Contact: Lisa Samuelson, director of Student Activities, 218-281-8507 (samue026@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Contact: Leah Stroot, Agriculture and Natural Resources Department, 218-281-8101 (stro0525@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Contact: Linda Kingery, executive director, U of M Northwest Regional Sustainable Development Partnership, 218-281-8697 (kinge002@umn.edu)

Contact: Sue Jacobson, horticulture instructor, 218-281-8118 (sjacobso@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Contact: Leah Stroot, Agriculture and Natural Resources Dept., 218-281-8101(stro0525@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Contact: Theresa Helgeson, lab services coordinator, 218281-8120 (helg0145@umn.edu; Sue Jacobson, instructor, Agriculture and Natural Resources Dept. 218-281-8118 (sjacobso@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@u

Contact: Marlene LeBlanc, Extension Regional Center, 218-281-8696 (mleblanc@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

This past spring Catlin Kersting, a junior horticulture major at the University of Minnesota, Crookston, found herself in a unique position. While most of her fellow classmates were trying to find summer employment, she was being offered a job -- a job she didn't even apply for.  This summer Kersting, a 2010 graduate of Cloquet High School, is working at Wagner's Landscaping Inc., in Fisher, Minn., near Crookston. She attributes her current position with Wagner's to the hands-on approach in her classes at the U of M, Crookston.

Kersting is often found out in the campus greenhouses, whether participating in classes or labs, working with the Horticulture Club, which she was the president of this last semester, or just enjoying the company of the plants or the faculty and staff that work there.  Theresa Helgeson, lab coordinator in the greenhouses, mentioned to Kersting that Roger Wagner, a former instructor on the Crookston campus for a little over 30 years and the owner of Wagner's Landscaping Inc., was looking for a hard worker for the summer at his landscaping business. Helgeson encouraged Kersting to consider it. One day in the greenhouses Kersting and Wagner crossed paths and began to chat about her summer plans.

Originally, she was planning to go home and work at The Green House in Carlton, Minn., where she has worked for the past five years. Wagner instead offered her a job in his greenhouses, he had seen her at UMC and knew she had a passion for horticulture and thought she would be a great addition to his staff. After some support and encouragement from Helgeson, Kersting took a trip out to the nursery and loved it. She took the job offer after the visit, excited about the chance to try something different and gain new experiences.

At Wagner's Kersting has been able to put a lot of what she has learned in the classroom into real world, practical use. She has also had the opportunity to broaden her knowledge base, "I have learned a lot about trees, from grafting and planting to what trees pollinate with one another. I now know which trees need pollinators and which crab apple trees drop their fruit and which keep their fruit. I could not have told you that before," she says.

This job has really showed Kersting that she is on the right path in her college career. "I hope to one day manage my own greenhouse or work in a nursery, and I have really been able to get those experiences here, starting with the planting of the seedlings this winter and selling those same plants to the customers now, as well as all the day-to-day functions."  At Wagner's Kersting can usually be found in one of the greenhouses watering the plants or helping out customers--her favorite part of the job.

"Sometimes the customers will bring out cookies and want to sit down and chit-chat with you! It is really family-like out here which is really nice." The friendly atmosphere at Wagner's is what also drew her to the U of M, Crookston. In both places she is able to work directly with the plants and in both places she feels like a part of a family. "At a big campus you might get lost in the crowd, but at UMC, you are one of the family," Kersting explains. "Everyone really wants you to succeed and will do anything to help you out."

At UMC Kersting has grown into a leader, something she never thought she would be. In addition to being the Horticulture Club president last semester, this fall she will be leading a group of freshmen and transfer students as they become accustomed to campus and each other as well as leading a team of about 20 fellow UMC students as one of the student team leaders for the new student orientation program. These are experiences she feels will be valuable when it comes time to start a career. "If I am going to be running a greenhouse I will be managing employees. These experiences will help me know how to do that effectively."

Kersting views her summer job as more than just watering plants to help them grow. It's a great learning opportunity that is helping her to grow both personally and professionally.

Listen to Catlin Kersting share her experience as a horticulture major: 

For more information about the horticulture program at the U of M, Crookston, visit www.umcrookston.edu/hort.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 26 bachelor's degree programs, 18 minors, and 36 concentrations, including 10 online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of 1,600 undergraduates from 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

In the photos, top, left, Catlin Kersting surrounded by plants in front of Wagner's Landscaping, Inc.

Middle, right: Kersting, a junior horticulture major at UMC in one of the greenhouses at Wagner's Landscaping, Inc. where she has been working this summer.

Bottom, right: Putting her green thumb to work, Kersting waters the plants in the greenhouse at Wagner's Landscaping Inc.

Contact: Austin Czichozki, communications assistant, 218-281-8446 (czich003@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

The annual Student Awards Program, a night celebrating student service and achievement, was held recently at the University of Minnesota, Crookston. Associate Professor Kevin Thompson, who teaches in the Liberal Arts and Education Department, was the 2011 Outstanding Educator and hosted this year's recognition.

Award recipients include the following students:
(Numbers correspond to the number of the photo in the online photo gallery.)

1.    Fall 2011 CSA Senators and Officers
Alisha Aasness, senior, horticulture, Fergus Falls, Minn.
Jackie Dullinger, senior, double major biology and health sciences, Hutchinson, Minn.
Dae Yeul "Danny" Lee, junior, accounting, Seoul, South Korea
Hannah Frey, junior, communication, La Crosse, Wis.
Kate Holmquist, senior, communication, Middleton, Wis.
Austin Czichotzki, senior, communication, Barnesville, Minn.
Angela Bartholomew, senior, double major business management and equine science, Maple Grove, Minn.
Jennifer Rasmussen, senior, health sciences, Dalton, Minn.
Anthonette Sims, sophomore, communication, Robbinsdale, Minn.
Michelle Boateng, junior, applied studies, Bloomington, Minn.
Adam Switzer, junior, sport and recreation management, Apple Valley, Minn.
Brooke Novak, junior, communication, Dahlen, N.D.
Hannah Reysen, sophomore, double major marketing and business management, Adell, Wis.
Abbey Wemimo, junior, business management, Lagos, Nigeria
Kayla Bellrichard, freshman, business management, Elk River, Minn.
Jordan Melbye, senior, communication, Crookston, Minn.
Emily Goff, sophomore, double major animal science and equine science, Danvers, Minn.
Alexmai Addo, sophomore, communication, Minneapolis, Minn.

2.    Spring 2012 CSA Senators and Officers
Alisha Aasness, senior, horticulture, Fergus Falls, Minn.
Jackie Dullinger, senior, double major biology and health sciences, Hutchinson, Minn.
Dae Yeul "Danny" Lee, junior, accounting, Seoul, South Korea
Kate Holmquist, senior, communication, Middleton, Wis.
Austin Czichotzki, senior, communication, Barnesville, Minn.
Angela Bartholomew, senior, double major business management and equine science, Maple Grove, Minn.
Anthonette Sims, sophomore, communication, Robbinsdale, Minn.
Michelle Boateng, junior, applied studies, Bloomington, Minn.
Adam Switzer, junior, sport and recreation management, Apple Valley, Minn.
Brooke Novak, junior, communication, Dahlen, N.D.
Hannah Reysen, sophomore, double major marketing and business management, Adell, Wis.
Abbey Wemimo, junior, business management, Lagos, Nigeria
Kayla Bellrichard, freshman, business management, Elk River, Minn.
Jordan Melbye, senior, communication, Crookston, Minn.
Emily Goff, sophomore, double major animal science and equine science, Danvers, Minn.
Alexmai Addo, sophomore, communication, Minneapolis, Minn.

3.    Student Ambassadors
Kourtney Brevik, sophomore, animal science, Erskine, Minn.
Jessica Stuber, senior, natural resources, Hill City, Minn.
Samantha Zuck, junior, animal science, Jamestown, N.D.
Rachel Keimig, senior, ag systems management, Princeton, Minn.
Alexandra Skeeter, sophomore, health sciences, Milwaukee, Wis.
Victoria Martin, sophomore, animal science, Worland, Wyo.
Tony Taylor, senior, business management, Sheridan, Wyo.
Amanda Pihlaja, junior, hotel, restaurant, and tourism management,  Duluth, Minn.
Erica Nelson, junior, double major animal science and equine science, Carols, Minn.
Whitney Lian, junior, agricultural education, Thief River Falls, Minn.
Bryce Gillie, junior, agronomy, Hallock, Minn.
Alisha Aasness, senior, horticulture, Fergus Falls, Minn.
Samantha Lahman, senior, animal science, Parkers Prairie, Minn.
Jackie Dullinger, senior, double major biology and health sciences, Hutchinson, Minn.
Jordan Melbye, senior, communication, Crookston, Minn.
Josh Lunak, advisor

4.    Ambassador of the Year
Alisha Aasness, senior, horticulture, Fergus Falls, Minn.

Campus Ministry Award (No photograph available)
Jenna Rasmussen, senior, health sciences, Dalton, Minn.
Alexandra Buscher, senior, business management, Merrifield, Minn.

5.    Outstanding Leadership in FCA Award
 Jensen Crots, junior, health management, Chesterton, Ind.

Outstanding Achievement in Math and Physics Award (No photograph available)
Tyler Brazier, senior, software engineering, Greenbush, Minn.
Tyler Berglund, junior, health sciences, Warren, Minn.

6.    Outstanding First Year Biology Award
Brittany Looker, freshman, health sciences, Rochester, Minn.
Ashley Martell, freshman, health sciences, Somerset, Wis.

7.    Excellence in Early Childhood Education Award
Megan Eul, senior, early childhood education, Rosemount, Minn.
Janie Bauer,  senior, early childhood education, Durand, Wis.

8.    Outstanding Academic Achievement Award - Business Department
Alexandra Buscher, senior, business management, Merrifield, Minn.
Sheila Lynch, senior, business management, Inver Grove Heights, Minn.
Alisha Hillstrom, senior, business management, Maple Grove, Minn.
Christopher Bargsten, senior, double major business management and quality management, New Brighton, Minn.
Michael Cloutier, senior, business management, Zimmerman, Minn.
Bryan Boutain, senior, marketing, Alexandria, Minn.
Adam Grahek, senior, marketing, Minneapolis, Minn.
Yangchen Gurung, senior, business management, Mustang, Nepal

9.    Outstanding Leadership Award -  Business Department
Abbey Wemimo, junior, business management, Lagos, Nigeria
Julie Trotter, senior, hotel, restaurant, and tourism management, Eagan, Minn.
Tony Taylor, senior, business management, Sheridan, Wyo.
Brittany Bergemann, senior, marketing, Good Thunder, Minn.

10.    Outstanding Accounting Student
Hwee Kim, junior, accounting, Seoul, South Korea
Dae Yeul "Danny" Lee, junior, accounting, Seoul, South Korea

11.    Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism Hospitality Award
Amoy Carty, senior, hotel, restaurant, and tourism management; Sandy Point, Saint Kitts.
Lauren Ferrara, senior, hotel, restaurant and tourism management; Eden Prairie, Minn.

12.    Outstanding Communication Student Award
 Kristine Neu, senior, double major, horticulture and communication, Pelican Rapids, Minn.
Austin Czichotzki, senior, communication, Barnesville, Minn.

Outstanding Communication Student (Minor) Award
Yangchen Gurung, senior, business management, Mustang, Nepal

13.    Outstanding Sport and Recreation Management Student
Paul Adelman, junior, sport and recreation management, Bellingham, Minn.
Danielle Rueter, senior, sport and recreation management, Burlington, Wis.

14.    SOS Service Award
Austin Czichotzki, senior, communication, Barnesville, Minn.
Jackie Dullinger, senior, double major biology and health sciences, Hutchinson, Minn.
Alysia Osowski, senior, double major in agricultural business and agronomy, Grafton, N.D.

SOS Leadership Award
Katelyn Zins, senior, communication, Starbuck, Minn.

15.    Peer Connections Service Award
Kristine Neu, senior, double major in horticulture and communication, Pelican Rapids, Minn.
Brooke Novak,  junior, communication, Dahlen, N.D.

Peer Connections Peer Mentor of the Year (No photograph available)
Samantha Zuck, junior, animal science, Jamestown, N.D.

16.    Outstanding Turfgrass Student Award
Trenton Waters, senior, golf and turf management, Rush City, Minn.
 
Turf Bowl Team Members
Trenton Waters, senior, golf and turf management, Rush City, Minn.
Nick Walters, senior, golf and turf management, Plymouth, Minn.
Nick Harreld, senior, golf and turf management, New Brighton, Minn.
Kyle Rick, senior, double major golf and turf management and manufacturing management, Coon Rapids, Minn.

17.    Norman Pankratz Memorial Conservation Award
Ben Williams, senior, natural resources, Excelsior, Minn.

John Polley Soil and Water Conservation Award
Bob Guetter, sophomore, natural resources, Miltona, Minn.

18.    Minnesota Soil and Water Conservation
Kelsey Kaiser, junior, natural resources, Streeter, N.D.
Austin Link, senior, natural resources, Sebeka, Minn.

19.    June Shaver /The Wildlife Society Scholarship
Krista Kenyon, junior, natural resources, Sanford, Manitoba, Canada
Austin Link, , senior, natural resources, Sebeka, Minn.

20.    Outstanding Animal Science Student of the Year
 Kayla Klehr, senior, animal science, Richmond, Minn.

Outstanding Equine Science Student of the Year
 Angela Bartholomew, senior, double major business management and equine science, Maple Grove, Minn.

21.    Outstanding Dedication to the Agriculture and Natural Resources Department
Sara Wells, senior, double major equine science and biology, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

22.    Outstanding Ag Business
Alysia Osowski, senior, double major agricultural business and agronomy, Grafton, N.D.

23.    Outstanding Ag Systems Management Student
 Matt Green, senior, triple major agricultural systems management, agronomy, and ag business, Greenbush, Minn.

