred Shopper
ommerce
Rick Love
Beth Allen
Rosalba Rascon
Alysia Gomez
Congratulations to all of our winners!
Thanks for Shopping Cozad!
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Western Valley Insurance & Kiffin Murphy Real Estate
We would like to welcome Amanda White to Western Valley Insurance &
Kiffin Murphy Real Estate.
Amanda grew up in Kansas and met her husband, Kris, at the community
college in Kansas. She earned her Associates degree in Residential
Planning (Interior Design) through the Arts Institute in Pittsburgh.
Amanda and Kris moved to Cozad where she took an office position at
Berreckman & Davis. When she heard about the position with Western
Valley Insurance & Kiffin Murphy Real Estate, she saw the opportunity
to move up and joined Taunya Chytka’s team as an insurance agent.
Amanda loves working with people and loves her new career. She is
currently able to offer home, auto and renters insurance, while working towards her life and health insurance
license which offers medical, dental and vision plans.
When asked which insurance she felt was most important, Amanda named Life Insurance. “People think that
they can get it when they get older but they don’t always take into consideration the bills they would leave
behind such as medical bills and other expenses.”
Currently Western Valley Insurance is offering a Junior Special for children that has the option to double when
the child reaches 30 years old.
Those interested in insurance or more information may contact Amanda at
westernvalleyinsurance@yahoo.com or call the office at 784-3300.
Amanda and Kris enjoy spending time with their 3 children. The family enjoys camping and keep very busy
with sports and wrestling.
4
Caroline Gaudreault - New Henri Museum Assistant Director
We would like to introduce and welcome Caroline Gaudreault, the new Assistant
Director to the Robert Henri Museum & Art Gallery.
Caroline attended Cozad Schools and graduated from CHS in 2008. She fell in
love with history from her dad, who was very fond of history, and her Cozad High
School teacher, Mr. Davis.
Following High School, Caroline attended York College graduating with a BA
degree in History. Her love for ‘old things’ led her back to Cozad in 2011 as an
interim for the Henri Museum. Through her interim at the museum, she came to
love the interaction with people as she gave tours through the museum and
credits Jan Patterson for instilling within her, a passion for the museum and it’s
history. Caroline also designed the current brochure for the Henri Museum during
her interim.
Graduating from York College in 2012, she began her career working at Wessel
Living History Farm which is a 1920’s working farm with animals and a working cook stove of that era in history.
Caroline was very excited with the opportunity to return to the Henri Museum because of her love for pioneer
history which the Cozad/Henri family were a part of and the support she knew the community of Cozad would
give to her and the museum.
“Our job is to bring the museum to life.” shared Caroline. “I want to reach out to students and get them involved
in art. If we want to keep history alive, we need to involve students.”
The new art gallery at the museum, with its controlled climate and lighting, will make it much more inviting and
safer place for new artists and traveling artists to display their masterpieces. opening up more opportunities for
the museum.
Her desire to be a part of growing the Henri Museum and Cozad as well, has drawn her to join the Cozad
Chamber Tourism Committee who shares her enthusiasm and is very enthusiastic about her ideas and vision.
Outside of her museum career, Caroline enjoys playing music and especially playing her acoustic guitar and
singing; a gift she attributes to her aunt, Betty Gaudreault.
Church of Christ (2117 Newell)
Smalls Groups ·∙
Sunday Sept 13, 7 pm @ building – We will be challenged to go deeper in our
relationship with Jesus in “Devoted” by Arron Chambers. ·∙
Wednesday Sept 16, 9:30 am @ McNulty’s home – We continue in our journey
through Revelation. Team Jesus Youth begins on Wednesday Sept 16 with a Pet Parade @ 6:30 pm at the
building. 5
Mission to Cozad - M2C
Celebrating it’s 9th year as Mission to Cozad (M2C), the mission has reached
out to make a difference to hundreds of residents in the Cozad area. M2C was
the vision of the Cozad Association of Churches who were at that time
seeking a way to meet the many needs of Cozad residents desperately seeking
help with home or yard projects. They also saw M2C as a way to teach teens
the value and blessing that comes from serving others without expecting
anything in return.
M2C works hand in hand with the City of Cozad, contacting Cozad’s street
and maintenance department for projects. Usually the city is able to come up
with a couple of projects each year for the mission to accomplish.
