The late Thomas H. Lutsey was a well-known inventor of the mid-20th century, best known for the still popular ice-cream snacks we all enjoy today. However, many people may not know that Thomas H. Lutsey worked on his family farm as a child in Pulaski, Wisconsin. Working on the farm helped teach him a lot of the life skills that soon became instrumental in his success. Hard work, diligence, and perseverance helped serve him well as a dairy farmer, with a plethora of concoctions, sweet treats and automated machines.
Lutsey’s agricultural innovation has been carried out for over 36 years, in the form of the Thomas H. Lutsey-Waseda Farms Scholarship. Lutsey originally started the scholarship to help students in rural communities with a passion for agriculture and work hard, help advance their education and consequently help their community.
Today the annual scholarships are awarded by the President of Waseda Farms and grandson of Thomas H. Lutsey, Matt Lutsey. He is proud to announce the selection of five highly deserving and talented candidates for 2021. Each candidate will receive a four-year, $10k college scholarship.
The Lutsey-Waseda Farms program, supported by Waseda Farms, has awarded over $820,000 in scholarships since 1986. Many of those awarded the scholarships have gone on to do big things for their community.
“My grandfather would be very proud of the impact the scholarship program is having on dozens of communities here in Wisconsin with the support of the future of agriculture through education,” Matt Lutsey said. “This new generation of agricultural enthusiasts has been tested in unimaginable ways as we have all grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic the last year and a half. Their resilience to overcome so much will serve them well as they pursue their interests in agriculture and help advance their community.”
Students need to be a graduating senior to be considered for the Thomas H. Lutsey-Waseda Farms Scholarship. The high school needs to be within a 150-mile radius of Green Bay and have an excellent academic standing. The candidate needs to plan on attending an accredited four-year college or university while pursuing an agriculture related degree with the hopes that they will enhance the rural communities of Wisconsin.
2021 Thomas H. Lutsey-Waseda Farms Scholarship Recipients
This year’s scholars include an impressive mix of high-achieving standouts in the classroom, FFA leaders and young entrepreneurs.
“Each spring, the Thomas H. Lutsey-Waseda Farms Scholarship Committee has the enriching task of assessing and judging the scholar applications and then deciding from so many outstanding applicants who stands out as most deserving to receive a Lutsey-Waseda Farms scholarship,” Matt Lutsey said. “The 2021 scholars are an outstanding group for all they have accomplished inside and outside of school, their proactive leadership qualities and service to community, their industrious spirit, and their shared passion to enhance agriculture in their local communities. We congratulate them and thank all those who applied for the Lutsey-Waseda Farms scholarship this year, and we wish everyone continued success as they move on to college.”
The 2021 Thomas H. Lutsey-Waseda Farms Scholarship recipients are:
Abigail Helbach, Amherst, Wis. Introduced to agriculture as a young child when she would ride the tractor with her father on the family farm, Helbach’s fond childhood experiences out in the fields included checking the farm’s irrigation systems. Those invaluable experiences, including the last six years of working as a farmhand at Helbach Farms, have her aspiring to become a manager with a livestock company. She also would like to start an e-commerce boutique specializing in western fashion. To get started, Helbach will enroll at Oklahoma State University, planning to double major in animal science and agricultural communications. She is the first Amherst High School graduate to receive a Lutsey-Waseda Farms scholarship after ranking in the top 10 of her class academically and serving as the school’s FFA president, along with being a longtime 4-H youth leader in Portage County.
Aliza Jacobs, Luxemburg, Wis. Praised as “a fantastic role model” in Kewaunee County for youth agriculture, Jacobs has a strong passion for promoting and educating her community about all aspects of agriculture. The avid volunteer has a mantra of “Ag-vocating,” which she carried over to working multiple jobs caring for calves on local farms as well as breeding prize-winning Boer goats. She will attend the University of Wisconsin-Platteville with the goal of becoming an agriculture educator. Jacobs is the first Lutsey-Waseda Farms scholar from Luxemburg-Casco High School since 1992 and the fourth overall. She ranked in the top 25 of her graduating class and was the school’s FFA vice president of community development. She also was the longtime president of her 4-H chapter.