24.    Hort Club Award and Exceptional Service to the Hort Club Award
Catlin Kersting, sophomore, horticulture, Cloquet, Minn. (Hort Club Award)
Kristine Neu, senior, double major horticulture and communication, Pelican Rapids, Minn. (Exceptional Service to the Hort Club

25.    Study Abroad Seniors
Emily Caillier, senior, double major biology and health sciences, Crookston, Minn.
Sheila Carleton, senior, double major agronomy and natural resources, Baxter, Minn.
Jackie Dullinger, senior, double major biology and health sciences, Hutchinson, Minn.
Austin Czichotzki, senior, communication, Barnesville, Minn.
Angela Bartholomew, senior, double major business management and equine science, Maple Grove, Minn.
Jennifer Rasmussen, senior, health sciences, Dalton, Minn.
Trista Halland, senior, business management, Crookston, Minn.

26.    International Student Scholars Awards
Dae Yeul "Danny" Lee, junior, accounting, Seoul, South Korea
Tashi Wongdi Gurung, junior, environmental sciences, Mustang, Nepal
Amoy Carty, senior, hotel, restaurant and tourism management, Sandy Point, Saint Kitts
Nana Sarkodie Boaten, senior, marketing, Accra, Ghana

Outstanding achievement by an International Student
Yangchen Gurung, senior, business management, Mustang, Nepal

27.    Outstanding ESL Student    
Han Gyu Kang, Busan, South Korea

Outstanding ESL Tutor
Tashi Gurung, junior, environmental sciences, Mustang, Nepal


28.    Together Everyone Achieves More
Yangchen Gurung, senior, business management, Mustang, Nepal
Shirley Osborne, Crooskton, Minn.

29.    Support of Diversity Award presented by the Black Student Association
Ashley Crowe, Circle of Nations Indigenous Association, senior, sport and recreation management, Long Prairie, Minn.
Rae French, coordinator of study abroad
Alvin Killough, assistant professor, Liberal Arts and Education Department
Gary Willhite, director of residential life
Peter Phaiah, associate vice chancellor for student affairs
Charles H. Casey, chancellor
Kristie Jerde, assistant director residential life and advisor for the Black Student Association

30.    Achievement in Music
Tyler Lowthian, freshman, business management, Richfield, Minn.
Bryce Gillie, junior, agronomy, Hallock, Minn.
Miah Smith, freshman, health sciences, Hutchinson, Minn.
Liz Massie, sophomore, communication, Eagan, Minn.
Nathan Anderson, freshman, agricultural education, Appleton, Minn.
Chelsea Swenson, senior, software engineering, Fertile, Minn.
Beth Motley, sophomore, equine science, Vadnais Heights, Minn.
Casey Paris, sophomore, agricultural business, Fairmont, Minn.
Mark Frenzel, sophomore, agricultural systems management, Blackduck, Minn.

31.    Computer Help Desk Award
Kelsey Kaiser, junior, natural resources, Streeter, N.D.

32.    Student Employee of the Year Award
Austin Czichotzki, senior, communication, Barnesville, Minn.

33.    Athletic Department All Academic Team
To be eligible for this honor, the student-athlete must be a member of the varsity traveling team and have a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or better.  Furthermore, the athlete must have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at her/his institution (true freshmen, red-shirt freshmen and ineligible athletic transfers are not eligible) and must have completed at least one full academic year at that institution.

Janie Bauer, volleyball, senior, early childhood education, Durand, Wis.
Jonathon Blazek, men's golf, senior, business management, Owatonna, Minn.
Kari Bodine, women's golf, junior, sport and recreation management, Babbitt, Minn.
Carli Bunning, women's basketball, junior, natural resources, Boone, Iowa
Karen Carpendo, equestrian, senior, equine science, Bessemer, Mich.
Jessica Charles, equestrian, senior, animal science, Belgrade Lakes, Maine
Jensen Crots, soccer, junior, health management, Chesterton, Ind.
Megan Eul, women's basketball, senior, early childhood education, Rosemount, Minn.
Amanda Flint, equestrian, senior, double major equine science and agricultural business, Aberdeen, S.D.
Megan Flynn, soccer, senior, hotel, restaurant, and tourism management, Chanhassen, Minn.
Jessica Goodrich, soccer, sophomore, communication, Munster, Ind.
Kelly Gustofson, women's golf, junior, early childhood education, Hermantown, Minn.
Rachel Halligan, soccer, junior, early childhood education, Duluth, Minn.
Theresa Hamel, women's golf, senior, double major agronomy and agricultural business, Lakota, N.D.
Lauren Kessler, women's basketball, senior, early childhood education, Albertville, Minn.
Megan Kramer, equestrian, senior, equine science, Owatonna, Minn.
Almir Krdzalic, men's basketball, junior, biology, Sioux Falls, S.D.
Stacey Marcum, softball, junior, communication, Merrill, Wis.
Keith McBride, football, junior, double major business management and accounting, Lodi, Wis.
Addie O'Neil, equestrian, junior, agricultural education, Redwood Falls, Minn.
Amanda Overman, equestrian, junior, early childhood education, Lindenhurst, Ill
Casey Paris, tennis, sophomore, agricultural business, Fairmont, Minn.
Josh Perea, football, sophomore, criminal justice, Pico Rivera, Calif.
Angela Peterson, equestrian, senior, double major equine science and animal science, Detroit Lakes,  Minn.
Melanie Rodriguez, equestrian, senior, animal science, Minneapolis, Minn.
Danielle Rueter, volleyball senior, sport and recreation management, Burlington, Wis.
Alyssa Schneider, volleyball, senior, early childhood education, Racine, Wis.
Rachel Schoenborn, softball, sophomore, biology, Anchorage, Alaska
Christopher Secrest, football, junior, criminal justice, Hollywood, Fla.
Alexandra Skeeter, volleyball, sophomore, health sciences, Milwaukee, Wis.
Joseph Stearly, football, junior, health management, Hamlake, Minn.
Andrew Steinfeldt, football, sophomore, health sciences, Green Bay, Wis.
Annalee Sundin, equestrian, junior, double major equine science and animal science, Deer River, Minn.
Denise Thompson, equestrian, sophomore, equine science, Rochester, NY
Amy Van Treeck, equestrian, junior, early childhood education, Sheboygan Falls, Wis.
Kaytlin Weiger, equestrian, senior, equine science, Duluth, Minn.
Sara Wells, equestrian, senior, double major equine science and biology, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Chelsea Wiesner, volleyball, sophomore, double major health sciences and biology, Rochester, Minn.
Yahna Zastrow, equestrian, senior, equine science, Easton, Minn.


34.    Student Programmer of the Year
 Alexmai Addo, sophomore, communication, Minneapolis, Minn.

35.    Dale Knotek Community Service Award
Student  Athletic  Advisory Committee (SAAC)

36.    President's Volunteer Service Awards
Alexmai Addo, sophomore, communication, Minneapolis, Minn.
Sabra Amundson, sophomore, animal science, Crooks, S.D.
Chris Anderson, senior, natural resources, Missoula, Mont.
Angela Bartholomew, senior, double major business management and equine science, Maple Grove, Minn.
Gyungyoun "Ann" Baek, sophomore, health sciences,  Seoul, South Korea
Samm Blees, senior, criminal justice, North St. Paul, Minn.
Nana Boaten, senior, marketing, Accra, Ghana
Michelle Boateng, junior, applied studies, Bloomington, Minn.
Tiffany Breth, junior, animal science, Upsala, Minn.
Kourtney Brevik, sophomore, animal science, Erskine, Minn.
Alexandra Buscher, senior, business management, Merrifield, Minn.
Sophie Cross, freshman, animal science, Farmington, Minn.
Austin Czichotzki, senior, communication, Barnesville, Minn.
Jackie Dullinger, senior, double major biology and health sciences, Hutchinson, Minn.
Bryce Gillie, junior, agronomy, Hallock, Minn.
Katie Hagen, sophomore, agricultural business, Epping, N.D.
Alissa Hernandez, freshman, double major animal science and equine science, Savage, Minn.
Catlin Kersting, sophomore, horticulture, Cloquet, Minn.
Moysey Kutsev, sophomore, business management, Erskine, Minn.
Dae Yeul "Danny" Lee, junior, accounting, Seoul,  South Korea
Whitney Lian, junior, agricultural education, Thief River Falls, Minn.
Nongye Lo, senior, business management, St. Paul, Minn.
Jordan Melbye, senior, communication, Crookston, Minn.
May Nabirye, junior, software engineering, Eagan, Minn.
Erica Nelson, junior, double major equine science and animal science, Carlos, Minn.
Kasey Okke, junior, agricultural education, Hawley, Minn.
Isaac Osei, sophomore, software engineering, Cottage Grove, Minn.
Alysia Osowski, senior, double major agricultural business and agronomy, Grafton, N.D.
Jennifer Rasmussen, senior, health sciences, Dalton, Minn.
Amanda Reineke, senior, double major, equine science and agricultural business, Fisher, Minn.
Hannah Reysen, sophomore, double major marketing and business management, Adell, Wis.
Donovan Rupprecht, freshman, undeclared, Thief River Falls, Minn.
Allison Schumacher, senior, sport and recreation management, Crookston, Minn.
Anthonette Sims, sophomore, communication, Robbinsdale, Minn.
Karlie Sorrell, senior, animal science, Altona, N.Y.
Anthony Taylor, senior, business management, Sheridean, Wyo.
Abbey Wemimo, junior, business management, Lagos, Nigeria
Abbie Westby, senior, agricultural education, Erhard, Minn.
Anton Young, senior, senior, natural resources, St. Cloud, Minn.
Katelyn Zins, senior, communication, Starbuck, Minn.

37.    President's Student Leadership Award
Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) representing SIFE are
Tony Taylor, senior, business management, Sheridan, Wyo.
Abbey Wemimo, junior, business management, Lagos, Nigeria
Alexandra Buscher, senior, business management, Merrifield, Minn.
Dae Yuel "Danny" Lee, junior, accounting, Seoul, South Korea

38.    Outstanding CSA Senator
Adam Switzer, junior, sport and recreation management, Apple Valley, Minn.

Outstanding CSA Voting Delegate Award, in memory of Karolyn Joop (No photograph available)
Victoria Martin, sophomore, animal science, Worland, Wyo.

39.    Outstanding Educator
Dennis Maier, assistant professor, Business Department

Most Supportive of Students
Kim Cousins, student personnel coordinator, Academic Assistance Center

40.    Student Achievement Awards
Alisha Aasness, senior, horticulture, Fergus Falls, Minn.
Angela Bartholomew, senior, double major business management and equine science, Maple Grove, Minn.
Sheila Carleton, senior, double major natural resources and agronomy, Baxter, Minn.
Jackie Dullinger, senior, double major biology and health sciences, Hutchinson, Minn.
Megan Eul, senior, early childhood education, Rosemount, Minn.
Yangchen Gurung, senior, business management, Mustang, Nepal
Samantha Lahman, senior, animal science, Parkers Prairie, Minn.
Whitney Lian, junior, agricultural education, Thief River Falls, Minn.
Kristine Neu, senior, double major, horticulture and communication, Pelican Rapids, Minn.
Brooke Novak, junior, communication, Dahlen, N.D.
Samantha Zuck, senior, animal science, Jamestown, N.D.
Chris Anderson, senior, natural resources, Missoula, Mont.
Austin Czichotzki, senior, communication, Barnesville, Minn.
Matthew Green, senior, triple major agricultural systems management, agronomy, and agricultural business, Greenbush, Minn.
Dae Yeul Lee, junior, accounting, Seoul, South Korea
Abbey Wemimo, junior, business management, Lagos, Nigeria


41.    Man and Woman of the Year
Kristine Neu, senior, double major in horticulture and communication, Pelican Rapids, Minn.
Austin Czichotzki, senior, communication, Barnesville, Minn.

42.    Student Volunteer of the Year Award
Alissa Hernandez, freshman, double major animal science and equine science, Savage, Minn.

43. Outstanding Service to Students
Phil Baird, associate professor, Agriculture and Natural Resources Department

From the group of students received the Student Achievement Awards, two students were chosen as the "Man and Woman of the Year," the year's top academic, service and leadership award. Honors for 2012 go to (pictured l to r) UMC Man of the Year, Austin Czichotzki, a senior from Barnesville, Minn., majoring communication; and Woman of the Year Kristine Neu, a senior from Pelican Rapids, Minn., who is a double major in horticulture and communication. Czichotzki is the son of Terry and Sandi Czichotzki and Neu is the daughter of Mark and Karen Neu.

Special thanks to the Crookston Noon Day Lions Club for their continued support of the awards reception and program.

Members of the Student Awards committee are Lisa Samuelson, Sue Jacobson, Lynne Mullins, Patti Tiedemann, Terrill Bradford, Christiana Boadu, Kayla Bellrichard, and Emily Goff.

Visit the Student Awards Program photo gallery.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 26 bachelor's degree programs, 18 minors, and 36 concentrations, including 10 online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of 1,600 undergraduates from 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

In the photo: Student Achievement Award recipients
Back row: Brooke Novak, Abbey Wemimo, Chris Anderson, Megan Eul, Dae Yuel "Danny" Lee, Alisha Aasness, and Angie Bartholomew.

Front row: Whitney Lian, Matt Green, Austin Czichotzki, Kristine Neu, Jackie Dullinger, and Yangchen Gurung.

 

Contact: Lisa Sameulson, director, student activities, 218-281-8507(samue026@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Two students in the horticultural studies program at University of Minnesota, Crookston recently received scholarships sponsored by the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association (MNLA) Foundation. The scholarship recipients are Lexi Salonek (at right), a freshman from Montrose, Minn., and Alisha Aasness (at left, below), a senior from Fergus Falls, Minn.

The MNLA scholarship program recognizes superior students enrolled in horticultural or landscape studies programs at several area colleges and universities.  The scholarships are designed by MNLA and its member companies to help grow future leaders in the nursery and landscape industry.

Two MNLA member firms sponsored the scholarships for the University of Minnesota - Crookston students. Countryside Gardens, Inc., based in Delano, sponsored the scholarship for Salonek and Hoffman & McNamara Nursery and Landscape, based in Hastings, sponsored the scholarship for Aasness.
 