M2C also sends letters and project request forms to the churches in Cozad
which is where most of their projects come from. The request form can be
filled out by the person needing a project done or for someone they know that
needs help. The mission has done everything from window washing, yard
clean up to painting an entire house. Occasionally they will travel out into the country for a project but most projects are done
within Cozad.
Anywhere between 20-50 youth of 7th-12th graders join the mission each year. This last year 20 youth came together with around
20 adult leaders to complete 37 projects in Cozad. M2C takes over 100 volunteers however to put together a mission each year.
Volunteers commit to pray for the mission, prepare meals for those on the mission, provide music, special speakers and
entertainment for the teens. Volunteers are also involved in choosing the projects, preparing supplies for the workers, and leaders
for the teens working on the projects.
Funding for M2C comes from donations and concession stand profits.
The M2C event starts on a Thursday evening in August and ends with a community service and potluck dinner on Sunday. The
teens and leaders sleep at the Church of Christ on Newell Street and shower at the Wellness Center.
What keeps them going are the people and teens that have a life-changing experience. The M2C experience has brought several
kids and adults into a closer, more committed relationship to God. M2C’s desire is to plant and water seeds of faith and they find it
very rewarding when they see spiritual growth take place in their volunteers.
Many of the people they have helped have been overwhelmed and very touched by the strangers that care enough to help them
without seeking a reward or payment.
“It takes a huge burden off of the homeowners shoulders and many times just seeing the improvement M2C has made to their
home or yard is incentive enough to get the homeowners excited to continue to improve their home. Some projects were so
overwhelming for homeowners that they had no idea where or how to begin and just having a group come in to do the bulk of the
work is enough for them to be able to complete the rest of the improvements on their own.”
M2C has had several of their teen volunteers involved in the mission all through the middle school and high school years and they
are now seeing 4 out of 5 seniors coming back as leaders.
The mission puts 2-3 students per leader and have had the best experience by mixing middle schoolers with seniors in high school.
According to Paul Lauby, “The seniors automatically take on a leadership role. We keep the same teens with the same leader
through the 4 day mission and it is really neat to see how closely they bond by the end of the week.”
“Teens enjoy the accomplishments and the feeling they get by doing a good deed for someone. They don’t get to experience that
much anymore and it just makes them feel good.”
M2C brings the teens back together again, with an opportunity for the teens to invite their friends to the M2C’s New Year’s Eve
event. The 2016 event will mark their 4th New Year’s Eve event.
It takes place on New Year’s Eve from 5PM-6AM on New Year’s Day and is open to 7th-12th graders. The teens enjoy live music,
bands and speaker. They also have small group time and enjoy board games, basketball, volleyball and dodgeball or just sitting
around at the Wellness Center. Food is provided for the teens throughout the night and they enjoy a fireworks display put on by
Troy Wuehler.
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For more information, check out M2C’s Facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/MissionToCozad.
We are very grateful to our Cozad Association of Churches
for their insight and willingness to make a difference in the
lives of their neighbors and community members in need. We
are also so grateful for giving our teens the opportunity to
experience the joy of helping others. Their experience with
M2C will grown them up to be ‘difference makers and world
changers’ also. What a blessing M2C has been to Cozad.
7
Quilts Around the Block Highlights
Quilts Around the Block, a biennial Cozad Chamber of
Commerce Tourism Event, took place August 7-8th
throughout downtown Cozad and Chipper Hall. Women from
all over Nebraska and out of state descended on Cozad to
view the quilts displayed in many businesses in downtown
Cozad, Chipper Hall and the museums checking off their
stamp card at each business for a chance to win Cozad Cash
Buck prizes.
Guest speaker, Jodi Barrows, taught a class at Wilson Public
Library on her innovative quilting technique, Square in a
Square. 24 women registered in advance for the Friday
workshop class, and over 100 women attended the Friday and
Saturday lectures on the new quilting technique and the
history of cotton.
Many thanks to the businesses and Cozad residents for
displaying their quilts and sharing the stories behind the quilts
with those visiting Cozad and attending the event.
Cozad Tourism Committee also would like to thank Julie
Geiger and Laurie Yocom for their vision and hard work
steering this event and to the Cozad Ambassadors and gals at
Prairie Point Junction for volunteering to help out before,
during and after the event!
