Kast Farms donates utility vehicle to Albion ag program

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – FFA student leaders Sara Millspaugh, president, and Aaron Burnside, the vice president, are pictured on a new Kubota RTV donated to the agriculture program at Albion Central School.

Students won’t be permitted to operate the vehicle, which will be available to other buildings and grounds employees at the district.

Kast Farms bought the new Kubota RTV-X900 from Bentley Brothers in Albion. Brett and John Kast, partners in the farm with their father David, said the family is pleased to see the FFA program do so much for students and the community.

John was in the program 25 years ago when there was talk of eliminating the FFA program. Now there are 65 students in the high school program and a group in the junior high FFA.

“It’s amazing to see it from where it was to where it is now,” John Kast said. “It’s good for the students because agriculture is the backbone of the community.”

Albion FFA members are pictured with representatives from Kast Farms. The group includes, from left: Adam Krenning, FFA advisor; Aaron Burnside, FFA vice president; Sara Millspaugh, FFA president, Brett Kast; John Kast; and John’s daughter Sierra, a member of the FFA in junior high.

The school district has set aside 5 acres for a land lab for agriculture students to test soil and learn about growing plants and food. Part of the land lab includes apple trees. Soybeans will soon be planted as well.

The utility vehicle will make it easier to transport tools and equipment to and from the land lab and the ag shop. Students this week will be running wiring to hold up the apple trees in a trellis system.

Brett Kast said farming is best learned by doing, rather than reading about in a book. Adam Krenning, the agriculture teacher and FFA advisor, agreed.

“This is not a traditional program where the students sit at a desk,” he said.

He thanked Kast Farms and other farmers and community members for supporting the program through either donations or by providing expertise to students.

“It’s amazing to me the amount of support with the people willing to help out,” Krenning said. “Words can’t express how thankful I am to everybody.”