To be eligible for an MNLA scholarship, applicants must possess a "C" grade average or better, present letters of recommendation from instructors and employers, and submit an essay stating their career goals and objectives. 

The Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association is the state's largest green industry trade association with over 1,200 member companies.  Members include nurseries, garden centers, landscape contractors, landscape designers, irrigation contractors, commercial flower growers, tree care specialists, professional gardening services, and turf and landscape management professionals.
 

Contact: Jodi Larson, MNLA Foundation Program Director (jodi@mnla.biz)

Students named to the fall semester 2011 Dean's List at the University of Minnesota, Crookston were announced by the Office of the Registrar. The U of M, Crookston is one of the most respected career-oriented, technology-based universities in the nation.

To qualify for a place on the Dean's List, students must complete 12 or more letter-graded (A-F) credits while attaining a 3.66 grade point average. The Crookston campus is the online leader in the University of Minnesota system and the only campus providing every full-time student with a laptop computer.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 26 bachelor's degree programs, 18 minors, and 36 concentrations, including 10 online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of 1,600 undergraduates from 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

Fall Semester 2011 Dean's List

Name	Major
Abdullahi, Ahmad	Applied Studies
Addo, Alexmai B	Undecided
Albertsen, Andrew	Natural Resources
Baek, Gyungyoun	Health Management
Bainter, Tiffany	Business Management
Ball-Warriner, Melissa Ann	Applied Studies
Barta,Michelle Lee	Hotel/Rest/Tourism Mgmt
Beattie, Morgan Marie	Criminal Justice
Benson, Amanda	Marketing
Benson, Christina Ann	Communication
Berens, Sean Andrew	Natural Resources
Berg, Steffanie Jean	Communication
Biermaier, Rachel LaVerne	Post-Secondary Enrollment Opt
Bitschenauer, Anna Christine	Accounting
Blace, Jenna	Natural Resources
Brenny, Trenton Gene	Natural Resources
Breth, Tiffany Nicole	Animal Science
Buesing, Samuel T	Business Management
Carpenedo, Karen M	Equine Science
Chang, Feng	Software Engineering
Charles, Jessica L	Animal Science
Chen, Qi	Business Management
Chu, Yiqi	Agricultural Business
Church, Kenzie	Business Management
Crots, Jensen	Health Management
Cymbaluk, Zach D	Agricultural Business
Dagoberg, Seth D	Agricultural Business/Agronomy
Darst, Ericka Ann	Marketing
Dohmeier, Nicole Marie	Accounting
Dutchak, Taylor	Health Management
Erickson, Kayla W	Agricultural Education
Feng, Jiaolong	Business Management
Fenno, Dillon J	Post-Secondary Enrollment Opt
Fillmore, Rowenna	Animal Science
Flaagan, Shandy L	Animal Science
Flint, Amanda Kristine	Agricultural Business/Equine Science
Flynn, Megan	Hotel/Rest/Tourism Mgmt
Folkert, Kelsey	Animal Science
French, Sarah Lynn	Business Management
Fu, Xianfeng	Software Engineering
Funk, Maria C	Agricultural Education
Goodroad, Justin J	Agricultural Education/Animal Science
Gorentz, Andrew	Agronomy
Granfors, Jacob W	Natural Resources
Gregory, Stephen L	Manufacturing Management
Guetter, Robert	Natural Resources
Gurung, Tashi Wongdi	Environmental Sciences
Gurung, Yangchen Dolker	Business Management
Gustofson, Kelly Jo	Early Childhood Education
Hagen, Katie	Agricultural Business/Animal Science
Han, Myoung Don	Business Management
Hartung, Ashlynn R	Horticulture
Haug, Erika Maxine	Equine Science
Hedberg, Benjamin John	Business Management
Held, Blake	Business-Undeclared
Hersy, Abdi E	Applied Studies
Hoff, Adam	Software Engineering
Holzbauer, Skyler S	Agronomy
Hong, JuA	Accounting
Hu, Wenjun	Business Management
Hua, Guogang	Agricultural Business
Huynh, Zachary	Software Engineering
Jackson, Mark Thomas	Natural Resources
Jackson, Wade Theodore	Natural Resources
Jacobson, Whitney M	Agricultural Education/Animal Science
Jennings, Jesse J	Criminal Justice
Jensen, Tanner L	Hotel/Rest/Tourism Mgmt
Jeong, Seongbin	Organizational Psychology
Jin, Chen	Agricultural Business
Johnson, Scott L	Golf and Turf Mgmt/Horticulture
Joppru, Caitlin M	Business Management
Jung, Eun Ki	Business Management
Jung, Sun Jung	Communication
Kalinowski, Ethan	Natural Resources
Keimig, Rachel F	Agricultural Systems Mgmt
Kim, Deok-Won	Business Management
Kim, Hwee	Accounting
Kim, Ye Eun	Organizational Psychology
Klehr, Kayla	Animal Science
Kocina, Kathleen J	Accounting
Koep, Mark	Natural Resources
Kramer, Megan E	Equine Science
Kubica, Melanie	Applied Studies
Kutsev, Hionia Petrovna	Health Management
LaCoursiere, Emmett Peter	Post-Secondary Enrollment Opt
Lamp, Kevin J	Natural Resources
Lee, Amy Rae	Agricultural Education
Lee, Jin-Seung	Undecided
Li, Shuhang	Software Engineering
Liebl, Quinton Nels	Natural Resources
Lim, Ji-Su	Business Management
Lindstrom, Shannon Michelle	Business Management
Liu, Yundi	Accounting
Looker, Brittany A	Hlth Sciences Pre Prof Tr
Lovins, John E	Business Management/Quality Management
Lu, Yang	Software Engineering
McArthur, Leah Nicole	Quality Management
McGraw, Thomas A.	Undecided
Meissner, Brendan	Agricultural Business
Melin, Mariah C	Animal Science/Equine Science
Mikutowski, Mary C	Hlth Sciences Pre Prof Tr
Miller, Geoffrey	Marketing
Moore, Malcolm Xavier	Business Management
Morris, Sarah E	Animal Science
Mosher, Presley E	Horticulture
Munson, Jeremy George	Business Management
Nedrud, Hannah R	Equine Science
Neu, Kristine M	Communication/Horticulture
Novak, Brooke N	Communication
O'Neil, Addie	Equine Science
Pearson, Nicole	Applied Studies
Perea, Josh	Criminal Justice
Pierce, Cassandra Jean	Business Management
Plante, Josee	Hlth Sciences Pre Prof Tr
Plautz, Katelin Mary	Natural Resources
Ramponi, Andrea L	Animal Science
Rarick, Jessica Ray	Natural Resources
Rattanasamay, Mariah	Post-Secondary Enrollment Opt
Reed, Megan Elizabeth	Marketing
Reysen, Hannah M	Business Management/Marketing
Ritter, Alena	Quality Management
Robinson, Trista	Business Management
Robles, Audrey	Undecided
Roder, Ashley Megan	Sport &Recreation Mgmt
Rodriguez, Melanie C	Animal Science
Rollness, Jayden Thomas	Agricultural Business
Roy, Lindsey J	Accounting
Rupprecht, Donovan Reese	Agri/NatRes-Undeclared
Samuelson, Rick Allen	Hotel/Rest/Tourism Mgmt
Schliep, Michael Leroy	Software Engineering
Schmierer, Jeremy	Agricultural Business
Schmitz, Gemma C	Natural Resources
Secrest, Christopher A	Criminal Justice
Selvestra, Drew A	Criminal Justice
Setness, Blake David	Animal Science
Shin, Hye Won	Health Management/Information Technology Mgmt
Sigler, Ross A	Accounting
Sim, Ye Young	Undecided
Skoien, Brittney Marie	Agricultural Business/Equine Science
Sorlie, Katherine Marie	Business Management
Sorlie, Nicole E	Animal Science
Sorrell, Karlie Elizabeth	Animal Science
Stang, Candice Elizabeth	Business Management
Stanley, Christa Pauline	Business Management
Sugar, Joshua L	Business Management
Tan, Chong	Agricultural Business
Teixeira, Leonardo	Business Management
Trotter, Julie Ann	Hotel/Rest/Tourism Mgmt/Marketing
Van Dyke, Vayla M	Natural Resources
Vaughn, Craig	Agricultural Systems Mgmt
Wacker, Daniel	Accounting
Walters, Nicholas	Golf and Turf Mgmt
Waters, Trenton R	Golf and Turf Mgmt
Wavra, Danielle	Biology
Weng, Yaowen	Agricultural Business
Westby, Abbie	Agricultural Education
Will, Leonard Thomas	Agricultural Systems Mgmt
Williams, Benjamin Rex	Natural Resources
Wilson, William R	Accounting
Wright, Joscelyn	Accounting
Wrzos, Holly	Hotel/Rest/Tourism Mgmt
Yao, Jiabin	Business Management
Yimgnia, Christian Guy	Accounting
Zhou, Xi	Business Management/Marketing
Zhou, Xiaowei	Accounting
Zhou, Yun	Agricultural Business
Zieska, Nicole A	Accounting
Zuck, Samantha Ann	Animal Science

Contact: Andrew Svec, director of communications, 218-281-8438, (asvec@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Students named to the fall semester 2011 Chancellor's List at the University of Minnesota, Crookston were announced by the Office of the Registrar. The U of M, Crookston is one of the most respected career-oriented, technology-based universities in the nation.

To qualify for a place on the Chancellor's List, students must complete 12 or more letter-graded (A-F) credits while attaining a 4.00 grade point average. The Crookston campus is the online leader in the University of Minnesota system and the only campus providing every full-time student with a laptop computer.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 26 bachelor's degree programs, 18 minors, and 36 concentrations, including 10 online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of 1,600 undergraduates from 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

Chancellors List for Fall 2011

Name	Major
Abbey, Wemimo S	Business Management
Bakken, Keith Jory	Business Mgmt/Quality Mgmt/Health Mgmt
Bartholomew, Angela Marie	Business Management/Equine Science
Bauer, Janie M	Early Childhood Education
Bendel, Cayla R	Natural Resources
Beth, Brianna S	Biology
Bjorgo, Matthew J	Undecided
Boen, Chase P	Agricultural Business/Agronomy
Borowicz, Matthew G	Hlth Sciences Pre Prof Tr
Bullo, Aman Amano	Applied Studies
Buscher, Alexandra W	Business Management
Chen, Xihao Cho, Hyun Min	Agricultural Business  Biology
Cloutier, Michael A	Business Management
Cook, Allison Joy	Health Management
Czichotzki, Austin	Communication
Denver, Megan I	Natural Resources
Dohmeier, Alexa	Equine Science
Eul, Megan Elizabeth	Early Childhood Education
Geller, Stephanie H	Post-Secondary Enrollment Opt
Grahek, Adam Michael	Marketing
Green, Matthew	Agr Systems Mgmt/Agronomy/Agr Business
Gu, Yue	Software Engineering
Haggerty, Stephanie	Business Management
Harren ,Joseph	Agronomy
Hillstrom, Alisha Marie	Business Management
Hinzmann, Mary L	Accounting
James, Josh	Natural Resources
Jiang, Hong Cheng	Business Management
Johnson, Katy	Natural Resources
Kaiser, Kelsey S	Natural Resources
Kankelfritz, Megan Nicole	Applied Studies
Kenyon, Krista A	Natural Resources
Koo, Kyungwook	Accounting
Koval, Katelyn Elizabeth	Post-Secondary Enrollment Opt
Krikke, Alyssa	Hlth Sciences Pre Prof Tr
Kuznia, Destiny Eve	Business Management
Lee, Dae Yeul	Accounting
Lee, Dong Sung	Undecided
Liu, Siyuan	Business Management
Lu, Zhou	Software Engineering
Maki, Samantha J	Early Childhood Education
Martell, Ashley E	Hlth Sciences Pre Prof Tr
Miller, Maranda	Natural Resources
Mo, Chengyu	Business Management
O'Connell, Stephanie	Animal Science/Equine Science
Origas, Nicole Marie	Business Management
Packer, Lindsey Renae	Applied Studies
Palm, Heather Lea	Health Management
Pan, Fangjing	Business Management
Paris, Casey Lee	Agricultural Business
Park, Koung Un	Accounting
Pepper, Trista	Business Management
Pristanski, Madelyn K	Equine Science
Rindahl, April Jean	Accounting
Scully, Shannon R	Animal Science
Sibert, Jeremy L	Criminal Justice
Simon, Kassandra Joy	Marketing
Stanton, Dawn Marie	Accounting
Stolp, Shane A	Accounting
Sullivan, Brandi Nicole	Equine Science
Thompson, William	Agronomy
Van Treeck, Amy L Wood, Aliscia	Early Childhood Education Early Childhood Education
Zastrow, Yahna K	Equine Science

Contact: Andrew Svec, director of communication, 218-281-8438, (asvec@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Hundreds of rooted poinsettia cuttings arrive in August in anticipation of another holiday season. For seven students involved in the commercial floriculture class at the University of Minnesota, Crookston, those cuttings have developed into a beautiful poinsettia crop under their skill and coaxing.

This year's poinsettias create a beautiful and colorful display with their showy "flowers" known as bracts and include varieties such as Freedom Early Red, Freedom Early White, Freedom Early Pink, Ice Punch (red bracts with pink centers), Red Glitter (red bracts with speckles of white) and Prestige Maroon (deep red bracts).  

Members of the fall semester class include: Mitch Allore, a senior majoring in golf and turf management from North Mankato, Minn.; Ben Sullivan, senior majoring in natural resources from Crookston, Minn.; Clay Schmitt, a senior majoring in golf and turf management from Delano, Minn.; Kevin Coyne, a senior majoring in golf and turf management from St. Paul, Minn.; Chad Harrer, a senior majoring in golf and turf management and horticulture from Brooklyn Park, Minn.; Kelsey Leake, a junior majoring in horticulture from Emerado, N.D.; and Josh Trottier, a senior majoring in golf and turf management from Devils Lake, N.D.