A special Thank-you
to Paulsen Inc. for
allowing Cozad
Tourism to use
Chipper Hall which
works so perfectly for
the event.
Special thanks to the
Premier Sponsors of
the event this year for
your contribution in
promoting tourism to
Cozad!
Winners of the Quilts Around the Block
Cozad Cash Buck Drawing
$50 - Deb Claflin from Gothenburg
$25 - Connie Bunning from Stapleton
$25 - Rita Nelson from Gothenburg
Ag Farmer Businessmen Appreciation BBQ
The Cozad Chamber Ag Committee held its 13th annual Ag Farmer Businessmen Appreciation BBQ August 18 at
Chipper Hall. The focus of the presentations were on Ag Education with presenters speaking from Cozad High
School, NCTA and our 2015 Scholarship recipient, Collin Thompson.
Over the last several years, the Ag Community has awarded five scholarships to the following High School seniors
seeking a college degree in Agriculture. Jake Knauss is currently living and working in the Cozad area and remaining
scholarship recipients have plans to return to Cozad or surrounding area.
Jake Knauss 2007 Ag Scholarship Recipient
Graduated from NTCC with Associates Degree in Applied Science
Worked with an Agronomist for 2 years
Currently farms on family farm & is the District Sales Manager for Stine
Samantha Schneider 2012 Ag Scholarship Recipient
Senior at UNL of Agriculture Science & Natural Resources
Seeking BA in Ag Communications & Journalism
Memberships
NE Ag Youth Council Vice President of Communications & Social Media
Logan Hunke 2013 Ag Scholarship Recipient
3rd Year Student at UNL & NCTA
Earning BA in Ag Business
Blaine Peterson 2014 Ag Scholarship Recipient
2nd Year Student at UNL Earning BA in Grazing Livestock Systems
BS in Animal Science
Memberships
Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity
Justin Smith Morrill Scholars
Collin Thompson 2015 Ag Scholarship Recipient
1st Year UNL Student - Ag Business Major
Memberships
FFA President
NHS President
Governor’s Youth Advisory
NE Farm Bureau
Boys State Senate
NE Ag Youth Institute
This year, the Cozad Chamber Ag Committee formed a community partnership with Agriculture Future of America
(AFA), with the purpose to provide an ag scholarship to a high school senior living in the zip code areas of Cozad,
Lexington, Overton and Eustis/Farmam. By partnering with AFA, we were able to increase the dollar amount of the
academic scholarship to $3200, as well as, award the student with an opportunity to attend the AFA Leaders
Conference for an additional $1000. We would like to offer 2 such scholarships in 2016. If you are interested in helping
us make a difference for our Ag students, please refer to the following information.
2015 Farm Family & Ag Service Awards
We were proud to award the 2015 Farm Family Award to the Dave and Ann
Burkholder Family. The following bio was written by Barb Batie.
World War II was drawing to a close when West Liberty, Ohio resident,
Ervin “Burky” Burkholder, began looking for a place to relocate his
alfalfa dehydrating business.
Burky took trains around the Midwest and Great Plains searching
for just the right place and finally settled on Dawson County. He moved
his wife Grace and their two sons, Dave, then 2 ½ and Ervin, 1, to
Cozad.
Seventy years later Nebraska Farm Products is an integral part of
the Cozad agribusiness community, as well as Will Feed, the family
feedlot launched in the early 1960s. Tonight we honor Burky’s son Dave
Dave & Ann Burkholder, John Heaston
and daughter-in-law Ann, for their family’s contributions to agriculture
in Cozad, Dawson County and Nebraska, as well as their community service locally, state and nationwide.
“Dad always said he was afraid he was too late getting his foot in the door. I believe he was either the third or fourth
dehy in Cozad,” recalls Dave Burkholder.
But Burky needn’t have worried. With his brother-in-law Harold Zook as the builder, Nebraska Farm Products (NFP)
took shape, joining the string of dehys in Dawson County that at their peak included five in Gothenburg, four in Willow
Island, seven in Cozad, five at Darr, four in Lexington, one at Josselyn and two in Overton.
“They were building mills right up into the 1970s,” said Dave. “I believe Henry Orthman built the last one in 1973.”
As the 1950s dawned major changes were occurring in the alfalfa dehydrating industry. “Dad bought the first pellet
mill in 1952,” said Dave. “Before that alfalfa meal went into 100-pound burlap bags, which meant there was a lot of hand work
back in those days.”
Burky, Kenny Morrison and Pat Robertson from Lexington formed Consolidated Blenders (CBI) and shipped the
pelletized product from Dawson County to Fremont where it was stored in upright silos filled with inert gas to preserve the
vitamin A and marketed from there. Fremont was selected because it was rail center, explained Dave. “Five railroads came in
there and we could ship all over the country. In those days the railroads used “in transit billing” so we could ship from here to
Fremont, store it and then ship to Boston, all for the same rate.”
During the mid-1950s the family started purchasing farms in Dawson County, trading the interest in the family’s Ohio
homestead to buy land here.
With more alfalfa at their disposal the dehy business continued to grow, so that by the time Dave was in high school
NFP was shipping out 10,000 tons of product a year.
Then his father bought half interest in plants at Darr and Willow Island and the tonnage grew to about 30,000 tons a
year.
“In 1961 Dad decided to start feeding cattle at a place he’d bought just west of Willow Island. I’m not sure why, as no
one in the family had any livestock experience,” commented Dave. “I graduated from Cozad High School in 1961, so when I
left from here, I had no cattle feeding experience.”
Dave spent four years at Grinnell College in Iowa where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in economics. He want on to
study at Stanford, graduated with a MBA in 1967. “I was not planning on coming back here,” he recalls.
He interned one summer at General Mills and had interviewed with various firms such as Ralston-Purina, Chase Bank
and Cummings Engines. While trying to decide life’s next step he found himself driving up the Bayshore Freeway from Palo
Alto to San Francisco and in the midst of all the heavy traffic wrecked his prized Corvette. “I decided I didn’t have to live this
way and came home.”
Meanwhile back in Nebraska, another part of the Burkholder story was taking shape. Ann Kosman was born in
Omaha, but grew up in Scottsbluff after her Dad, a banker, moved the family there in 1949. A 1961 graduate of Scottsbluff
High School, Ann went to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) where she majored in English education. Following her
UNL graduation Ann taught junior high English and French in Colorado for two years before moving to Westside High
School.
While in Omaha, mutual friends, Bill and Mary Wilkins, arranged a blind date for Dave and Ann. The rest, shall we
say, is history and on Dec. 28, 1968, the couple was married in Scottsbluff.
Dave’s first adventure following his marriage and return to Nebraska was managing the feedyard his father started in
1961. “It was a steep learning curve,” he noted, but eased with help from long time employee, Archie Curtice.
The Burkholders had always been innovators and their lot was one of the featured stops on the 1969 Dawson County
Feeders Tour. They were able to spotlight the self-feeders and bunk augers in use at the time.
Shortly after the 1969 Feeders Tour, Will Feed moved to a new location just east of the original lot. One of the reasons for
the move was to deal with new environmental laws that had just been passed by the Nebraska Legislature. Since it was a
new program and the newly created Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) was just developing their
regulations, it took over a year to get approval for a permit for the lot. Will Feed Inc. has the fifth permit issued in
Nebraska.
With things so intertwined at Willow Island with the feedlot and dehy, Dave and his father decided he should buy
the Willow Island dehy plant. The next year Kenny Morrison bought National Alfalfa and offered Dave the two dehy
plants at in Cozad and Willow Island. “The note was for $300,000 and I paid $50,000 down for the two plants,” recalled
Dave.
The next year the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) was passed by Congress and word came down from
Washington, D.C. that dehydrating plants would come under EPA scrutiny. “I bought a new large drum, which allowed us
consolidate production by retrofitting one plant for EPA compliance, instead of four.”
While dehys worked to come into EPA compliance, one of the strangest quirks in the law of supply and demand
happened called the Great Russian Grain Robbery. “Most alfalfa plants had bought first cutting hay that year for $10 a ton.
All of a sudden corn went from $1 a bushel to $2.25, wheat went from $1.50 cents a bushel to $3.50 and alfalfa pellets went
from the low $30s per ton to $70 or $80 a ton. For most years Dad had operated at $2-3 a ton profit. All of a sudden we
were making $20-$30 a ton. Fourth cutting hay checks that year were as much as some people made from four cuttings
most previous years.
Politics continued play in the ebb and flow of the alfalfa industry. During the 1970s there was the Nixon Embargo,
the Arab Oil Crisis and high inflation under the Carter Administration that saw interest rates rise to 20 percent.
One of the biggest changes prompted by the oil crisis was the price of natural gas to dry the alfalfa. The industry
went from direct cutting to cutting in windrows, said Dave. “It changed the whole industry.”
But even more profound changes occurred in the 1980s and they caused Burkholder some of the hardest struggles
of his life. “I can remember when I became president of CBI, I spent four or five years closing one plant every spring and
one every fall. I had to go and tell plant managers and employees we were closing their plants. We started the 1980s with
25 plants and by the close of the 1980s we maybe had 10,” said Dave. “That wasn’t a fun job to do.”
The 1970s also brought change for the young Burkholders. They built their current home in 1970 and a year later
welcomed son, Matt, and in 1975, daughter Lara. The next generation of Burkholders loved sports and family time with
both excelling in activities and sports on the high school level.
Matt graduated from Cozad High School in 1990 and Lara in 1993.
Matt graduated from Dartmouth College in 1994 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in engineering. He went on to earn a
master of engineering management in 1997.
Lara graduated from Virginia Tech and is now a veterinarian in Virginia.
Throughout their Cozad years, Dave and Ann have provided community service in a variety of ways.
Ann continues to keep her hand in education. She worked in the sheltered workshop at the “State School” and
later was on the board of South Central Development Center and is still on the Human Rights committee there. She also
served as a substitute teacher. In 1986 she ran for her first term on the Cozad School Board and is still serving in that
capacity.
Ann’s most significant contribution has been serving on the Cozad Community Schools Board of Education for
many years and her work with the Cozad Area Arts Council, which she founded in 1986. She is the group’s president and
jokes she probably will be for life. She also is active in St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in Cozad and is a member of
PEO.
Dave has continued to learn throughout his agricultural career. In 1981 he was a member of the first Nebraska LEAD class
because Harold Stevens told him he was going to be. The group of 30 leaders from across Nebraska spent two years
studying major issues impacting the world while also improving their leadership skills. The two-week international tour to
China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan broadened Dave’s and other LEAD fellows world perspective.
He also became involved in beef industry organizations and causes. He started in Dawson County as a member of
the T-Bone Club and worked with other younger members to affiliate the club with Nebraska Livestock Feeders; some of
the old timers where less than thrilled to lose their independence. Dave took an office with the Livestock Feeders and
became an advocate of the merger of the Nebraska Stockgrowers and the Nebraska Livestock Feeders. The merger finally
occurred in 1988 resulting in formation of the Nebraska Cattlemen’s Association. After serving many years on the
Nebraska Cattlemen Tax Committee, Burkholder moved up the leadership ranks serving as NCA President in 2002.
In 2001 he was honored by the Dawson County Cattlemen by being inducted into the Dawson County Cattlemen’s Hall of
Fame.
Not only did Burkholder contribute leadership in the cattle industry, he also served leadership roles in the alfalfa
industry as well. Burkholder served as president of the Nebraska Alfalfa Processors Association several times and was
president of the American Alfalfa Dehydrators three times.
The decline in the alfalfa industry led to disbandment of the national group just this year. “There are only three dehy
plants left here in Dawson County,” noted Burkholder, “and there are only three other plants in Nebraska at Arlington, Lyons
and Uehling. Pellets now are used mostly as specialty foods, almost all of those pellets go to feed compounders,” he said.
Some of the uses and their company’s biggest customers are Purina for their horse chow, venison growers in Texas and
mostly for zebras.
as zoo food,
“Alfalfa has gone from a commodity that bought its way in and out of a feedsack to very much a specialty feed. We’ve
been producing half of our pellets as organic with 50-60 percent of that half getting sold at a premium. It’s another whole
management trick Matt has to solve that I never worried about,” said Burkholder.
One of the high points of his career has been transitioning out of running the business, notes Dave.
When Matt was at Dartmouth he didn’t think he was coming back to the farm after college. But in 1994, Matt had a
conversation with his Dad and he spent a couple of summers working for Dave while he was working on his master’s.
