HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. — Joshua Baker of Adamstown, Md., was awarded the 2022 Dr. Ronald J. Seibel Scholarships from the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation. The Seibel Scholarship was open to students pursuing a two-year or four-year degree in majors leading to careers in agriculture.
Joshua Baker is a full-time student at the Institute of Applied Agriculture in College Park, Md. Baker was an active member of the Urbana FFA program, completed a FFA CTC in Frederick County and completed FFA Regional Leadership Training. Additionally, Baker served in multiple leadership roles in the Maryland 4-H program including president of the Middletown Valley 4-H Club. Post-graduation, Joshua plans to return to his family farm.
“I hope to follow in the father’s footsteps and continue to farm crops and raise livestock. I hope to be able to give the farm my own touch and leave my legacy for my future kids, whether that be continuing to expand our grain bin set-up, increasing our herd of Angus cattle, or adding another type of business we can conduct on the farm to keep being successful,” Baker says. “A goal I have for the next five years might be to set up a meat market to sell cuts of meat from our cattle. A ten-year goal would be to build a larger shop building to be able to work on our equipment. I am excited for what the future holds for me back home on the farm upon graduation.”
Baker will receive $1,000 towards his education.
Dr. Ronald J. Seibel established this scholarship fund during his lifetime to support students seeking agricultural degrees or certificates. As a former educator and longtime director of the Institute of Applied Agriculture at the University of Maryland, Dr. Seibel was a passionate supporter of agricultural education.
Dedicated to increasing agricultural literacy and agricultural education, MAEF is a nonprofit organization with programs serving pre-kindergarten through post-secondary audiences. MAEF signature programs include “Infusing Ag in the Classroom” professional development courses for teachers; mobile science labs; mobile agricultural showcases and Maryland FFA. Funded by the Maryland “ag tag” license plate revenues, gifts, grants and program fees, MAEF promotes the importance of agriculture in everyone’s daily lives. For more information visit www.maefonline.com.
–Victoria Stone, Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation