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Let’s hear the story of Nebraska, its communities, its number one industry Agriculture, and the people who make it happen. Sponsored by Nebraska's Law Firm® - Rembolt Ludtke.
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Kent Zeller & Dewey Lienemann: Legendary Ag Educators
In this episode we get a chance to visit with Kent Zeller and Dewey Lienemann. For decades Zeller led the Ravenna FFA chapter and ag program and Lienemann led the Blue Hill FFA chapter and ag program and later became a Nebraska extension educator in Webster County. Both have impacted countless lives as mentors, teachers and leaders, and continue to serve agriculture and give back to the state in countless ways.
Dewey Lemon. Dewey, thanks for joining us.
SPEAKER_05:Well, thank you for the invitation. Glad to be here.
SPEAKER_01:Dewey, let's start with you. Give us your background. No one who's listening to this podcast even knows who the heck you are. Where'd you grow up? And how did you become a legend in Ag Ed?
SPEAKER_04:Well, I don't know about the legend part, but I grew up in the middle of Franklin County. I was born there in uh 1949 in a family of 10 kids, a farm that was diversified with uh livestock and crop. Um I got uh started with uh 4-H uh uh early on when I was probably about uh eight years old, and then uh continued on and uh went to one room schoolhouse uh uh through the eighth grade and then went to Wilcox High School because they had an ag program. I was really interested in agriculture. Uh even though I had other high schools closer to me, that's the one I wanted to because of agriculture, and uh took that, went on to college at the University of Nebraska, uh graduated from there in 1971 with a bachelor's degree in in uh actually three different uh majors, aged, agronomy, and ag economics. But I also really came close to a fourth one with animal science. I guess maybe I didn't know which direction I was going to go, but that led me to a career for uh 29 years teaching in agriculture, uh, education FFA, and then another 17 years with the with the University of Nebraska Extension.
SPEAKER_01:So, Dewey, one question we ask all of our guests, and you mentioned Franklin County. Uh, what is the license plate prefix for Franklin County? 50 County. And did you also later become you were, I believe, an extension agent in Webster County, is that right?
SPEAKER_04:That is correct. And then um uh a little little stint in Clay County. I worked with the uh Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, uh worked as a liaison um, you know, for uh for the extension and uh area ranchers, uh, did the CowCalf college there for many years. Um and then um and then later on I became a beef specialist for South Central Nebraska, about eight counties.
SPEAKER_01:Kent, what's your background?
SPEAKER_05:Well, I've um I was born in uh 1948, and um I'm I've been in Ravenna all my life.
SPEAKER_01:Um what county is Ravenna what county is Ravenna in?
SPEAKER_05:Uh nine.
SPEAKER_01:Okay.
SPEAKER_05:That's and uh I went to grade school in Poole, which is an unincorporated, but uh back in the uh 60s and whatever, uh we had like uh 60 kids in our grade school, so we were we were a big school. But I graduated, I went to Ravenna High School, graduated from Ravenna High School, went to UNL, and I got a degree in uh animal science and ag education. And actually, uh I was living on a farm. I got a call one day from the superintendent, and he said, We cannot find an ag teacher anywhere. There just are none available, none in Kansas, Colorado, uh Dakotas, Iowa, Nebraska, whatever. Would you teach one year so we can keep the department open? So I started that one year, and then 32 years later, I retired.
SPEAKER_01:That's a long year, Ken.
SPEAKER_05:Well, it was a long year, yes, it was. But uh, kids were very good. I I really enjoyed my kids, the family. Ravenna's been good to me. Uh, when I retired after 32 years, then I uh went to work for the uh Nebraska State Fair, and I was the FFA superintendent, and I did that for uh 20 years, and I retired from that in 2019. So agriculture's been a wonderful way of life. Like I said, I I had a lot of good kids. I was truly blessed uh in the capacity that I've had in education.
SPEAKER_02:Kent Dewey, I think the first time uh met you guys was about 12 to 13 years ago when uh my friend Bryce Duskitt and I were running around helping at uh the Nebraska State Fair and we got to know each other and and uh stayed involved through FFA. So I'm curious, uh, could each of you share with us what your favorite moment has been as an ag educator as you look back over those years? Um is there a moment or two that really sticks out to you?
SPEAKER_04:Of course, as a teacher, you have a lot of moments that really make you proud and and uh really hit your heart. Um, you know, I it'd be really numerous I put down, but probably uh having uh six state FFA officers and one national FFA officer and and our chapter doing very well in competition. And incidentally, our main um uh competition was with Ravenna. So uh Blue Hill and Ravenna went back and forth for many years uh trying to outdo each other.