During his time at Dartmouth Matt met Anne, a 1993 graduate of Cardinal Newman High School in West Palm Beach,
Florida. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1997.
Matt and Anne were married June 15, 1996, and after some serious discussions decided that Nebraska might be the
place to put down roots because they liked the rural lifestyle. Dave admits he about choked on his coffee the day in the fall of
1996 when Anne and Matt met with him about Anne working in the feedyard.
“But I got out of the way because I’ve seen too many people not get out of the next generation’s way. I told them they
were not coming back to work for me - they were coming back to work for themselves, although my wife still thought I didn’t
help Matt out enough the first couple of years.”
Matt bought the dehy plant from his father in 1998 and he has been operating it since. “There have been gradual
transfers of ownership with the farm and responsibility. I run the day-to-day operations, but Dad is still the major stockholder,”
noted Matt.
As for the feedlot, Anne started learning about the industry by attending her first NCBA convention in February of
1997 and then learned the business from the ground up. Notes Matt, “For the last 10 years it has been Anne’s lot to run and
Dad is the major customer.”
That transition has allowed Dave and Ann time to enjoy their family. Lara and her husband, Bryan Hertweck, live near
Blacksburg, Va., with their daughter Meredith.
After returning to Dawson County in June of 1997, Matt and Anne became the parents of three daughters, Ashley
Grace, Megan and Karyn, so they now have four granddaughters activities to keep up with.
The Burkholders have always enjoyed traveling, but with Dave no longer tied so much to his work, they have
embarked on some grand adventures, such as an African safari and most recently a circuit of Lake Huron.
The Cozad Chamber Ag Committee chose Ann Smith and Judy
Eggleston to receive the Cozad Chamber Ag Service
Award which is given to someone in our local area who has
made a positive impact on ag.
Both women who have gone above and beyond the call of duty
to educate our local students in agriculture and have helped to
make a huge difference in opening the door to giving to needed
causes and organizations within Cozad.
Both were born and raised in Cozad and help in the
management of their farming business, Platte Valley Farms.
Seeing the need to educate our students about the impact our
Ag Industry has on our community, nation and world, Ann
Smith with help from her sister Judy Eggleston planned and organized the biennial 4th & 5th Grade Ag
Exposure Day with the Cozad Chamber Ag Committee. Three of four events have taken place at Ann’s
home.
Ann Smith & Judy Eggleston
Students come away from the event with a different view of agriculture. They learn that ag is not just
planting and harvesting corn. The event takes them way beyond the harvest and shows them the
tremendous impact our local ag has on their lives and their world. Ann has a great love for kids and a
strong desire to make a difference in ag by educating students about Ag.
Both women have had prior involvement with the Ag Committee of the Omaha Chamber of
Commerce.
The Cozad Community Foundation found it’s start in the mind and heart of Judy Eggleston and was :irst brought before the Ag Committee. She has spent countless hours over 3 years researching IRS policy and other community foundations, before putting together a committee of businessmen and women to move the idea forward. The Cozad Community Foundation is currently in full swing and making it possible to leave a legacy within the community for the future of the community. Cozad Community Foundation makes it easier to give to community projects and organizations that
are important to the community. In Judy’s words, “The foundation brings together community
leaders, residents and friends of Cozad to support the community’s future.”
Judy was also the one who researched and brought the AFA National Scholarship opportunity to
Cozad. Her desire to help and encourage our future ag leaders is prominent in everything she does.
Both Judy and Ann have a passion for our future Ag business leaders and they are instrumental to
our Ag committee in moving forward.
Judy has also served on the Nature Conservancy Board for around 6 years. According to John
Heaston, Judy has been a real leader and strong voice for ag and conservation and is well respected
on that board.
Both of these gals are long time members of the Chamber Ag committee and have been very active
leaders on the Committee and very willing volunteers for all of our ag events and were very
deserving of the honor.
The event ended with the Chamber Ag Committee Chairman, John Heaston’s announcement that
he has accepted a position as Regional program director in IA, Ill and NE in the Field to Market
which is an Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture and will be leaving the Nature Conservancy by the
end of the month.
Field To Market® alliance creates opportunities across the agricultural supply chain for continuous
improvements in productivity, environmental quality, and human well-being. John will be a part of a group
that provides collaborative leadership that is engaged in industry-wide dialogue, grounded in science, and
open to the full range of technology choices.
