About the FarmHouse Foundation

FOUNDATION NEWS

2008-2009 FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED

On behalf of the FarmHouse Foundation Trustees and Staff, we are honored to recognize the following FarmHouse men with an academic scholarship. We had 12 outstanding applicants this year and appreciate each of them for taking the time and effort to apply. The 2008-2009 Scholarship recipients include:

WILLIAM S. (OK ’38) & CATHERINE MAY SCHOLARSHIPS ($1,300 each)
Jason Buss (IL ’06)
Kyle Ensley (OK ’06)
Andrew Gigstad (KS ’07)
Andrew Harris (KS ’07)
Nathan Thompson (OK ’06)

BERT KRANTZ (MI ’36) MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP ($1,000)
Bruce Cooley (PU ’07)

HERBERT FOLKEN (IA ’28) SCHOLARSHIP ($500)
Andrew Steinmetz (IA ’07)

The scholarship selection committee comments included:
“It is an inspiration to read the record of such meritorious young men.”
“I continue to be impressed with the quality of FarmHouse men!”
“Some outstanding young men in the applicants and some very close to call.”
“I was so impressed by these candidates. Wow.”

The Foundation would like to thank Duane Acker (IA ’49), Duane LeTourneau (MN ’44), Peter Mundt (ID ‘91), Dwight Raab (PU ’80), Tom Thurber (NE ’60) and Randy Weaver (OK ’72) for serving as this year’s selection committee.

Please note, several other academic scholarship endowments through the Foundation are earmarked for members of specific chapters. Check with your chapter president, association, local Foundation Council or contact Foundation Executive Director Allison Rickels (800-722-1905 or Allison@FarmHouse.org) for more information regarding those scholarships which are locally selected and awarded. The 2009-2010 International level scholarships will be announced in the fall and are due June 1, 2009. Again, congratulations to these outstanding FarmHouse scholars!

The FarmHouse Foundation is a 501(c)3 public educational foundation supporting the educational and leadership programs of the Fraternity as well as providing scholarships to individual members for academic achievement. FarmHouse International Fraternity is a men’s international agriculturally-related fraternity founded in 1905 that seeks to build men intellectually, spiritually, socially, morally and physically. FarmHouse is located on 30 campuses throughout the United States and Canada, with 1,300 undergraduates and 20,000 living alumni.

Two Generous Alumni Honored with the FarmHouse Foundation’s Philanthropy Laureate Award

June 27, 2008

Two alumni of FarmHouse International Fraternity will be honored with the FarmHouse Foundation’s Philanthropy Laureate award, its most prestigious honor. Jack Haselbush (CO ’67) has been named the 2007 Philanthropy Laureate and Harold Steele (IL ’41) has been named the 2008 Philanthropy Laureate.

The recognition of the Philanthropy Laureates was established in 1999 by the FarmHouse Foundation Board of Trustees. This distinguished designation for outstanding philanthropic support is the highest honor bestowed by the Foundation. The recipient(s) must have exhibited great philanthropic intent throughout his/her life and have some connection with a FarmHouse brother, spouse, parent, relative, etc. Typically the recipient is an individual who has made financial and service contributions of significant dimension to the Foundation, individual FarmHouse chapters and/or society. The recipients may be chosen annually, but are recognized at the following biennial Conclave. Since its creation, only 10 men have received the honor of being named a Philanthropy Laureate.

“These two men have provided exemplary interest in and support of FarmHouse,” said Allison Rickels, executive director, in announcing the recipients. “We are grateful for and humbled by their continued generosity. They have sacrificed time, pleasures and comforts in the name of FarmHouse. This award is a small gesture of our appreciation for what they’ve given to Building the Leaders of Tomorrow.”

Jack Haselbush (CO ’67) is a former member of the FarmHouse Foundation Board of Trustees (2000-2002) and is one of its major benefactors. He is a member of the Century Club, the Foundation’s highest accumulative giving club of $100,000 and more. He and his wife, Shirley, have established two Endowment Funds for the benefit of the Colorado State chapter, one for leadership training and the other to award academic achievement. Jack was an inaugural member of the Foundation’s Power of 7 Seminar, contributing over $7,000 to the Annual Fund in the 2006-2007 fiscal year and sponsoring an undergraduate to attend the Seminar. They have also generously included FarmHouse in their estate plans. Jack is a retired banker with an Estes Park, Colo., financial institution. He is working on a new bank charter in Wellington, Colo., and manages personal investment portfolios. Jack and Shirley live in Timnath, Colo.