SPEAKER_05:But if the other one won, that was fine. We were in the same in the same district, and uh we competed with each other, against each other, and uh we just had a great fellowship throughout the years. Um I'd kind of like to rubber stamp what Dewey said. I think for an ag teacher, and I think this goes for all ag teachers, it's a smile on a kid's face. And it doesn't make any difference if they placed in a contest, if they got their green hand degree, whatever it might be, if if there was a smile on their face, that was pretty much what made it for me. And I think that as time went on, I had kids that uh they would kind of set their own baseline. And I think one of the things that was really a highlight for me is uh in the year 2000, uh we won a national contest in an area that was called uh basically building our American Communities, but it went through our national chapter program. But uh there were from what I understand, there were over 7,000 projects that were submitted, and we made the top 10, and then I had a couple kids that interviewed, and we ended up uh being the national winner. That was a highlight, and then also the kids I had 66 kids that got the American FSA degree, and to me, that was a pinnacle of them doing their records and uh just being on top of things, being a good student, and then just being active and be proud to represent the blue and gold.
SPEAKER_04:Every time you have students you they come from all across the board, from valedictorians to those that barely make it through high school, but every one of them seemed to have an aha moment. And when that comes, that makes you really feel good inside.
SPEAKER_01:So agriculture has evolved, education has evolved. What were the biggest changes or biggest change that you saw from the time you started in ag education to the point at which you retired? What was the biggest change?
SPEAKER_04:Well, I can start with that. I think one of the biggest changes when they allowed girls to be an FFA, uh, and then also in ag education. And they ended up being actually standard bearers in my chapter. Uh you know, as as the years went by, in fact, uh a lot of my officers end up being uh uh young ladies, and uh they did very well. They pushed the boys quite a bit, and I think that was probably to me a uh a time where things changed quite a bit in ag education.
SPEAKER_02:Uh you guys had talked about uh Blue Hill versus Ravenna, and and you would compete with each other, sort of the iron sharpens iron mentality. Uh could you speak a little bit to the role you've seen 4-H and FFA play in uh building leaders and communities here in Nebraska?
SPEAKER_05:I'll take this one to start with because I know Dewey, being on both sides of the fence, 4-H and FFA, he'll fill in where I um where I don't. I really enjoyed having the 4-H kids be well 4-H to start out at eight, age eight, and uh 4-H would give them a really good background in a lot of different things. And when I got those kids as a primarily uh uh ninth graders, it was a deal where uh um they really helped my other kids. So I think 4-H and FFA, uh, we work with kids, and it was great to have both of them.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, I'll go along, I'll go along with that. Um I I think Kat and I both are longtime 4-H members, and uh, and then of course FFA and then end up being visors uh and 4-H leaders, and um and uh they to me go well good. Um the uh there was a mentality at one time where there's division uh between the two organizations. I never did figure that out, but over the years that has erased and and uh and uh state fair has really helped with that, um, the where it is in Grand Island. Uh I I feel like we work together really well and and share things. And even though we're on different weekends, uh like Kent said, uh a lot of the kids that are in 4-H are also in FFA uh and were 4-H members before they become FFA members. And uh I'm seeing extension educators and ag teachers working pretty well together now, uh, which is to me is a very positive thing.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, when when State Fair was at uh in Lincoln, we were split. Uh 4-H was on one side of the grounds, FFA was on the other side, but down in Grand Island, we're in the same building. We share the same rooms, the same front desk, and you really get to appreciate uh your counterparts because we're all there for one reason and it's the kids. Amen to that.
SPEAKER_02:Dewey, you told me uh that uh you got to work that front desk answering questions here this past weekend. Uh was did anybody stump you?
SPEAKER_04:I didn't let them stump me because uh because when you're old, people just assume you know everything.
SPEAKER_01:You both are have been longtime supporters, promoters of the Nebraska State Fair, as well as county fairs across the state. What what role do county fairs and the Nebraska State Fair play with respect to uh again growing communities, building uh future leaders up here in Nebraska?
SPEAKER_04:Well, I think they're very important. Uh uh, of course, uh both Buffalo County and uh Webster County, uh and Franklin County where I grew up, agriculture is number one. And the people there are very rural, still very much. Um so uh they are the backbone, I believe, of this state. Uh county fairs, uh we have a really good county fair yet in in Webster County. It's a pride of this county, it's got a long history and uh traditions, and tradition is something that uh speaks really loudly, I think, for the state fair as well. So there's a there's a really good pattern of of uh not only respect but uh tradition. And um, of course, the county fairs uh take their projects then on into the state fair. So it's seamless, it goes together well, and state fair then is a culmination of all the work that these kids and their leaders and their parents put into during the year.
SPEAKER_01:Do you have some favorite things at the Nebraska State Fair you try to see each and every year?
SPEAKER_04:Well, the beef pit, that's of course, for me as a beef guy, that's that's a go-to every year. Uh one one thing that uh that uh I might mention uh is the grand finale of the market animals and breeding beef animals uh uh both in FFA and 4-H, that that's inspiring to me.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, because they play the Husker music, right? It's uh for those kids, that's the moment, the culmination of an entire year working with an animal.
SPEAKER_04:It it is, and for them to be recognized in front of so many people that come to see the best of the best, that really warms your heart.