The students started the process of forcing the plants to induce bract color in time for the holiday season in October. Following a specific procedure to control the light, the students covered the plants with a dark cloth at 4 p.m. and uncovered them at 8 a.m. each day to regulate the length of daylight the plants receive. The students are responsible for greenhouse chores on the weekends as well. Although the class is taught by Sue Jacobson, the crop is in the hands of the students. The work and production of the poinsettia crop is entirely the responsibility of the class.  Jacobson says "It's better to learn expensive lessons in school than at your job.  We don't fire the students."

The Agriculture and Natural Resources Department offers commercial floriculture as part of the horticulture program to teach students to produce quality plants for a specific date - a skill necessary for employment in a greenhouse or garden center. "Poinsettias form their colored bracts, when the light is regulated," explains Jacobson. "The poinsettia really doesn't have a blossom like most flowers. Instead, the colorful red, pink, or white petals are modified leaves known as bracts. The blossoms are actually the small yellowish clusters in the center."

Jacobson often allows problems to develop to see how the students will solve them--something they would have to do in an employment situation and giving them an opportunity to apply what they have learned. The class demands hard work, dedication, and a strong team effort to grow the best poinsettias. Leadership and responsibility are two of the qualities that develop in this type of teaching and learning environment.

"Students learn so much from applying their classroom learning to real-world experience," Jacobson explains. "By taking responsibility for the crop, the students are accountable for the outcome making the commercial floriculture class one of the most memorable for the students." The class is excellent training for a career in horticulture, a multi-billion dollar industry in the U.S. To learn more about the horticulture program with emphases in environmental landscaping, production horticulture or urban forestry, visit www.UMCrookston.edu/academics.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 29 bachelor's degree programs, 18 minors, and more than 40 concentrations, including several online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,400 undergraduates from more than 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

In the photo at top are members of the fall semester class including: back row (l to r):  Mitch Allore,  Ben Sullivan, Clay Schmitt, and Kevin Coyne. Front row: Chad Herrer, Kelsey Leake, and Josh Trottier.

In the lower right photo shows the poinsettia tree in the Sargeant Student Center.

Contact: Sue Jacobson, horticulture instructor, 218-281-8118 (sjacobso@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

The University of Minnesota, Crookston Horticulture Club hosted the Mid-America Collegiate Horticultural Society (MACHS) 39th annual conference from Thursday, October 20 to Sunday, October 23, 2011. The theme was "Little Campus on the Prairie." This was the first time the U of M, Crookston Horticulture Club hosted the event. There were 33 students and 3 advisors from 6 universities in attendance including: Iowa State University, North Dakota State University, Northwest Missouri State University, South Dakota State University, the University of Wisconsin- River Falls, and Western Illinois University.

Thursday evening students gathered in the U of M, Crookston greenhouse classroom for registration, refreshments, and a campus welcome by Ron DelVecchio, U of M, Crookston professor and head of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Department. Friday morning began with the general knowledge exam, plant identification, and plant judging. Each school had a team of 4 students whose individual scores contribute to the team total. This contest was designed to challenge the horticulture students and allow them to see where they stand in relation to other universities.

Friday afternoon included three guest speakers. Linda Kingery of the Northwest Regional and Sustainable Development Partnership talked to the students about the dynamic local foods in this region. Kathleen Brokke, historian and horticulturalist, performed her interpretation of Fannie Manhood Heath, a pioneer horticulturalist in the region. Minnesota Nursery and Landscaping Association President Bert Swanson shared his industry perspective with the up and coming industry leaders. Also taking place Friday afternoon was the planting of an apple tree in the U of M, Crookston Nature Nook to honor Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai. Friday evening included a banquet meal with keynote speaker Rusty Schmidt, natural resource specialist with the Washing Conservation District. Schmidt is one of three authors of the Blue Thumb Guide to Raingardens which has changed the way people think about using water in the Twin Cities area and beyond.

Saturday was a day of regional tours highlighting the diversity of Minnesota. Students began the day with naturalist Rhett Johnson leading the group through the Agassiz Dunes Scientific and Natural Area in Fertile, Minn. Traveling south to Detroit Lakes, Minn., the group saw the poinsettia growing operation of Bergen's Greenhouse, Inc. In Park Rapids, Minn., students visited the wholesale perennial growing operation of Bergen's Nursery. The final stop for the group was Itasca State Park where they took a tour of Minnesota's conifers. All of the students had an opportunity to cross the headwaters of the Mississippi River which was a first-time experience for many students.

Sunday marked the end of the weekend conference as the MACHS students held their annual business meeting, elected the 2011-2012 officer team, and selected a host school for 2013. Awards from Friday's team contest were presented.  The top overall individual was Winston Beck from Iowa State University. The first place team was South Dakota State University. Iowa State University was the second place team with the team from Northwest Missouri State University placing third. The U of M, Crookston observed the MACHS tradition that the host school is allowed to compete but not receive awards.

The entire event was planned by the U of M, Crookston Horticulture Club students with support from U of M, Crookston staff and faculty. U of M, Crookston senior Kristine Neu served as the chair of MACHS 2011. The MACHS annual conference is the largest undertaking in the history of the Horticulture Club, and they were excited to showcase their program, the campus, and the community to the visiting universities. The host school for the 2012 MACHS conference will be South Dakota State University chaired by Sarah Custer. The host school for the 2013 MACHS conference will be the University of Wisconsin- River Falls chaired by Joel Sehloff. For more information about MACHS and to see more event photos visit the group's Facebook page: Mid America Collegiate Horticulture Society 2011.  

MACHS is comprised of horticulture clubs from universities  and two-year colleges in the Midwest Region including Colorado, Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. MACHS is a branch of the Association of Collegiate Branches (ACB) within the American Society for Horticultural Sciences (ASHS). ACB is a national forum comprised of undergraduate horticulture clubs within ASHS.

The objective of MACHS is to promote an awareness of the profession of horticulture, furnish a medium of communication for horticulture students, and exchange club and professional ideas. These objectives are met through a variety of activities taking place throughout the weekend conference.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 26 bachelor's degree programs, 18 minors, and 36 concentrations, including 10 online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of 1,600 undergraduates from 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

In the photos:
Top right:

U of M, Crookston horticulture students with Sue Jacobson, horticulture instructor (in purple): Standing left to right: Michael Laurich, Alisha Aasness, Catlin Kersting, Chad Harrer, Mitch Sledge, Kristine Neu and Chancellor Charles H. Casey. In the front (left to right): Ashlynn Hartung and Amanda Thompson.

Middle, left: The entire Mid-America Collegiate Horticultural Society crossing the headwaters of the Mississippi River on Saturday, October 22, 2011.

Bottom right: Four generations of MACHS chairpersons (l to r): Joel Sehloff, 2013 chair, University of Wisconsin- River Falls; Sarah Custer, 2012 chair, South Dakota State University; Kristine Neu, 2011 chair, U of M, Crookston; Winston Beck, 2010 chair, Iowa State University

Contact: Kristine Neu, communications assistant, (neuxx019@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

A legend has passed. On September 25, 2011, Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and sustainable development activist died in Nairobi, Kenya, after a prolonged battle with cancer. In her memory and as a tribute to her legacy, the University of Minnesota, Crookston will plant a memorial apple tree on campus. In coordination with the hosting of the Mid-America Collegiate Horticultural Society (MACHS) conference, a Honeycrisp apple tree will be planted at 4 p.m. on Friday, October 21, 2011, in the Nature Nook, near the west entrance to Bergland Laboratory on the campus. The public is invited to attend.

The family of Maathai and the Green Belt Movement asks well-wishers to plant a tree to provide a living symbol of Wangari and her tireless work to make the world a better and more peaceful place. U of M, Crookston Chancellor Charles H. Casey will make comments during the tree planting along with Harouna Maiga, Ph.D., associate professor of animal science and a native of Mali, Africa.

The recipient of numerous awards commemorating her activities with sustainability, international conservation, women's rights, health, Maathai is perhaps best known for founding the Green Belt Movement in 1977. The movement was launched in Kenya primarily to inspire women to improve their livelihoods by planting trees for firewood, clean water, and soil protection. It has become a world-wide movement, particularly in third-world countries.

Dan Svedarsky, director of the Center for Sustainability had the pleasure of meeting Maathai at the U.N. Conference on Global Climate Change held in Copenhagen in December of 2009. "A group of us met with her at the Danish Film Institute to view the premier showing of, 'Taking Root,' a film featuring her life story. That film and discussions with her which followed, were an incredibly moving experience," according to Svedarsky.

Background

Wangari Maathai was born in Nyeri, Kenya (Africa) in 1940. The first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a doctorate degree, Professor Maathai obtained a degree in Biological Sciences from Mount St. Scholastica College in Atchison, Kansas (1964).(Her studies in American were supported by a Kennedy Foundation scholarship for Kenyans which also included President Obama's father.)  She subsequently earned a Master of Science degree from the University of Pittsburgh (1966). Professor Maathai pursued doctoral studies in Germany and later obtained a Ph.D. (1971) from the University of Nairobi where she also taught veterinary anatomy. She became chair of the Department of Veterinary Anatomy in 1976.

Professor Maathai is internationally recognized for her persistent struggle for democracy, human rights and environmental conservation. She has addressed the UN on several occasions and spoke on behalf of women at special sessions of the General Assembly during the five-year review of the Earth Summit. She and the Green Belt Movement have received numerous awards, most notably the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize. In 2005, Professor Maathai was honored by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world, and by Forbes Magazine as one of 100 most powerful women in the world.

Apple experts at the University of Minnesota were responsible for the development of the Honeycrisp apple making it an apt tribute to Maathai on the Crookston campus. The event is sponsored by the Crookston Students for Sustainable Development (CSSD) and the Center for Sustainability. It commences an initiative to develop an "Edible Campus Landscape" where fruit-producing trees and shrubs will be planted along with possibly campus gardening. "Wangari would have liked that," according to Svedarsky.

To learn more, visit www.greenbeltmovement.org.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 26 bachelor's degree programs, 18 minors, and 36 concentrations, including 10 online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of 1,600 undergraduates from 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

In the photo: Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and sustainable development activist, from www.greenbeltmovement.org.

Contact: Dan Svedarsky, director, Center for Sustainability, 218-281-8129 (dsvedars@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, communications, University Relations, 218-281-8342 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

The University of Minnesota, Crookston Horticulture Club is hosting the Mid-America Collegiate Horticultural Society (MACHS) 39th annual conference. This event will be from Thursday, October 20 to Sunday, October 23, 2011, and the theme is "Little Campus on the Prairie." The MACHS conference is expected to bring more than 40 horticultural students from across the Midwest to the U of M, Crookston campus. This is the first time that the U of M, Crookston Horticulture Club has hosted this event. 

MACHS is comprised of horticulture clubs from universities  and two-year colleges in the Midwest Region including Colorado, Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. MACHS is a branch of the Association of Collegiate Branches (ACB) within the American Society for Horticultural Sciences (ASHS). ACB is a national forum comprised of undergraduate horticulture clubs within ASHS.

The objective of MACHS is to promote an awareness of the profession of horticulture, furnish a medium of communication for horticulture students, and exchange club and professional ideas. These objectives are met through a variety of activities taking place throughout the weekend conference.

 Thursday night students will gather in the U of M, Crookston greenhouse classroom for registration, refreshments, and a campus welcome by Ron DelVechio, U of M, Crookston professor and head of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Department. Friday morning begins with a contest which includes a general knowledge exam, plant identification, and plant judging. Each school has a team of four students whose individual scores contribute to the team total. This contest is designed to challenge the horticulture students and allow them to see where they stand in relation to other universities.

Friday afternoon will include three guest speakers. Linda Kingery of the Northwest Regional and Sustainable Development Partnership will be talking to students about local foods. Kathleen Brokke, historian and horticulturalist, will be performing her interpretation of Fannie Manhood Heath, a pioneer horticulturalist in this region. Minnesota Nursery and Landscaping Association president Bert Swanson will also be sharing his industry perspective with the up and coming industry leaders. Friday evening will include a banquet meal with keynote speaker Rusty Schmidt, natural resource specialist with the Washing Conservation District. Schmidt is one of three authors of the Bluethumb Guide to Raingardens which has changed the way people think about using water in the Twin Cities area and beyond.

Saturday is a day of regional tours. Students will begin the day with naturalist Rhett Johnson leading the group through the Agassiz Dunes Scientific and Natural Area in Fertile, Minn. Traveling south to Detroit Lakes, Minn. the group will see the poinsettia growing operation of Bergen's Greenhouse, Inc. In Park Rapids, Minn. students will visit the wholesale perennial growing operation of Bergen's Nursery. The final stop for the group will be Itasca State Park where the group will take a tour of Minnesota's conifers. Students will also have an opportunity to cross the headwaters of the Mississippi River which will be a first-time experience for many students who come from much farther downriver.

Sunday marks the end of the weekend conference as the MACHS students hold their annual business meeting. Awards from Friday's team contest also will be presented. It will be a weekend of learning, networking, and growing as a horticulturalist for all students involved.

The entire event is being planned by the U of M, Crookston Horticulture Club students with support from U of M, Crookston staff and faculty. The MACHS annual conference is the largest undertaking in the history of the Horticulture Club, and they are excited to showcase their program, the campus, and the community to many other universities and technical colleges.

U of M, Crookston senior Kristine Neu currently serves as the chair of MACHS, and she works with a team of four other officers from South Dakota State University; the University of Wisconsin, River Falls; and Iowa State University. For more information about MACHS visit, www.umcrookston.edu/machs.
 
Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 29 bachelor's degree programs, 18 minors, and more than 40 concentrations, including several online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,400 undergraduates from more than 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.
 

Contact: Kristine Neu, communications assistant, (neuxx019@umn.ed) ; Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Final concepts for nature-based play spaces for the cities of Crookston and Warren, Minn. have now been completed and approved. The children's play space for Crookston was designed for Castle Park (at right below), which is located off of Castle Street to the west of the Crookston hospital complex. The play space for Warren was designed for Island Park (at left below) located off of Warren's South Division Street.