Harold Steele (IL ’41) is a generous contributor to the Foundation, including to Campaign 2005, the Foundation’s first-ever capital campaign. He and his wife, Margery, have included FarmHouse in a significant gift of life insurance. He is a member of the Doane Club, for accumulative gifts of $50,000 to $99,999. He served on the Foundation Board of Trustees from 1998-2002. He received the Master Builder of Men Award in 2004, the Fraternity’s highest honor. Harold has made major contributions to agriculture across Illinois, the United States and the world. He was appointed by the first President Bush as chairman and CEO of the Farm Credit Administration in Washington, D.C., serving from 1989-1993. Prior to that, he was appointed by President Reagan as chairman of the National Commission on Agriculture Finance, serving from 1987-1989. Harold served as president and CEO of the Illinois Farm Bureau from 1970-1983. He is a decorated veteran of World War II. He and Margery live in Princeton, Ill., where he farms and collects historic agriculture equipment.

"Jack Haselbush and Harold Steele are truly exemplars of the type of person the Foundation seeks to recognize through its Philanthropy Laureate Award", said Bob Off, Executive Director Emeritus of the FarmHouse Foundation. "Jack and Shirley have also been very generous to Colorado State University, and Jack was instrumental in the founding and funding for a community foundation that serves the Estes Park, Colo., community. Harold and Margery's insurance gift names the Foundation as owner and beneficiary of a life insurance policy which will indeed place them among the Foundation's most generous benefactors. It's a way to make a substantial gift that other alumni may want to consider."

These two recipients will be honored on Saturday, August 16, at the FarmHouse Foundation’s Alumni Dinner during the Fraternity’s 43rd Biennial Conclave, August 13-17, at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. To learn more about Conclave, visit the FarmHouse International Fraternity’s web site, http://www.FarmHouse.org, for event details and registration information.

Power of 7 Seminar a Success

May 8, 2008

“I went around the world in one day!,” was how one attendee described the Foundation’s 2nd Annual Power of 7 Seminar held April 26-27 in Santa Fe, N.M. The Power of 7 Seminar, a first class think-tank on our fraternity and the nation, gathered alumni and seven undergraduate leaders for brotherhood, life-long learning and fellowship. Trustees and Power of 7 donors shared their industry expertise to give a snapshot of the state of the world on topics ranging from agribusiness, food and animal safety, e-commerce, biotechnology, the housing and credit crisis and much more. Also participants had time to enjoy the wonderful sights, sounds and food of the Southwest.

“I found the seminar to be professionally very interesting due to the broad range of expertise and the openness of sharing that took place. It was also very interesting to get the student perspectives on university life today. The topics ranged from commodity prices to nuclear engineering which made for a fun, learning environment,” said Trustee Jim Tobin (IA ’76).

“This is such a unique opportunity to build even more faith from your FarmHouse experience as you learn from the lives, knowledge and wisdom of our most prominent alumni. The informal format encourages the engagement of all and allows interaction with some of our talented undergraduates. This seminar builds your hope for our future and collectively this is truly a great moment in time for all,” said retiring Chairman Randy Linville (KS ’73).

The Foundation would like to send a special thank you to the Power of Seven donors who helped make the weekend possible: Robert Lewis (KS ’58), Jim Herbert (TN ’61) and Dick Kruse (KS ’63). Also thanks to Bob (CO ’64) and Linda Off, executive director emeritus of the FarmHouse Foundation, who helped host the weekend and now live in Santa Fe.

Brock Retires from Foundation Board

April 25, 2008

At the FarmHouse Foundation’s spring Board of Trustees meeting, April 25, 2008, Rick Brock (PU ’71) concluded his six-year term as a Foundation Trustee and his role as Finance Committee Chair.

