The Wisconsin FFA held its second annual FFA auctioneering competition, with Junie Kierce, a junior at Waunakee High School, capturing first place. Kierce visits with Ben Jarboe about how she happened upon the competition, and prepared for the event.  Junie looked for a mentor to sharpen her skills and connected with fundraising auctioneer Jenny Gale of North Prairie. Training began with mastering numbers—counting forward and backward, working in quarters and hundreds—to build a strong foundation. Tongue twisters were a major part of practice to develop rhythm, clarity, and speed before refining an auction chant. Once comfortable with cadence and numbers, Junie worked on incorporating filler words and creating a smooth chant. Beyond the chant, mentoring also focused on salesmanship, knowing the items, stage presence, and overcoming stage fright. The Wisconsin Auctioneers Association promotes the competition to introduce FFA students to career opportunities in the auction industry.

Be grateful you're not in New York City today!  Stu Muck says the wild winter weather they're dealing with on the East Coast won't make its presence felt in WI, but our temps will stay cold.

Farmers aren't the only ones who pay close attention to the weather for their occupations.  So do riverboat captains.  Kiley Allan catches up with Jimmy “JRock” Cheatham, Pilot Barge Captain on the Mississippi River.  While navigation continues, heavy river ice can cut travel speeds in half and requires square barge configurations to prevent ice from packing into gaps and hindering steering. To navigate treacherous winter conditions and lower water levels caused by ongoing droughts, captains must reduce tow sizes—sometimes from 42+ barges down to 25—which directly impacts corporate profitability.

Congratulations to Bryanna and Dylan Handel of Barneveld.  They've been named the 2026 Compeer Financial Groundbreakers of the Year.  Pam Jahnke explains their farming operation.

Wisconsin FFA Alumni have some big plans for 2026!  Tari Costello, executive director of the group, explains that they have 2,000 more members this year compared to last, with 10 new chapters added to the roster.  Costello says the group is undertaking an effort to launch FFA license plates for the state.  Once they've secured all the financial support needed, as well as necessary signatures to begin, they estimate that $25 of each license plate sold would end up benefitting FFA in Wisconsin.  She explains the plan to Pam Jahnke.