A final design was prepared for each community. Both designs were a collaborative effort between the University of Minnesota, Crookston and Twin Cities campuses. The nature-based play space final design concepts were created by Kristen Murray, U of M, Twin Cities landscape architecture graduate student, and Kristine Neu, U of M, Crookston environmental landscaping undergraduate. Funding for Murray's research assistant position was provided by the Community Assistantship Program (CAP) at the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs at the U of M Twin Cities campus. Both students were advised by Eric Castle, landscape architect and U of M, Crookston assistant professor of horticulture.

A nature-based play space is not the average playground. It looks more like woods, prairie, or garden. Unlike the open woods, the design has a border, so that parents know where their children are, and children can play freely in the space. The design incorporates plants and materials native to the area. The purpose of the design was to create a space that reconnects children to nature and improves overall health of children and families in the community.

The design process for both Castle and Island parks has been ongoing since early summer. The final design for Crookston was based on community feedback gathered at National Night Out on August 2 and input from the City of Crookston. Community feedback from Warren was gathered at the Marshall County Fair, and the City of Warren and Warren Jaycees also gave important input. Both communities will begin installation of their nature-based play spaces this fall. The students of the U of M, Crookston landscape installation and maintenance class, lead by Castle, will be providing installation assistance at both sites. In Warren, the Jaycees will be providing volunteer assistance for the installation.

The nature-based play spaces in Crookston and Warren were two of several regional installations under the Children Discovering Nature in Northwest Minnesota Project. The project team also included Daniel Handeen and Virajita Singh, both research fellows at the U of M, Twin Cities Center for Sustainable Building Research (CSBR), and Linda Kingery, executive director of the Northwest Minnesota Sustainable Development Partnership (NWRSDP). Sarah Reese, Polk County Public Health Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) Coordinator and Kirsten Fagerlund, SHIP staff, served as the liaison between the community of Crookston and the project team. Frances Tougas, North Valley SHIP coordinator, served a similar role in Warren. A portion of the financial support for the planning and implementation of each play space is being provided by a grant received from the Otto Bremer Foundation and the U of M Office of Community Engagement for Health's Clinical and Translational Science Institute.

The project team is forming a core advisory committee for the nature-based play space in each community. Each committee would be comprised of a group of volunteers who will help make decisions, organize other volunteer efforts, and generally help create a vision for the play space into the future. If interested in being a part of the advisory committee in Crookston, community members are encouraged to contact Kirsten Fagerlund 218-281-3385 kfagerlund@pcphealth.org for more information. Community members of Warren should contact Gail Larson, North Valley Public Health Director, 218-745-5154 glarson@nvhc.net or Frances Tougas 218-745-5154 ftougas@nvhc.net.

The final designs are available for viewing at www.umcrookston.edu/childrenandnature.
The Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP), an integral part of Minnesota's nation-leading 2008 health reform law, strives to help Minnesotans lead longer, healthier lives by preventing the chronic disease risk factors of tobacco use and exposure, poor nutrition and physical inactivity.

For moreinformation,visit www.health.state.mn.us/healthreform/ship.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 29 bachelor's degree programs, 18 minors, and more than 40 concentrations, including several online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,400 undergraduates from more than 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

Contact: Eric Castle, assistant professor, castl047@umn.edu; Kristine Neu, communications assistant, neuxx019@umn.edu ; Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Preliminary design concepts for nature-based play spaces for the cities of Crookston and Warren, Minn. have now been completed, and community feedback is needed. The children's play space for Crookston is being designed for Castle Park, which is located off Castle Street to the west of the Crookston hospital complex. The play space for Warren is being designed for Island Park located off Warren's South Division Street.  

Two preliminary designs were prepared for each community. All four designs were a collaborative effort between the University of Minnesota, Crookston and Twin Cities campuses. The Warren designs are being displayed at the Marshall County Fair from July 27-31 while the Crookston designs will be displayed on Tuesday, August 2 at National Night Out held in Crookston's Central Park.

The nature-based play space preliminary design concepts were created by Kristen Murray, U of M, Twin Cities landscape architecture graduate student, and Kristine Neu, U of M, Crookston environmental landscaping undergraduate. Both students were advised by Eric Castle, landscape architect and U of M, Crookston assistant professor of horticulture.

A nature-based play space is not the average playground. It looks more like woods, prairie, or garden. Unlike the open woods, the designs have a border, so that parents know where their children are, and children can play freely in the space. The designs incorporate plants and materials native to the area, with the intention of highlighting local stories and the talents and skills of people who live in the area.

Nature-based play puts kids in touch with nature by encouraging them to play with rocks, water, sand, leaves, sticks and other materials found outdoors. Nature-based play includes everything from active play (climbing, jumping, running) and creative play (make-believe, building, art-making). Usually this play is unstructured: kids can choose what they want to do, unlike in a structured group activity or class. Research is demonstrating that this is necessary for healthy child development.

The design process for both Castle and Island Park has been ongoing since early summer. In June there was a gathering of community members in each city to share ideas about how to transform a portion of their community's park into a nature-based play space. Further input was gathered from small group interactions with parents and children. The ideas gathered, along with countless hours of research, turned into the two preliminary designs for each community. The June brainstorming sessions were part of a larger process to develop plans, create, and install the play spaces.

Displaying the preliminary designs at the Marshall County Fair and National Night Out is part of the process of gathering community feedback about the designs. In the coming weeks the project team will be using community feedback to draft final designs for each site to be revealed in the end of August. Installation of the nature-based play spaces will begin this fall and carry over into next spring. The projects will likely be completed in phases.

Members of the Children Discovering Nature in Northwest Minnesota project team at the Marshall County Fair in Warren, Minn. with two preliminary design concepts for a nature-based play space for the city of Warren. A similar presentation of designs for Castle Park in Crookston, Minn. will be made Tuesday, August 2 at National Night Out.  Pictured are (L to R) Daniel Handeen, U of M, Twin Cities Center for Sustainable Building Research; Kristen Murray, U of M, Twin Cities landscape architecture graduate student; Frances Tougas, North Valley Public Health SHIP coordinator; Kristine Neu, U of M, Crookston environmental landscaping undergraduate; and Eric Castle, landscape architect and U of M, Crookston Assistant Professor of Horticulture

In addition to creating new play spaces for children, the project is investigating how the process of designing these spaces can influence public health.  Assistant Professor Eric Castle remarked, "a main objective of this project is to stimulate people to start thinking about children's health as well as their own health, and getting people outdoors is a great way to do that."   

The nature-based play spaces in Crookston and Warren are two of several regional installations under the Children Discovering Nature in Northwest Minnesota Project, which is providing design and financial support for nature based-play spaces in six area communities. The project team also includes Daniel Handeen and Virajita Singh, both research fellows at the U of M, Twin Cities Center for Sustainable Building Research (CSBR), and Linda Kingery, executive director of the Northwest Minnesota Sustainable Development Partnership (NWRSDP). Kirsten Fagerlund, interim Statewide Health Improvement (SHIP) coordinator on behalf of Sarah Reese, SHIP coordinator, is serving as the liaison between the community of Crookston and the project team. Frances Tougas, North Valley Public Health Statewide Health Improvement (SHIP) coordinator, is serving a similar role in Warren.

The team is working with city officials who will be instrumental in the approval of the design and installation of the space. In Warren, the team is also working with the Jaycees as the group will be providing a portion of the financial resources and volunteers to make the installation of their community's play space a reality. A portion of the financial support for the planning and implementation of both play spaces is being provided by a grant received from the Otto Bremer Foundation.

The project team is interested in forming a core advisory committee for the nature-based play space in each community. This committee would be comprised of a group of volunteers who will help make decisions, organize other volunteer efforts, and generally help create a vision for the play space into the future. If interested in being a part of the advisory committee in Crookston, community members are encouraged to contact Kirsten Fagerlund 218-281-3385 kfagerlund@pcphealth.org for more information. Community members of Warren should contact Frances Tougas 218-745-5154 ftougas@nvhc.net.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Concepts for Castle Park in Crookston (above)
Concepts for Island Park in Warren (below)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All community members and their children are encouraged to give feedback about the preliminary design concepts for Castle and Island Park . A short online feedback form is available at www.umcrookston.edu/childrenandnature; simply click on "Share Your Feedback" to give your much appreciated input.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 29 bachelor's degree programs, 18 minors, and more than 40 concentrations, including several online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,400 undergraduates from more than 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

 

Contact: Eric Castle, assistant professor, castl047@umn.edu; Kristine Neu, communications assistant, neuxx019@umn.edu; Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Since early July, volunteers have been out on the Minnesota prairie taking a very special census of a threatened prairie wildflower. The prairie fringed orchid has been on the U.S. List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants since 1989, and the annual census gives researchers important data necessary in the protection of the delicate orchid and its habitat.

Under the direction of Nancy Sather, botanist and the statewide orchid count coordinator, volunteers are out all over the state of Minnesota gathering data. Dan Svedarsky, director of the Center for Sustainability at the U of M, Crookston and research biologist with the Northwest Research and Outreach Center along with seniors Kristine Neu, Pelican Rapids, Minn., a double major in horticulture and communication; Ben Sullivan, Crookston, Minn.; and GreenCorps member Michael Knudson, Glencoe, Minn., both majoring in natural resources, recently  assisted with the census at the Pankratz Prairie located 11 miles southeast of Crookston and owned by The Nature Conservancy.  

"We are always working to better understand the threats and environmental factors affecting the flowering cycle of species like the prairie fringed orchid," Svedarsky explains. "We will be hosting a coordinating meeting on the Crookston campus on July 20 regarding this annual census and on-going research. This information is critical to protecting the prairie orchid. ; Polk County happens to be one of the hot spots for the orchid in our state."

The orchid's population has fluctuated over the years. Across 43 sites in Minnesota the count had declined steadily from 2001 to 2006. The plants prefer moist soil and warm temperatures, but like to grow on the higher side of ditches or hollows. The most common threats to the orchids are habitat destruction including the conversion of land for agricultural purposes, conversion of lands for housing or commercial uses, herbicide drift, and spread of invasive species.

"One of the places providing the perfect growing conditions for the orchid is near Glacial Ridge Project on the tallgrass prairie landscape of the Pembina Trail Preserve," says Svedarsky. "The Glacial Ridge Project, located 10 miles east of campus, is one of the largest wetland and prairie restoration projects in North America."

The prairie fringed orchid attracts hawk moths that feed on the nectar and transfer pollen from flower to flower and plant to plant according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Web site (www.fws.gov). Pollination can be influenced by timing of the flowering, availability of other flowering species for the hawk moth, and the range of the pollinator in relation to the orchid populations. To learn more about the prairie fringed orchid, visit www.iucnredlist.org.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 29 bachelor's degree programs, 18 minors, and more than 40 concentrations, including several online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,400 undergraduates from more than 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

In the photos:
Top, right: 

Ben Sullivan (center), a Shaver Environmental Landscaping intern working with the Northwest Research and Outreach Center, holding a Trimble GPS unit which is used to plot the precise location of the endangered plant in the foreground; Michael Knudson (left), a Minnesota GreenCorps stormwater management specialist working with the Center for Sustainability; and Kristine Neu (right), who is working with the Connecting Children to Nature in Northwest project this summer. Photo by Dan Svedarsky.

Bottom, left and right: Western Prairie Fringed Orchid on the Pankratz Prairie near Crookston, Minn. Photos by Ben Sullivan.

Contact: Dan Svedarsky, director, Center for Sustainability, 218-281-8129 (dsvedars@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Eight University of Minnesota, Crookston students studied abroad in China for three weeks as a cultural immersion experience through the university. Cities visited in China included Beijing, Hangzhou, and Shanghai. Students were overseas from Monday, May 16 through Tuesday, June 7, 2011.

The time abroad was part of the curriculum of the GNED 3000 Global Seminar course taught by Associate Professor Soo-Yin Lim-Thompson. This three credit spring course fulfilled the liberal education requirement of global perspectives. The course was not major exclusive and encompassed a wide variety of career interests. The time abroad was about more than site seeing; the goal was to experience history, language, food, relational and cultural aspects of China.

Students in the Global Seminar course included Kristine Neu, senior, Pelican Rapids, Minn., majoring in horticulture and communication; Donna Malarkey, junior, Crookston, Minn., majoring in quality management; James Kriegh, junior, Crookston, Minn., majoring in software engineering; Allison Schumacher, senior, Crookston, Minn., majoring in sport and recreation management; Rob Canny, senior, Oshkosh, Wis., majoring in business management; Levi Atinda, sophomore, Maple Grove, Minn., majoring in biology; Sang Jun "Jeff" Lee, freshman, Incheon, Korea, majoring in business management; and Alysha Thielen, junior, Maple Grove, Minn., majoring in animal science. 

Beijing was the first city visited during the three weeks abroad. Students were climbing the Great Wall of China on their first day in the country. It was a once in a lifetime experience that tested everyone's endurance. Other stops in Beijing include the 2008 Olympic Village, the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Temple of Heaven, and the Summer Palace. The time spent in Beijing was filled with historic cultural experiences that allowed students to become part of China's long, rich history.

Hangzhou was where the students spent the majority of their trip. The city is famous for West Lake, which is a fresh water lake approximately 2.3 square miles in area.  Students were able to take a boat ride around the lake to absorb the sites of Hangzhou. Further appreciation of West Lake was instilled after the viewing of West Lake Impression, which is a theatrical performance set on the lake that encompasses music and lights to tell a Romeo and Juliet story of China.

While in Hangzhou students learned about Chinese commodities including tea and silk through visits to the Mei jia wu tea village, the China National Tea Museum, and the China National Silk Museum. Other visits in Hangzhou included the Six Harmonies Pagoda overlooking the Qiantang River, the Ling Yin Temple, Hu Xue Yan's Former Residence, and He Fang Street which is a noted shopping area.

To give U of M, Crookston students the opportunity to truly be international students, the time in Hangzhou included a one week stay at Zhejiang Agriculture & Forestry University (ZAFU). Students stayed on campus and were able to experience housing, meals, classes, and student life. ZAFU provided instructors for a variety of topics related to Chinese culture including language, history, tea culture, calligraphy & painting, traditional medicine, folk music, tai chi, and martial arts. This was a valuable portion of the trip as it allowed the U of M, Crookston students to learn what it is like to be an international student in China as well as compare and contrast the university systems between the two countries.

