Youth Leadership Academy students visit ag businesses throughout Fremont

From companies that produce the food inside stores to those that sell the equipment to do so, Fremont students got a chance to see it all last month.

On Sept. 22, the Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce’s Youth Leadership Academy visited various agriculture businesses as part of the programs’ Ag Day session.

Juniors from Fremont High School and Archbishop Bergan Catholic School visited Platte Valley Equipment, Lincoln Premium Poultry, WholeStone Farms, Hansen-Mueller and Beebe Seed Farms to learn more about the industry.

Pam England, vice president of compliance at First State Bank and Trust and chair of the Youth Leadership Academy, said the program’s students meet once a week for a session on a specific topic.

“The purpose of the program is just to inspire and train the next generation of community leaders through various leadership development practices and sessions related to community awareness and all that Fremont has to offer,” she said.

The students’ Ag Day started at Platte Valley Equipment, where they first met with Mayor Joey Spellerberg before hearing from Platte Valley Store Manager Jennifer Greunke.

“We were able to talk about the overview of Platte Valley, a little bit about the technology that is involved with today’s agriculture,” she said. “We shared information about how our community involvement is important to be invested in to help thriving rural communities.”

England said Greunke emphasized during her presentations the various job opportunities within the agriculture industry.

“Sometimes, you might think of agriculture and you just think of the farmer,” she said. “But actually, there’s a whole lot more professions involved.”