SHOW NOTES

INTRODUCING TYLER GARDNER! 

Imagine for a moment that you are the nation’s highest achiever in a very niche crop.  What could you do with that?  Well, Tyler Gardner, the 2020 National Proficiency Winner in fruit production is that person.

Tyler has grown up on a cranberry farm in Pittsville, Wisconsin.  This is the largest cranberry producing county in the largest cranberry producing state in the U.S., and Tyler is right in the middle of it.  Gardner Cranberries has been referred to as “the biggest little guy” in cranberries.  Tyler’s family has vertically integrated their portion of the cranberry business from the growing of the fruit to the production of the concentrate.

For many years, Tyler has been working in every aspect of cranberry production.  Today he finds himself at the University Of Wisconsin, River Falls, studying agriculture business in preparation for a career farming this interesting and timely fruit.  Tyler wants to set off to work for one of the big players in agricultural industry after graduation and then find his way back to the family farm at some point in the future.

All of Tyler’s efforts to this point have led him to national recognition, and it will be fun to see where this story goes.

SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Cranberry Production

HIGH SCHOOL: Pittsville High School; Pittsville, Wisconisn

MASCOT: Panthers

FFA ADVISOR: Lindsay Meissner

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR TYLER: 

Click on the picture below to be taken to the Pittsville High School website:

Tyler’s FFA Advisors’ Email Addresses: meisslin@pittsville.k12.wi.us 

Pittsville High School’s Telephone Number: 715-884-6694

FFA LINKS:

National FFA Organization

Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE’s)

Support FFA 

Donate to FFA – One way that FFA students are able to start small businesses is through an FFA grant of $1,000.  In 2014, 141 FFA students received these grants.  With your donations, more students can get this head start – pay it forward.

REASONS TO DONATE TO FFA:

• Only 2% of Americans grow and raise most of the food and livestock consumed by the other 98% as well as the rest of the world.  FFA is providing the needed education, training and resources to Americans that will carry that torch forward and insure that America continues to have inexpensive, quality food.
• Rural Communities will rely on entrepreneurship in the future for population growth and job creation.  The FFA is a major catalyst to that entrepreneurial growth.
• Farmers, ranchers and those working in agriculture give the rest of America incredible amounts of freedom because the search for food is as simple as going to the grocery store:

“The future of American agriculture depends on the involvement and investment in America’s youth, In order to prepare for the population of tomorrow, we need to encourage America’s youth today, and show that careers in agriculture are profitable, rewarding, and vital.”.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue

Where Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald Can Be Heard:

Member Of The National Association Of Farm Broadcasters