Another university visit was made by the students as they spent a day at Zhejiang Economic & Trade Polytechinic (ZJETP) which was the host university for the three week trip in China. Students were treated to a campus tour and had the chance to interact with ZJETP students who were interested in future study in America. University President Shuming Li formally recognized each U of M, Crookston student and presented them with a certificate of completion for their time abroad. President Li also treated to the students to a gracious Chinese meal for which they were joined by three U of M, Crookston professors. Business Department Head Dr. Susan Brorson, Associate Professor Margot Rudstrom, Associate Professor Jingpeng Tang, were each teaching Chinese students at ZJETP during the same time frame.

As the students traveled from Hangzhou they spent a day in Wuzhen Town in Tongxiang City. Wuzhen Town has a history of over 1,000 years and is a town built on the water. The students were able to walk the narrow streets and venture into various buildings to learn about the culture and history of the town. A boat ride on the canal through the town took students under the many bridges that span the vast amount of water. It was a quiet stop that allowed the students to see a less urbanized place in China.

The three week journey in China ended in Shanghai and gave students the opportunity to see a westernized city in Asia. U of M, Crookston students were able to overlook the city from the Oriental Pearl TV Tower which is the third tallest TV tower in the world. Time was spent on Nanking Road, the famous shopping district in Shanghai, as well as the Bund which runs along the western bank of the Huangpu River. A highlight of being in Shanghai was a nighttime boat tour along the Huangpu which allowed students to see the millions of lights from the buildings and skyscrapers of Shanghai.

This was the third time the U of M, Crookston has sent students to study in China. The study abroad experience is the result of an international partnership that was formed in 2005 with Zhejiang Economic & Trade Polytechnic (ZJETP), a three year university in Hangzhou, China. ZJETP serves as the primary coordinator for the U of M, Crookston's time in China. U of M, Crookston also has an exchange agreement with Zhejiang Agriculture & Forestry University and hosts students from ZAFU at the U of M, Crookston each year. Further collaboration with Zhejiang Agriculture & Forestry University (ZAFU), a four year university in Zhejiang province, provides a week of cultural classes for U of M, Crookston students and allows for immersion in a higher education program in China. Through the Global Seminar course the U of M, Crookston has sent students to China in 2008, 2009, and 2011. For more information about studying abroad visit www.umcrookston.edu/learningabroad.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 29 bachelor's degree programs, 18 minors, and more than 40 concentrations, including several online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,400 undergraduates from more than 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

In the photo, top, right: U of M, Crookston students prior to climbing up the Great Wall of China. Front row, l to r: Kristine Neu, Donna Malarkey, James Kriegh, Allison Schumacher, Professor Soo-Yin Lim-Thompson, Xie "Sara" Yu (2009 alumni), Back row: Rob Canny, Levi Atinda, Sang Jun "Jeff" Lee, Alysha Thielen

In the photo, bottom, right: Exploring caves near Ying Lin Temple outside of Hangzhou, China, are Allison Schumacher (left) and Kristine Neu.

In the photo, bottom, left: Levi Atinda, taking part in a tea culture class at Zhejiang Agriculture & Forestry University (ZAFU).

Contact: Kristine Neu, Communications Assistant, neuxx019@umn.edu ; Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Hard work to sustain savings begins

Fergus Falls, Minnesota, April 20, 2011 Otter Tail Power Company celebrated with the University of Minnesota, Crookston, and the community of Rothsay, Minnesota, as the company announced preliminary energy savings associated with the Campus and Community Energy Challenges.

In 2010 the University of Minnesota, Crookston, achieved metered kilowatt-hour savings of approximately 7 percent to 8 percent. From early 2009 through early 2011 Rothsay achieved metered kilowatt-hour savings of approximately 3 percent. When all technology improvements and behavioral change initiatives have been in place for a full year, and when results are adjusted for changes in weather and normally occurring growth, the University of Minnesota, Crookston, is on track to save 17 percent of its prior electricity use. Rothsay is on track to save more than 19 percent. The goals of these challenges are based on sustained savings over a five-year period. Pending regulatory review and approval, that means the campus and town are on track to surpass their energy-savings goals.

"We launched these challenges with a call to imagine all of the residents of a small rural community and all the students, faculty, and staff of a college campus working together to reduce the electricity use of their entire town and campus each by 10 to 15 percent," said Kim Pederson, Otter Tail Power Company Manager, Market Planning. "What they've accomplished so far was more than we imagined possible, but the hard work is still in front of them as they strike out on their own to sustain these savings."

The Crookston campus achieved much of its savings from upgrading campus lighting and installing automated controls on variable-frequency drives for some of the ventilation systems. Otter Tail Power Company assisted with the audits to identify high-level savings projects and provided more than $86,000 in grants and rebates to encourage the investments by reducing payback times.

"Significant savings also were noted when the Facilities Management Department implemented a new work order system in August that took deliberate steps to change operational procedures such as shutting off more lights than before, closing shades, and reducing heating levels in certain areas," said Chancellor Charles Casey. "I'm proud but not surprised about just how much the people on this campus have been able to accomplish. And I'm confident that the behavior changes we've been focused on will continue to show real results."

The community of Rothsay achieved more than half of its cumulative savings from behavioral changes on the part of Rothsay Public School, homeowners, and businesses. Otter Tail Power Company also granted almost $117,000 in rebates for energy-efficient lighting and technology improvements. "This program was developed as a three-legged stool," said Pederson. "Education, efficient end-use technologies, and incentivized behavioral changes each play a critical role in the success of these projects. And achieving long-term savings in Rothsay will be possible only with ongoing energy-saving behaviors and a community that won't settle for anything less than achieving its goal."

Rothsay Public School is committed to continuing its leadership role in this challenge. "The Community Energy Challenge has been an excellent program that has brought a new sense of awareness regarding energy use throughout the community," said Ehren Zimmerman, Dean of Students/Principal at Rothsay Public School. "And it has brought a new approach to hands-on learning for our faculty, staff, and students. Now it's our turn to pay it forward and keep the savings going."

Otter Tail Power Company, a subsidiary of Otter Tail Corporation (NASDAQ Global Select Market: OTTR), is headquartered in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. It provides electricity and energy services to more than a quarter million people in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. To learn more about Otter Tail Power Company visit www.otpco.com. To learn more about Otter Tail Corporation visit www.ottertail.com.

In the photo: To celebrate the success of the Campus Energy Challenge at the University of Minnesota, Crookston, Otter Tail Power Company donated two basswood trees. The shade trees were planted on the west side of the Early Childhood Building to help provide energy savings in the summer. Project leaders and guests marking the event include (left to right): Student Green Team leader Ben Williams, Center for Sustainability Director Dan Svedarsky, Vice Chancellor of Academics and Student Affairs Thomas Baldwin, Chancellor Charles Casey, Otter Tail Power Company Project Manager Jon Fabre, University of Minnesota, Crookston, Facilities Green Team member Brian Christianson; former Student Green Team lead Lisa Gentele, Otter Tail Power Company Crookston Area Energy Management Representative Ken Johnson, Otter Tail Power Company President and CEO Chuck MacFarlane, Minnesota Department of Commerce Deputy Commissioner Bill Grant, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar's Moorhead Office Representative Andrew Martin, U.S. Senator Al Franken's Northwestern Minnesota Field Representative Valerie Graveseth, and U.S. Representative Collin Peterson's Red Lake Falls Office Representative JoAnn Zutz.

Contact: Cris Kling, Otter Tail Power Compnay, 218-739-8297; Andrew Svec, director of communications, U of M, Crookston, 218-281-8432 (asvec@umn.edu)

The University of Minnesota, Crookston recently honored students with achievement and service awards at the annual Student Awards Reception. The ceremony is held each spring to honor those who have made outstanding leadership and service contributions or who have achieved high academic standing at the University's Crookston campus.

Thirteen students received Student Achievement Awards, which the U of M, Crookston presents to recognize those students who have excelled not only academically, but also through leadership and service to the University and local community.

Students receiving the Student Achievement Award were:
Brittany Novak, a senior from Dahlen, N.D., majoring in biology;       
Nana Boaten, a senior from Accra, GHA, majoring in marketing
Alyssa Krikke, a senior from Grand Rapids, Mich., majoring in health sciences
Derek Ricke, a senior from Park Rapids, Minn., majoring in sport and recreation management
Kristine Neu, a senior from Pelican Rapids, Minn., majoring horticulture and communication
Joseph Harren, a senior from Eagle Bend, Minn., majoring in agronomy
Heather Donati-Lewis, a senior from Narcoossee, Fla., majoring in equine science
Alvin Tong, a senior from Singapore, SGP, majoring in natural resources and business management (not pictured)
Lhakpa Gurung, a senior from Mustang, Nepal, majoring in early childhood education
Shawn Friedland, a senior from New Bern, N.C., majoring in biology
Eun Hye Kang, a senior from Seoul, South Korea, majoring in communication
Austin Czichotzki, a  junior from Barnesville, Minn., majoring in communication
Tammy Wroblewki, a senior from Milwaukee, Wis., who is a triple major golf and turf management, communications, and horticulture

From this group, two students were chosen as the "Man and Woman of the Year," the year's top academic, service and leadership award. Honors for 2011 go to (pictured l to r) UMC Man of the Year, Austin Czichotzki (at left in photo), a junior from Barnesville, Minn., majoring communication; and Woman of the Year Tammy Wroblewski (at right in photo), a senior from Milwaukee, Wis., who is a triple major in golf and turf management, communications, and horticulture. Czichotzki is the son of Terry and Sandi Czichotzki and Wroblewski is the daughter of Diane and Jeff Wroblewski.

Faculty and staff, also recognized during the evening, are significant in that the entire student body votes to select the award recipients. Awards for Most Creative Use of Technology went to Associate Professor Brian Dingmann who teaches in the Math, Science and Technology Department; Outstanding Educator, and Most Supportive of Students Awards were presented to Assistant Professor Kevin Thompson, who teaches in the Liberal Arts and Education Department; and Outstanding Service to Students was awarded to Pam Sullivan, who oversees operations in the Eagles Nest.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 29 bachelor's degree programs, 18 minors, and more than 40 concentrations, including several online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,400 undergraduates from more than 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

In group photo, at top left: Back row, l to r: Kristine Neu, Heather Donati-Lewis, Joe Harren, and Derek Ricke. Middle row: Brittany Novak, Halie Kang, Alyssa Krikke, Nana Boaten, and Lisa Samuelson, director of student activities. Front row: Lhakpa Gurung, Tammy Wroblewski, Austin Czichotzki, and Shawn Friedland.

In group photo, at bottom, left: (l to r): Shawn Friedland, president of the Crookston Student Association; Pam Sullivan; Kevin Thompson; Brian Dingmann; and Anna Wagner, vice president of the Crookston Student Association.  

Contact: Lisa Samuelson, director, student activities, 218-281-8507 (same026@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Earth Week will be marked by several events at the University of Minnesota, Crookston including a campus clean up, activities to raise awareness, and a celebration of campus efforts to save energy. Crookston Students for Sustainable Development (CSSD) will kick off the week on Monday, April 18, 2011, with Trash and Recycling Awareness Day, an effort to demonstrate how much trash an individual creates in a single day.

On Tuesday, April 19, Otter Tail Power Company will join members of the campus and community for a celebration of the success of the Campus Energy Challenge, a special project that brought Otter Tail and the U of M, Crookston together to help reduce energy consumption. Special highlights include community-wide networking beginning at 11:45 a.m. followed by an energy savings celebration at noon with remarks by Chuck MacFarlane, president of Otter Tail Power Company, Charles H. Casey, chancellor at the U of M, Crookston and William Grant, deputy commissioner at the Minnesota Department of Commerce Energy Division. A ceremonial tree planting will take place at 1 p.m., weather permitting.

Beautiful "U" Day will be the focus on Wednesday, April 20 and include a campus and community cleanup. At noon in Youngquist Auditorium, Dr. Larry Baker, a research professor in the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities will present "Urban Heat Islands and Global Climate Change." Everyone is welcome.

An internationally recognized authority on the water and nutrient cycle of urban environments, Baker will be the featured speaker in the evening as part of a "sustainability supper seminar" beginning at 5 p.m. with a meal in Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center. His evening presentation, open to the public, will begin at 6 p.m. in Youngquist Auditorium on the topic "Urban Ecosystems and Implications for Global Survivability." To make reservations for the meal, contact, Michael Knudson, Minnesota GreenCorps member at 218-281-8128 (knud0189@umn.edu). For more information on Dr. Larry Baker, visit www.bbe.umn.edu/People/LarryBaker.

On Thursday, April 21, the campus and community are invited to join in a Critical Mass Bike Ride. The ride begins at 5:30 p.m. and participants are asked to gather at Crookston High School parking lot for the ride. Helmets are required. Because of liability concerns, Critical Mass bike rides are not sponsored by any person or entity, they are just a group of people getting together to go on a ride.  The route will be on roads and paths that are not as busy and all traffic laws will be obeyed.  Those who are unfamiliar with riding on streets will be informed by more experienced group riders.  
 
A mini-grant from the University of Minnesota Institute on the Environment helps fund the series of bi-weekly, "sustainability supper seminars" designed to educate the campus and the local community on sustainability applications as well as explore the "Communiversity" concept.

Earth Day, observed annually on April 22, marks the anniversary of what may be considered the birth of the modern environmental movement. The first Earth Day was held in 1970. To learn more, visit www.earthday.org.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 29 bachelor's degree programs, 18 minors, and more than 40 concentrations, including several online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,400 undergraduates from more than 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

 

Contact: Michael Knudson, Minnesota GreenCorps member, 218-281-8128 (knud0189@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

University of Minnesota, Crookston Senior Tammy Wroblewski, Milwaukee, Wis., was named a recipient of a $1,000 North Central Turf Grass Association (NCGTA) scholarship. Wroblewski, a triple major in golf and turf management, horticulture, and communication, was awarded the scholarship during the NCTGA annual meeting held in Fargo, N.D., in late February.

