Agriculture Future of America
The Saline County AFA Community, in partnership with Agriculture Future of America (AFA), has awarded the prestigious AFA Leader and Academic Scholarship to Anna Karber and Caden Parry from Saline County, KS.
Each scholarship, valued at $3,200, recognizes academic achievement, leadership potential, and a commitment to pursuing a career in food, agriculture, and natural resources.
Anna Karber, a Southeast of Saline graduate, is attending Kansas State University this fall and is majoring in Animal Science and Industry.
Caden Parry, also a Southeast of Saline graduate, is attending Fort Hays State University with a major in Agronomy and a minor in Agribusiness Management.
Through the Saline County AFA Community Scholarship, Karber and Parry will not only receive financial assistance but also gain access to the transformative AFA Leaders Conference in November. This premier leadership development experience equips students with the skills to bridge the gap between college and career.
“We are extremely proud to connect Anna and Caden to the AFA network through this scholarship and not only support them financially, but also help them gain access to opportunities that will help them build careers in the agriculture industry,” said Jason Kern, Community Coordinator for the Saline County AFA Partnership. “This scholarship would not be possible without the support of our local community donors, who show these kids that their local community believes in their future.”
AFA community scholarships are funded by dedicated volunteers across eight states who raise funds to support these awards. Donors raised locally are then matched by the national AFA organization to complete the award.
Because of consistent donor support, Saline County has awarded more than 50 scholarships since the partnership began in 1998. Many of the scholarship recipients have come back to live and work in the Saline County community.
“AFA Leader and Academic Scholarships celebrate outstanding students who demonstrate a clear career vision, strong leadership, active community engagement, and financial need,” shares Mark Stewart, AFA President and CEO. "The collaboration with our community partners enables AFA to cultivate exceptional talent, ensuring that the agriculture industry continues to thrive with leaders who are deeply connected to their roots and driven by purpose."
To learn more about AFA Leader and Academic Scholarships or AFA Leaders Conference, visit www.agfuture.org.
2025 Saline County AFA Donors
The following donors made the 2025 awards possible:
Morton Buildings; Jackson Crop Insurance; Lang Diesel, Inc.; Wimer Family Charitable Foundation; Saline County Conservation District; Saline County Farm Bureau; Bennington State Bank; Tri-Valley Seed & Service, LLC; Carrico Implement, Inc.; Nichols Financial, LLC; Everhart Precision Ag, LLC; Hedville Grain & Feed, LLC; Kubota of Salina; Advantage Trust Company Star Seed, LLC; Kermit Dorf and Connie Cox-Dorf; Bill Mahanay & Family; Trent & Emily Page; Jason and Kristi Kern.
About Agriculture Future of America
AFA builds bridges for young leaders to foster engagement and innovation in food and agriculture through premier leader and career development experiences. In the last five years, AFA has provided 26,000 leader development experiences to college leaders and young professionals from more than 200 colleges and universities throughout 43 states since its inception in 1996. AFA has awarded more than $11.5 million in academic and leader development scholarships.
For more information about AFA, visit agfuture.org.