Many thanks to John for his leadership, vision and contributions to the Ag Committee and the state of
Nebraska in water conservation. We wish the best for John and his family as they prepare to move to
Lincoln, NE.
We would like to thank:
Cozad Ambassadors for always being available to help us out for this event, Paulsen Inc.– Chipper Hall,
Thramer Agronomics, 100th Meridian Museum, Cozad Honor Guard, James McCrickard, Jim Cudaback
for providing music, Sonny’s Super Foods, Casey’s, Cork & Cap, and VVS Inc. This event continues to be a
success because of the outstanding community cooperation and sponsorship.
Presentation Thank You’s to Ron Rosati from NCTA, Judy Eggleston from Cozad Community
Foundation, Eustis FFA, Collin Thompson (Scholarship recipient speaker & Eustis FFA Representative)
and Barb Batie for preparing the Farm Family Presentation.
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Senator Ebke Visit to Cozad - LR35 Presentation
On Monday Aug. 17, Nebraska State Senator, Laura Ebke from
Crete, NE, gave a presentation on LR35 at the Cozad Grand
Generation Center. The bill would allow states to call for a
Convention of States in an effort to propose constitutional
amendments to limit federal spending, debt and regulations.
According to Ebke, “Our government is broken, but our
Constitution is good. Debt is out of control, regulations crush
free enterprise, and our freedoms have been stolen. The
Founders provided individuals and states a new way to address
overreaching federal government outlined in the Article V
Amendment Process.”
A frustration with a perceived overreach by the federal
Al Svajgr, Sen. Laura Ebke, Sen.
government into Americans everyday lives has been building
Matt Williams
during the last three years. Agriculture producers in Nebraska
have voiced many complaints about drones flying over their property on behalf of the
Environmental Protection Agency in June of 2012. The revelation that the Internal Revenue Service
was discriminating against and not granting tax exempt status to conservative non-profit groups
has been another blow that was brought to light in the spring of 2013. The Affordable Care Act,
known as Obamacare, was signed into law March 23, 2010.
Ebke discussed the frustration people are dealing with as far as the EPA is concerned and the huge
regulatory efforts crippling business and ag, as well as the huge $18 trillion-plus debt the nation has
accumulated.
Ebke continued, “I read somewhere the other day that we add to the debt by a million dollars every
minute. So, if we look at what the future is for our children and our grandchildren and we want to
get a handle on that, at some level, we need to clamp down on what the federal government is doing
and how much they’re spending.”
A Convention of the States would require two-thirds of the states and so far only four states have
approved entering into the convention. Ebke’s bill could come up for debate at the beginning of
next year.
Senator Matt Williams also attended the event and is currently undecided on whether he would
support LR 35. He would consider the feasibility of supporting a Convention of the States and
expressed a strong desire for feedback from those of whom he represents within his district.
“What I’m not undecided about is; I think we have a government that is overreaching with
regulation telling states what to do and also we have congress in Washington with the inability to
act and I think term limits would help with that,” Williams said.
You can contact Senator Williams through his administrative aide at nschunk@leg.ne.gov or call
402-471-2642 with your thoughts or opinions on LR35.
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FCCLA/United
Way Tailgate
When: September 4, 2015 5:30-7:00 P.M.
Before the football game against Minden
Where: On the east side of Cozad
High School
Performances:
Band, Dance and Cheerleaders
$6.00 per person donation:
(Hamburger/hotdog, chips, cookies,
drink, ice cream bar)
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COZAD AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
2015 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Melanie Nutt
American Lutheran Church
Lindsay Erickson
First Bank & Trust
BJ Malcom
Malcom & Nelson Law Office, L.L.C.
Kim Sassali
Kiffin Murphy Real Estate
Western Valley Insurance
Karmen Morse
Homestead Bank
Mike Millican
Sonny’s Super Foods
Barry Emerson
GoldenLiving Center
Holly Lindstedt
Cozad Floral & Gifts
Dawn Beans
Cozad Community Schools
IN THE OFFICE
Sandra Bappe
Chamber Director
Jeri Johnson
Office Assistant
Email: cozadinfo@cozadtel.net
Phone: 308-784-3930
Fax: 308-784-3026
Website: www.CozadChamber.com
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