Last summer, she completed an internship at the U of M, Crookston working in the areas of golf and turf management and horticulture. Her advisors are Kristina Walker, assistant professor in the Agriculture and Natural Resources Department and Rachel McCoppin, associate professor in the Liberal Arts and Education Department.

An active student at the U of M, Crookston, Wroblewski has been a member of the Golden Eagle Golf Team, served as an Ambassador, was named to the Athletic All-Academic Team, and worked as a tutor in the Academic Assistance Center.

The purpose of the North Central Turf Grass Association is to promote the turfgrass industry, to encourage and support the further study and research of turf, to gather and distribute this information, and to represent this group on matters of policy regarding the turf grass industry. To learn more, visit http://www.nctga.net.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 29 bachelor's degree programs, 18 minors, and more than 40 concentrations, including several online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,400 undergraduates from more than 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

Contact: Kristie Walker, assistant professor, Natural Resources Department, 218-281-8116 (kswalker@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

The University of Minnesota, Crookston Turf Bowl Team placed 24th out of 87 turf bowl teams from across the United States in the National Turf Bowl Competition held recently. Members of the team included: Theodore Gutman, a senior majoring in both golf and turf management and horticulture from Burlington, Iowa; Thomas Halver, a senior majoring in golf and turf management from Chaska, Minn.; Mark Michalski, a senior golf and turf management major from Silver Bay, Minn.; and Tammy Wroblewski, a triple major in golf and turf management, horticulture, and communications from Milwaukee, Wis.

The 3 ½ hour turf bowl exam  is comprised of nine sections including identification (turfgrass, seed, soil, weed, insect, and disease), turfgrass growth and development, soil and soil fertility, weed management, disease management, insect management, turfgrass calculations, business management, and  a case study essay. The competition was held during the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America Education and Trade Show on February 10, 2011, in Orlando, Fla.

The Crookston campus requires internships for students as part of its commitment to applied learning. Michalski interned at the U of M, Crookston in golf and turf management, during summer 2010, and Halver interned for at the Bluff Creek Golf Course in Chaska. Gutman interned at Spirit Hollow Golf Course, in Burlington, Iowa, and Wroblewski interned at the U of M, Crookston in both golf and turf management and horticulture.

The advisor of the U of M, Crookston Turf Bowl Team is Kristina S. Walker, Ph.D. She earned her doctoral and master's degrees in agronomy specializing in turfgrass management from Purdue University. Walker has been teaching courses in agronomy and turfgrass management since January 2009 at the Crookston Campus.

With a degree in golf and turf management, graduates are qualified for positions in the golf industry, sports field management, lawn care, sod production, grounds maintenance, sales or pursue an advanced degree. For more information on golf and turf management at the U of M, Crookston, visit www.umcrookston.edu/academics/agri/golfturf.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 29 bachelor's degree programs, 18 minors, and more than 40 concentrations, including several online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,400 undergraduates from more than 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

In the photo (l to r): Tammy Wroblewski, Mark Michalski, Teddy Gutman, Tom Halver, with their advisor, Kristina Walker, Ph.D.
 

Contact: Kristie Walker, assistant professor, Natural Resources Department, 218-281-8116 (kswalker@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

One student in the horticultural studies program at University of Minnesota-Crookston recently received a scholarship sponsored by the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association (MNLA) Foundation.  The scholarship recipient was Theodore Lenneman, a senior double majoring in golf and turf management and horticulture from St. Michael, Minn.

The MNLA scholarship program recognizes superior students enrolled in horticultural or landscape studies programs at several area colleges and universities.  The scholarships are designed by MNLA and its member companies to help grow future leaders in the nursery and landscape industry.

The MNLA Commercial Arborist Committee co-sponsored the scholarship for Lenneman.

To be eligible for an MNLA scholarship, applicants must possess a "C" grade average or better, present letters of recommendation from instructors and employers, and submit an essay stating their career goals and objectives.

The Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association is the state's largest green industry trade association with over 1,200 member companies.  Members include nurseries, garden centers, landscape contractors, landscape designers, irrigation contractors, commercial flower growers, tree care specialists, professional gardening services, and turf and landscape management professionals.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 29 bachelor's degree programs, 18 minors, and more than 40 concentrations, including several online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,400 undergraduates from more than 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

Contact:  Cassie Larson, Education & Industry Advancement Director, 651-633-4987, (cassie@mnla.biz); Sue Jacobson, instructor, horticulture, 218-281-8118, (sjacobso@umn.edu)

The last weekend in January celebrates the theme "Country Strong" during the 36th annual Ag Arama at the University of Minnesota, Crookston. Scheduled for Friday and Saturday, January 28-29, 2011, Ag Arama is hosted by the Agriculture and Natural Resources Department and includes fun for the entire family. This year's event is dedicated to 1979 graduate Cindy Bigger (In photo at left) who served as a judge for Ag Arama for many years.
 
Most of the activities take place on Saturday, Jan. 29, in the University Teaching and Outreach Center (UTOC) located on the north edge of the campus. The weekend begins with contests for students in agronomy, horticulture and natural resources beginning on Friday, January 28 at noon. Friday evening from 6-8 p.m., the Animal Science Association will host a chili feed for $5 per person in UTOC.

Contests in agronomy, animal science, horticulture, and natural resources highlight Ag Arama weekend. They serve as an opportunity for students to showcase their knowledge and skills and have a chance to interact with alumni and faculty members. Ag Arama is planned and operated by a committee of students advised by Terrill Bradford, animal science instructor in the Agriculture and Natural Resources Department.

On Saturday morning from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., the animal showmanship contests are held and the public is welcome to watch the competition as it unfolds in both novice and experienced categories. Students compete in western and English horse showmanship, lamb lead, and dairy, beef, sheep, and swine showing.  The novices are paired with experienced students prior to the contests to prepare for the competition.

From 9 a.m. to noon, there is an ag industries show and a picnic style lunch is served at 12:30 p.m. Coronation of the Ag Arama royalty begins at 1 p.m. with the presentation of awards to follow. Several games and competitions, including men's and women's crosscut saw contests and log splitting, will be held beginning at 2:15 p.m.

Alumni from the U of M, Crookston are invited to a social at the Irishman's Shanty in Crookston from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Capping off the weekend is a dance with the band Silverado to be held at the Crookston Eagles Club.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 applied-science undergraduate degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; math, science and technology; and natural resources. To learn more, visit www.UMCrookston.edu.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 29 bachelor's degree programs, 18 minors, and more than 40 concentrations, including several online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,400 undergraduates from more than 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

In photo at bottom right: Alumna Cindy Bigger, '79, visits with students during sheep judging at Ag Arama 2010. 

Contact: Terrill Bradford, agriculture instructor, 218-281-8108 (tbradfor@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Hundreds of rooted poinsettia cuttings arrive in August in anticipation of another holiday season. For seven students involved in the commercial floriculture class at the University of Minnesota, Crookston, those cuttings have developed into a beautiful poinsettia crop under their skill and coaxing.

This year's poinsettias create a beautiful and colorful display including varieties such as Freedom Fireworks, Monet Twilight, Salmon Star and Orange Spice, a new exciting color.  Most greenhouses grow a large percentage of red, but the UMC students grow more of the novelty colors.

In the photo are members of the fall semester class including: back row (l to r):  Jordan Jacobson, a senior from Thief River Falls, Minn.; Brandon Pinnow, a senior from Minot, N.D.;  Mike Field a senior from Spicer and Tammy Cruz, a sophomore from Gary.  Front Row: Bethany Jenkins, a sophomore from Grand Forks, N.D.; Tammy Wroblewski, a senior from Milwaukee, Wis.; and Alisha Aasness, a sophomore from Fergus Falls, Minn.

The students started the process of forcing the plants to bloom in time for the holiday season in October. Following a specific procedure to control the light, the students covered the plants with a dark cloth at 4 p.m. and uncovered them at 8 a.m. each day to regulate the length of daylight the plants receive. The students are responsible for greenhouse chores on the weekends as well. Although the class is taught by Sue Jacobson, the crop is in the hands of the students. The work and production of the poinsettia crop is entirely the responsibility of the class.  Jacobson says "It's better to learn expensive lessons in school than at your job.  We don't fire the students."

The Agriculture and Natural Resources Department offers commercial floriculture as part of the horticulture program to teach students to produce quality plants for a specific date - a skill necessary for employment in a greenhouse or garden center. "Poinsettias form their colored "flowers" when the light is regulated," explains Jacobson. "The poinsettia really doesn't have a blossom like most flowers. Instead, the colorful red, pink, or white petals are modified leaves known as bracts. The blossoms are actually the small yellowish clusters in the center."

Jacobson often allows problems to develop to see how the students will solve them--something they would have to do in an employment situation and giving them an opportunity to apply what they have learned. The class demands hard work, dedication, and a strong team effort to grow the best poinsettias. Leadership and responsibility are two of the qualities that develop in this type of teaching and learning environment.

"Students learn so much from applying their classroom learning to real-world experience," Jacobson explains. "By taking responsibility for the crop, the students are accountable for the outcome making the commercial floriculture class one of the most memorable for the students." The class is excellent training for a career in horticulture, a multi-billion dollar industry in the U.S. To learn more about the horticulture program with emphases in environmental landscaping, production horticulture or urban forestry, visit www.UMCrookston.edu/academics.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 29 bachelor's degree programs, 18 minors, and more than 40 concentrations, including several online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,400 undergraduates from more than 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

Contact: Sue Jacobson, horticulture instructor, 218-281-8118 (sjacobso@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

High school students have a chance to compete with their peers during Agriculture and Natural Resources Day scheduled for Friday, December 3, 2010, at the University of Minnesota, Crookston. With more than 20 contests ranging from horticulture and forestry to ag mechanics, livestock and sales, the day is fraught with excitement for students from some 50 high schools who participate in the competition.

An awards ceremony highlights the day beginning at 1:15 p.m. in Lysaker gymnasium in the Sports Center on the Crookston campus. Scholarships, plaques and certificates are awarded to school teams and individuals for each contest. More than $32,000 in scholarships are available to award-winning students. Last year, $750 UMC scholarships were awarded for the high individual in each contest; $600 UMC scholarships were awarded for the second place individual; and $450 UMC scholarships were awarded to third place individuals.  

The event, which has been held for more than 30 years on the campus, is sponsored by the Agriculture and Natural Resources Department at the U of M, Crookston. If you would like more information regarding Agriculture and Natural Resources Activities Day events, contact Amy Lubarski at 218-281-8101 or visit www.umcrookston.edu/ag/AAD.  

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 29 bachelor's degree programs, 18 minors, and more than 40 concentrations, including several online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,400 undergraduates from more than 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

Contact: Amy Lubarski, Agriculture and Natural Resources Dept., 218-281-8101 (lubarski@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

RESCHEDULED for Wednesday, December 1, 2010 from 4-7 p.m.

The most wonderful time of the year will get a jump start when the U of M, Crookston hosts its fourth annual holiday social on Tuesday, November 30, 2010. The fun begins at 4 p.m. with a silent auction, and throughout the evening until 7 p.m., there will be several raffles. All proceeds will be used to support scholarships on the Crookston campus. Wine and hors de oeuvres will be served. Admission is free and public is invited to attend.

Three new raffles have been added to this year's event. The holiday raffle is one of the most exciting additions. It includes a grand prize of a day spa courtesy of Shear Sisters, an overnight stay in a Jacuzzi suite from the AmericInn of Crookston, and Lynn Willhite Watercolor apparel.

Second and third prizes include a Hugo's After-hours Selection; and a maroon and gold ensemble sponsored by the U of M, Crookston Bookstore. The number of tickets is limited and may be purchased for $25 by contacting members of the holiday social committee. Also new are the $2 per chance wine raffle and a $2 per chance bucket raffle along with the many baskets/containers available on the silent auction. There will be something for everyone.

Back again this year is the UMC Horticulture Club selling their holiday arrangements, candy bouquets, and wreaths to decorate your home and to give as gifts. If you would like more information, visit the holiday social Web page at www.umcrookston.edu/holidaysocial.

Planning committee members for the holiday social include: Sherry Just, Emily Knutson, Jody Clauson, Ardith Pelton, Diane Bachmeier, Jeannine Windels, Barbara Muesing, Judy Nepple, Corby Kemmer, and Michelle Christopherson.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 29 bachelor's degree programs, 18 minors, and more than 40 concentrations, including several online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,400 undergraduates from more than 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

Contact: Michelle Christopherson, director, Center for Adult Learning, 218-281-8679 (mchristo@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

A team of horticulture students placed fourth in competition at the annual conference of the Mid-American Collegiate Horticultural Society (MACHS), held October 14-16, 2010, at Iowa State University in Ames.  The U of M, Crookston team, comprised of horticulture majors Jonathan Fillmore, a sophomore from White Bear Lake, Minn.; Ashlynn Hartung, a freshman from Lindstrom, Minn.; Keunyung Kim, a senior from Gwangju, South Korea; and Kristine Neu, a senior from Pelican Rapids, Minn., competed in a written general knowledge exam, herbaceous and woody plant identification, and judging categories.
 
The delegation from the U of M, Crookston competed against students representing Northwest Missouri State, University of Wisconsin - River Falls, South Dakota State, University of Wisconsin - Platteville.  University of Wisconsin - River Falls placed first followed by Michigan State University and South Dakota State University respectively.

Other students attending from the Crookston campus included Mike Field, a senior from Spicer, Minn.; Catlin Kersting, a freshman from Cloquet, Minn,; Ethan Kojetin, a freshman from Atwater, Minn.; Theo Lenneman, a junior from St. Michael, Minn.; Nathan Peikert, a sophomore from Woodbury, Minn.; Mitchell Sledge, a freshman from St. Louis Park, Minn.; Amanda Thompson a freshman from Pine River, Minn.
 