Rick is president and founder of Brock Associates, a highly respected commodity-marketing consulting firm. The firm, located in Milwaukee, Wis., has been helping farmers, farm owners and agribusinesses make educated grain marketing and purchasing decisions for 25 years. While managing grain sales for 500,000 acres of crop production throughout North America is primary to the firm’s business, Brock Associates also serves as an advisor and price forecaster to many of the nation’s largest agribusiness firms, food companies and financial institutions. The firm is also known for publishing The Brock Report, a 24-page commodity marketing advisory newsletter published 48 times per year and the Brock Daily Electronic Comments, which distributes information and recommendations three times each trading day. Rick does 70-80 speaking engagements each year to farmers, banks and agribusinesses and is an author of two agribusiness books. Rick and his wife Cathy have three grown children and live in Meqoun, Wis.

The Fraternity and Foundation extends our deep appreciation to Rick for sharing his time, talent and treasure with FarmHouse.

Board Elects New Officers

April 25, 2008

At the spring board meeting last week in Santa Fe, N.M., new officers were elected to lead the Board of Trustees for the FarmHouse Foundation.

Art Heggen (IA ’66) was elected Chairman of the Board succeeding Randy Linville (KS ’73), CEO of Scoular Company in Overland Park, Kansas. Art retired May 2 as Executive Vice President for Assurant Solutions/ Assurant Specialty Property and lives in Miami, Fla. Ryan Downs (NE ’88), now Chairman-Elect, is Senior Vice President of Global Customer Service and Operations for eBay, Inc. in Saratoga, Calif.

Jim Lodoen (ND ’79) was appointed Fundraising Committee Chair and is a partner and lawyer with Lindquist & Vennum in Minneapolis, Minn. Don Ferguson (KS ’63) was appointed Finance Committee Chair and is Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer for EnergX with homes in Summit County, Colo. and Chicago, Ill. They will each serve two-year terms as officers for the Foundation.

Fayhee and Tobin join Foundation Board of Trustees

February 8, 2008

The FarmHouse Foundation is pleased to announce that Mike Fayhee (IL ’67) and Jim Tobin (IA ’76) have accepted appointments to new terms on the Foundation’s Board of Trustees. Trustees serve up to two, three-year terms.

Fayhee is a partner in the law firm of McDermott, Will and Emery, LLP, of Chicago. He is head of the firm’s Tax Department with a focus on transactional matters including mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures. Mike is a frequent lecturer on tax matters and has taught in the master of tax program at John Marshall Law School. In 2007, Mike was an inaugural member of and donor to the FarmHouse Foundation’s Power of Seven summit held in Keystone, Colo. He graduated from the University of Illinois in 1970 and earned his law degree from the University of Michigan in 1973. He and his wife Janice live in Glencoe, Ill.

Tobin is the Director of Biotech Business Development for Monsanto overseeing the direction and development of the company’s biotechnology programs and enterprises. Jim comes from a strong FarmHouse background as his father, Kelly (IA ’82), and three brothers, Bernie (IA ’81), Terry (IA ’76) and Kevin (IA ’79) are all members of FarmHouse. In 2005, at the 100th Anniversary Celebration their mother, Irene, was recognized with the “Friend of FarmHouse” award on behalf of the Iowa State chapter. Last fall, Jim’s son Zach became the third generation of Tobin men to join the Iowa State chapter, as a year-first student at ISU. A 1978 graduate of Iowa State in agriculture education, Jim later received his MBA from the Harvard School of Business in 1983. He and his wife Gina reside in St. Louis, Mo.

Geist appointed Annual Giving & Communications Coordinator

January 22, 2008

The FarmHouse Foundation is pleased to announce the addition of Andrea Geist to its staff as the Annual Giving and Communications Coordinator. Geist is a native of Plevna, Kansas and has a bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas. She graduated in December 2007 with a degree in marketing and a minor in leadership studies.

During college, Geist interned with GE Environmental Services, Kansas City, Missouri and Target, Manhattan, Kansas. She is a member of Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority, where she served as chapter president, risk management chairperson, and on many other committees within the organization. She was also a member of the K-State Marketing Club, Christian Challenge campus ministry, National Society of Collegiate Scholar’s, and Phi Kappa Phi honor society. She was also on the Dean’s List of academic achievement every semester and graduated Summa Cum Laude.

Geist will be coordinating annual fundraising activities and initiatives including direct mail, phone-a-thons, special events, undergraduate and young alumni giving, the electronic funds transfer program, non-member appeals and electronic solicitation. In addition, she will be responsible for managing internal and external communication materials and publications for the Foundation.