Cora Kleist, Richland Center, Wis. The resourceful Kleist has a career goal of bettering the lives of farmers and their families by caring for the health of their herds as a large-animal veterinarian. As just the second Lutsey-Waseda Farms scholar from Richland Center High School, Kleist plans to major in animal science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She’s acquired plenty of relevant experience with animals, working as a farmhand and administering vaccines to the cattle on the farm. Regarded for having a strong work ethic, Kleist flourished academically with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average to rank in the top 10 of her high school graduating class. She also held multiple leadership roles. Kleist was president of the school’s FFA and Science Club and a captain for Richland Center’s track and field team, and she was president of her 4-H chapter.
Maleah Redmann, Athens, Wis. Having attained a near-perfect grade-point average, Redmann was the salutatorian of her graduating class at Athens High School. She is only the second Lutsey-Waseda Farms scholar from her school, where her long list of achievements also included serving as state president and vice president of SkillsUSA, vice president of FFA, and captain of the academic decathlon team, playing in the school band, and competing in three sports. Redmann has her sights on becoming a large-animal veterinarian and plans to double major in equine science and pre-veterinary medicine at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Working with animals comes second nature to Redmann. She has cared for calves as a farmhand on a dairy farm and has been a veterinary assistant at Athens Veterinary Service, and been on farm calls for treating large-animal patients. What’s more, Redmann trains mustangs after she started the Triple R Equines service for wild horses as a 17-year-old.
Adam Zee, Pittsville, Wis. Zee will step onto the Iowa State University campus to begin his college studies with the rare double distinction of being a Grand Champion and a business owner. He’s been crowned a Grand Champion three times for steers he’s shown at local county fairs. And he’s been a beef entrepreneur since starting his company June Acres Cattle in 2016, where he’s managed a few dozen cows. Zee plans to continue to raise Angus cattle as he pursues a career as an agricultural engineer with a focus on biological systems. He hopes to work for a firm that designs structures for agricultural purposes. Zee is the first Marshfield High School graduate to earn a Lutsey-Waseda Farms scholarship. He ranked in the top 15 of a graduating class of more than 300 students, played hockey and baseball, and was extensively involved with FFA in leadership roles.
A Commitment to Sustainable Farming and Education
The Thomas H. Lutsey-Waseda Farms Scholarship bears the name of the late creator of the scholarship program 35 years ago. Thomas H. Lutsey was a dairy farmer in Pulaski, Wisconsin, who developed Gold Bond Ice Cream (later known as Good Humor-Breyers) and ice-cream novelties such as the Eskimo Pie. His son, Tom Lutsey, founded Waseda Farms in 2008.
Waseda Farms is a certified organic, sustainable farm in Door County, Wisconsin. The farm strongly encourages that farmers practice humane animal treatment and use environmentally friendly practices while providing agricultural jobs to local community residents. Waseda Farms also operates the Waseda Farms Market in Door County. The market is home to walk-in and curbside pickup orders at its butcher shop in De Pere, Wisconsin. Items can be shipped nationwide via the company’s online marketplace.
Readers can find out more about Waseda Farms by visiting WasedaFarms.com.
The scholarship strongly underscores Waseda Farms’ commitment to a sustainable and responsible approach to farming and education. In fact, Thomas Lutsey strongly believed that hard work and diligence are needed for anyone to be successful. That’s why he wanted students who had a passion for agriculture and wanted to educate themselves further to have an opportunity to do so. The goal of the scholarships is to help students in rural communities go to college and commit to improving their own lives and those in their community through sustainable farming and humane practices.
At Waseda Farms, we help families learn about the benefits, taste the difference and enjoy the process of living a healthy life through certified organic food—because what we choose for our family is one of the most important decisions we can make.
More information on the Thomas H. Lutsey-Waseda Farms Scholarship can be found at scholarship.wasedafarms.com.
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Waseda Farms & Country Market
7281 Logerquist Rd, Baileys Harbor, WI 54202
+19208392222