The MACHS organization and contest provide a means of communication between horticulture clubs of participating schools. Sharing knowledge and ideas is an important part of the gathering. The MACHS competition includes collegiate horticulture clubs from 12 Mid-American states. The conference offered students the opportunity to participate in educational tours of the Iowa Arboretum, Iowa Department of Natural Resources state nursery, Iowa State horticulture farm tours, and Evergreen Gardens.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 29 bachelor's degree programs, 18 minors, and more than 40 concentrations, including several online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,400 undergraduates from more than 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

In the photo (l to r): Kristine Neu, Jonathan Fillmore, Keunyung Kim, and Ashlynn Hartung.
 

Contact: Eric Castle, assistant professor, Agriculture and Natural Resources Dept., 218-281-8119 (castl047@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

After an extremely competitive selection process Mike Field, a senior at the University of Minnesota, Crookston was selected by the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET), the national organization for the landscaping industry, to be a student ambassador for the upcoming annual Green Industry Conference in Louisville, Ky.  Field who is from Spicer, Minn., is a double major in horticulture and golf and turf management.

The 2010 Green Industry Conference which takes place on October 27-30, 2010, provides the opportunity for both landscape professionals and business experts to network and learn the latest in this rapidly growing field. Jamie Clarke, extreme adventurer and motivational speaker will provide the keynote address at the conference.

As part of the ambassador program, Field will receive complimentary registration, hotel, meals, and a daily stipend.  He will be able to take advantage of the educational sessions as well as national networking opportunities, and he will assist PLANET staff with conference operations.

To learn more about the PLANET, visit www.landcarenetwork.org.
 
 Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 29 bachelor's degree programs, 18 minors, and more than 40 concentrations, including several online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,400 undergraduates from more than 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

In the photo (l to r): Sue Jacobson, instructor in horticulture, Mike Field, and Eric Castle, assistant professor in the Agriculture and Natural Resources Department.

Contact: Eric Castle, assistant professor, 218-281-8119 (castl047@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Create a miniature plant world during a workshop presented by horticulture students at the University of Minnesota, Crookston. A terrarium, or dish garden, is a collection of compatible plants in a clear container, and you can create one of your own on Wednesday, April 28, 2010, in the UMC Production Greenhouse. The workshop begins at 6 p.m. and registration is $20. Attendees should pre-register and decide if they want to create a terrarium or a dish garden by calling 218-371-1332. If you provide your own container, the registration price will be reduced.

The cost for the workshop covers soil mixture, growing tips, and instructions, along with a container, if needed. Jada Ellenberg, president of the Horticulture Club, is excited to offer the workshop to the community and campus. "With such a variety of plants all in one container, it is like having a mini dessert right there on your desk," Ellenberg says.

Students will use the funds raised to benefit the Horticulture Club on the Crookston Campus.  For information about the terrarium workshop, contact Ellenberg at 218-371-1332.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 bachelor's degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture and natural resources; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,300 undergraduates, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

Contact: Sue Jacobson, horticulture instructor, 218-281-8118 (sjacobso@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Six students from the Horticulture Club at the University of Minnesota, Crookston competed recently in the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) Student Career Days, a three-day competition for students enrolled in collegiate horticulture programs. National celebrity garden designer P. Allen Smith was the keynote speaker at this year's PLANET Student Career Days held April 8-11 at Chattahoochee Technical College in Atlanta, Ga. Smith is a regular contributor on The TODAY Show.

Students competed against 900 of their peers from 70 universities and colleges in 26 different events.  To place in the top 10 in any event is a challenge requiring thorough preparation and precise execution of both skill and application of knowledge.
 
Highlights from the competition include:

Senior Jada Ellenberg, Perham, Minn.; and Sophomore Theo Lenneman, St. Michael, Minn. finished 5th in paver installation and Senior Keunyung Kim, Gwangju, Korea, finished 6th in interior landscape design. Finishing in 10th in Landscape maintenance operations were Ellenberg and Senior Michael Field, Spicer, Minn., and Senior Jordan Jacobson, Thief River Falls, Minn., finished 14th in small engine repair. Field and Jacobson finished 20th in truck and trailer operations with Field finishing 21st in leadership skills.

Overall individual finishes by U of M, Crookston students out of the 900 students competing were Ellenberg at 33rd, Lenneman at 44th, and Field at 45th.

"Our students have proven their ability to compete at the national level with peers from all over the country," says Assistant Professor Eric Castle, advisor for the Horticulture Club. "We are extremely proud of them and their performance during the competition. The trip to Atlanta was a great opportunity for them and also gave them an opportunity for nationwide networking with industry professionals and future colleagues."

Student Career Days, which began in 1977, is an annual three-day competitive event among students enrolled in horticulture programs from colleges and universities across the country. The students have the chance to compete in events that are directly related to the skills necessary for a career in the green industry. For more information about PLANET, visit www.landcarenetwork.org/cms/studentcareerdays.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 bachelor's degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture and natural resources; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,300 undergraduates, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

In the photo: are (front row, l to r) Assistant Professor Eric Castle, Keunyung Kim, Jada Ellenberg, and Justin Erdmann. Back row: Theo Lenneman, Jordan Jacobson, and Michael Field. 

Contact: Eric Castle, assistant professor, 218-281-8119 (cast1047@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

The University of Minnesota, Crookston Turf Bowl Team placed 7th in the National Turf Bowl Competition held recently. Members of the team included Junior Tom Halver, Chaska, Minn.; Senior Philip Holland, New London, Minn.; Senior Mark Michalski, Silver Bay, Minn.; and Senior Weston Wander, Sauk Centre, Minn. They competed against 67 turf bowl teams from universities all across the United States.  The competition was held during the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America Education and Trade Show on February 11, 2010, in San Diego, Calif.

Of the 67 teams represented by the 31 universities who competed, the U of M, Crookston Turf Bowl Team ranked 5th behind some major turfgrass programs including Iowa State University located in Ames; University of Massachusetts in Amherst; Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.; and Penn State located in State College.

The 3 ½ hour turf bowl exam  is comprised of nine sections including identification (turfgrass, seed, soil, weed, insect, and disease), turfgrass growth and development, soil and soil fertility, weed management, disease management, insect management, turfgrass calculations, business management, and  a case study essay.

Tom Halver, a golf and turf management major, interned for Superintendent Michael Cohrs at the Bluff Creek Golf Course in Chaska. Philip Holland interned for Superintendent John Kelley, Jr., at the Kittansett Club in Marion, Mass. Mark Michalski interned for Superintendent Roger Stewart at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minn., during summer 2009. Weston Wander interned last summer for Superintendent Lee Mahnke at the Greystone Golf Club in Sauk Centre, Minn. Holland, Michalski, and Wander are all pursuing double majors in golf and turf management and horticulture with an emphasis in environmental landscaping.

The advisor of the U of M, Crookston Turf Bowl Team is Kristina S. Walker, Ph.D. She earned her doctoral and master's degrees in agronomy specializing in turfgrass management from Purdue University. Walker has been teaching courses in agronomy and turfgrass management since January 2009 at the Crookston Campus.

With a degree in golf and turf management, graduates are qualified for positions in the golf industry, sports field management, lawn care, sod production, grounds maintenance, sales or pursue an advanced degree. For more information on golf and turf management at the U of M, Crookston, visit www.umcrookston.edu/academics/agri/golfturf.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 bachelor's degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture and natural resources; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,300 undergraduates, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

In photo at top, left (l to r): Gregg Breningmeyer, John Deere Golf, director of Sales and Marketing; Kristina S. Walker, Ph.D., advisor and lecturer in golf and turf management at the U of M, Crookston; Philp Holland; Weston Wander; Mark Michalski; Tom Halver; and Mark Kuhns, GCSAA president.
 
In the photo at right (l to r): Philip Holland, Mark Michalski, Weston Wander, and Tom Halver.

Contact: Kristina Walker, lecturer, Agriculture and Natural Resources Department, 218-281-8116 (kswalker@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

University of Minnesota, Crookston Senior Jennifer Lyn Zoch, Remer, Minn., recently fulfilled the necessary qualifications to be awarded the designation of "Certified Professional (CP) with an emphasis in Grower" by the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association (MNLA).

To be granted certification status, Zoch had to pass a comprehensive examination administered by the MNLA and the University of Minnesota. All recipients of the certification status must also accumulate a minimum of 2,000 hours in horticulture-related employment, or two years in an educational program that includes a structured internship.

The certification exam consists of plant identification, landscape planning, sales and marketing procedures, general knowledge of horticulture, and practical application skills. The exam was developed through the efforts of faculty members from the Department of Horticultural Science at the University of Minnesota and members of the MNLA Certification Committee. Since the program's inception in 1978, nearly 770 individuals have achieved the status of MNLA Certified Professional.

The test is designed to measure the skills of practicing professionals and to improve the quality and standards of the nursery and landscape industry. As a continuing education requirement, Zoch must earn recertification points every three years to maintain the MNLA Certified Professional status.
 
"Experienced nursery and greenhouse growers, landscape designers and contractors, and garden center owners know that education and training are essential to becoming competent in their professions," says Tim Power, former MNLA president and co-owner of Law's Nursery Inc. in Hastings.

"This certification process provides our member businesses with employees of the highest quality, and, more importantly, ensures that our customers receive the best knowledge and experience available in the nursery and landscape industry."

The Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association is a statewide trade association with over 1,500 members. Association members include nurseries, garden centers, landscape designers, landscape contractors, irrigation contractors, professional gardening services, tree care specialists, commercial flower growers, and turf and landscape management professionals from throughout Minnesota and neighboring states. MNLA represents and provides service to its member businesses through educational programs, conventions and trade shows, marketing activities and public policy initiatives.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 bachelor's degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture and natural resources; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,300 undergraduates, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

Photo above: Jennifer Zoch holds one of the poinsettias raised in the commercial floriculture class at the University of Minnesota, Crookston.

Contact: Susan Flynn, MNLA Executive Assistant susan@mnla.biz; 651-633-4987; Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

University of Minnesota, Crookston Junior Kristine Marie Neu, Pelican Rapids, Minn., recently fulfilled the necessary qualifications to be awarded the designation of "Certified Professional (CP) with an emphasis in Garden Center" by the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association (MNLA).

To be granted certification status, Neu had to pass a comprehensive examination administered by the MNLA and the University of Minnesota. All recipients of the certification status must also accumulate a minimum of 2,000 hours in horticulture-related employment, or two years in an educational program that includes a structured internship. The certification exam consists of plant identification, landscape planning, sales and marketing procedures, general knowledge of horticulture, and practical application skills. The exam was developed through the efforts of faculty members from the Department of Horticultural Science at the University of Minnesota and members of the MNLA Certification Committee.

Since the program's inception in 1978, nearly 770 individuals have achieved the status of MNLA Certified Professional. The test is designed to measure the skills of practicing professionals and to improve the quality and standards of the nursery and landscape industry. As a continuing education requirement, Neu must earn recertification points every three years to maintain the MNLA Certified Professional status.
 
"Experienced nursery and greenhouse growers, landscape designers and contractors, and garden center owners know that education and training are essential to becoming competent in their professions," says Tim Power, former MNLA president and co-owner of Law's Nursery Inc. in Hastings.

"This certification process provides our member businesses with employees of the highest quality, and, more importantly, ensures that our customers receive the best knowledge and experience available in the nursery and landscape industry."

The Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association is a statewide trade association with over 1,500 members. Association members include nurseries, garden centers, landscape designers, landscape contractors, irrigation contractors, professional gardening services, tree care specialists, commercial flower growers, and turf and landscape management professionals from throughout Minnesotaand neighboring states. MNLA represents and provides service to its member businesses through educational programs, conventions and trade shows, marketing activities and public policy initiatives.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 bachelor's degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture and natural resources; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,300 undergraduates, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

Photo above: Kristine Neu holds one of the poinsettias raised in the commercial floriculture class at the University of Minnesota, Crookston.

Contact: Susan Flynn, MNLA executive assistant, susan@mnla.biz; Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Two students in the horticultural studies program at University of Minnesota, Crookston recently received scholarships sponsored by the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association (MNLA) Foundation.  Scholarship recipients are Jada Ellenberg, Perham, Minn., and Kristine Neu, Pelican Rapids, Minn.

The MNLA scholarship program recognizes superior students enrolled in horticultural, nursery or landscape studies programs at several area colleges and universities.  The scholarships are designed by MNLA and its member companies to help grow future leaders in the nursery and landscape industry.

In photo at left: Annette Cayard, Dakota County Technical College, left, and Jada Ellenberg, University of Minnesota , Crookston, right, with scholarship sponsor Mike McNamara, Hoffman and McNamara Nursery & Landscape.

In photo at right, below:  Front row (left to right): Davin Shokes, University of Minnesota - St. Paul, third from left, and Kristine Neu, University of Minnesota , Crookston, sixth from left, with scholarship sponsors Dennis Ullom, St. Croix Tree Service, Jim Walsh, Vineland Treecare, Steve Sylvester, S & S Tree Specialists, Inc., Bert Swanson, Swanson's Nursery Consulting, Greg Krogstad, Rainbow Treecare, Jim Ostvig, Ostvig Tree Service, and Dave Nordgard, A Top Notch Equipment. 

Two MNLA member firms co-sponsored the scholarships for the University of Minnesota, Crookston students.  MNLA Commercial Arborist Committee sponsored the scholarship for Neu.  Hoffman and McNamara, based in Hastings, sponsored the scholarship for Ellenberg.
 
To be eligible for an MNLA scholarship, applicants must possess a "C" grade average or better, present letters of recommendation from instructors and employers, and submit an essay stating their career goals and objectives. 

The Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association is the state's largest green industry trade association with over 1,500 member companies.  Members include nurseries, garden centers, landscape contractors, landscape designers, irrigation contractors, commercial flower growers, tree care specialists, professional gardening services, and turf and landscape management professionals.     
                             
Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 bachelor's degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture and natural resources; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,300 undergraduates, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.
 

Contact: Cassie Larson, Education & Industry Advancement Director - cassie@mnla.biz; Sue Jacobson, instructor, horticulture, 218-281-8118 (sjacobso@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)