Land O’Lakes is proud to recognize three outstanding students of the class of 2023 by awarding them the Land O’Lakes Direct Member Scholarship to be used toward their higher education in the upcoming fall semester. This year’s recipients say growing up on a farm has inspired their future educational and career goals.   
As a cooperative, Land O’Lakes is committed to providing products and services in support of member businesses, while also assisting member communities and families. Three $5,000 scholarships are awarded annually for this purpose.

2023 winners

Jenna Ainsworth (Daughter of James and Nancy Ainsworth of Shawland Farms LLC): Ohio State University

Jenna Ainsworth is from Shawano, Wisconsin, and plans to study Food Science at Ohio State University. Jenna was president of National Honor Society, and captain of her soccer and tennis team throughout her high school career. Jenna is also an avid baker and enjoys experimenting with baking and cooking at home.

“I have goals to earn my master’s, as well as possibly a Ph.D. As for my career goals, I plan to use my degree to become a product development scientist for a food company. I want to take my knowledge of food and agriculture to a lab where I will create and test possible snack products to be sold to consumers worldwide.

Coming from a small-town dairy farming family, I also want to keep the values of small-town farmers at heart and work within the food production industry to create a relationship between farms and factories that supports and uplifts family-owned and operated businesses,” Jenna says.
 

John Michael Ribeiro (Son of Michael and Tania Ribeiro of Ribeiro Dairy Farms): California Polytechnic State University: San Luis Obispo

John Michael Ribeiro is from Tulare, California, and plans to study dairy science and agricultural business at California Polytechnic State University: San Luis Obispo. John has been an active member of his school’s FFA program and was on the varsity water polo and swim team throughout his high school career. He hopes to one day manage a dairy farm of his own.

“How I plan to accomplish this goal starts with my ancestors, who came to America from the Azores islands in Portugal and started dairy farming. They set the groundwork for a successful business with a strong work ethic. This business was then passed down from generation to generation in the family, eventually leading to me, a fourth-generation dairy farmer. My career goals include owning and operating my own cost-efficient and environmentally friendly dairy farm that can help provide for and nourish the growing population,” John says.

Aaron Harnish (Son of Steven and Becky Harnish of Central Manor Dairy LLC.): Cornell University
 

Aaron is from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and plans to study computer science at Cornell University. Aaron has been involved with Boy Scouts, track and field, robotics and the National Honor Society throughout his high school career. He hopes to pursue a career as an engineer, specializing in data science.

“Working on the farm, I’ve seen how we use data collection and analysis to streamline our daily operations and promote herd health. We use a homemade database and algorithm to monitor and adjust calf feed consumption, automated milking records to track production and rumination boluses that give early alerts for metabolic issues. I’m interested in learning the engineering and data science skills needed to develop such systems so that I can use them in fields like healthcare or transportation. My career path might take me away from the farm, but it's given me great examples of how technology can bring about solutions to long-standing challenges,” Aaron says.

Congratulations to this year's winners!