SPEAKER_05:And there's and there's two drives. 4-H has their drive, FFA has their drive, and you can highlight the kids in both organizations and basically do the same thing, and it's promoting kids. Name of the game.
SPEAKER_04:And another thing that I'd like to point out is that sometimes you have annual friends, and those are the people you meet at the state fair uh or exarbon, you name it, and you see them again a year later, and they still recognize you, and you work with them and uh joke with them and uh and just have time just sitting maybe on a show box and talking about what's going on in the world.
SPEAKER_01:So Nebraska is a pretty special place. Our communities are special, our people are special. What do you think the rest of the country could learn from Nebraska and its communities and its hardworking folks in agriculture and in other industries?
SPEAKER_04:Well, I think I think uh a good one is hardworking people uh that are not afraid to get their hands dirty, they cooperate, and in a lot of ways, we're united. Uh, you take uh Nebraska across the state, uh we're all have the same purpose, uh, and that's to feed the world, basically. And the w the old uh standard of uh Nebraska nice applies, I think, across the state. And it really is shown during the uh uh state fair, in my opinion. We're agriculture.
SPEAKER_05:I think uh from what I understand, not all state fairs promote agriculture like we do, but you know, it's the number one industry in Nebraska, and Nebraska State Fair is the showcase for Nebraska agriculture, and uh what a feather in the state's hat.
SPEAKER_01:So we're gonna ask you a kind of a sort of a rapid fire, a few uh three questions. So I'll let Spencer go with the first.
SPEAKER_02:Sure. Uh all right, let's start with Dewey. Uh Dewey, what's your favorite season on the farm in Nebraska?
SPEAKER_04:I love harvest. I I love uh uh all the things come with it. Uh that being uh football season that goes with it. So fall would be my favorite time.
SPEAKER_02:Kent, your favorite season on the farm?
SPEAKER_05:Uh spring. Um I've had cattle all my life. I've got a small herd of herfords, and man, when those little babies are born in the spring and you watch them play all summer, uh spring when uh we just when everything is new, fresh smell, and it starts the year.
SPEAKER_01:Dewey, what's your favorite breed of cattle?
SPEAKER_04:Uh no doubt they're cementol. That's what we raised. My daughter raised them and showed them uh at not only the county fair, but regional shows and state fair and exorbin. Uh no doubt in my mind.
SPEAKER_01:Can't you don't have those miniature Herefords, do you?
SPEAKER_05:No, don't have them, but uh my daughter thinks we ought to get a few for the grandkids. But I I don't think the rest of the family would buy in. But my uh grandparents, they raised Herefords, and my uh my dad stuck with them. And uh uh those white faces, uh there's nothing more beautiful than a herd of Herford cattle. I might throw in a simital or two. I could do that.
SPEAKER_01:I'm going with Angus. Uh no disagreement, but I'm going with Angus.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah. I might I might point out Kent does go look at those miniature herfers every year when we walk through the you want to pet, but you know the T-bones aren't big enough by the time you get them in your freezer.
SPEAKER_01:That's my problem with them.
SPEAKER_05:Well, you've got to make them thicker.
SPEAKER_04:But they're like little puppies, they're cute. Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Going back to your days on the farm, uh, what was the worst farm job you can remember that you had to do?
SPEAKER_04:Clean out the chicken barn. That cleared your nostrils for darn sure.
SPEAKER_05:The worst day would be when they called off school, and we knew that the feedbunk, the bunks need to be scooped out, and you had to scoop paths and all that kind of stuff. Snow days. Those were my worst days.
SPEAKER_01:You know, that's funny you mentioned that I have a friend who says the same story. Like the worst days in all, like they wanted to be in school, and you'd say, Why do you want school? Like, because otherwise I have to go home and dad's going to put me to work and give me all the worst chores. Like, I want to be in school.
SPEAKER_04:Well, in retrospect, I don't know. I could give you a long list of things I didn't appreciate doing, but did anyway.
SPEAKER_02:You you are both uh well-traveled, well-connected gentlemen, uh corner to corner in this state. What is one hidden Nebraska gem that you think more people should know about?
SPEAKER_05:I had a have a grandson that, I mean, he lived here in Ravenna, whatever, and so on, but had no clue what western Nebraska was. We hopped in the car one day, and for a couple days we did nothing but tour western Nebraska and showed him the diversity of the sand hills and uh the chimney rock and all that kind of stuff. I think that along with a diversity of crops, too. Because you get them out there, you show them grass, and that's their western Nebraska, that's their commodity, is grass and raising cattle. And you got sugar beets and you know, all the different kinds of things that uh uh we put in our economy to make Nebraska good.
SPEAKER_01:So although both of you were officially retired, I know better. Uh what what can't let's start with you, what keeps you busy nowadays?
SPEAKER_02:Well, um looking for miniature herbers to buy.
SPEAKER_05:I'm diminishing my herd. I always had thirty cows for years, and I'm down to a whole sum of five head, and I'll be down to three. I take care of cattle and my family. Um my family started way back with my great-grandparents, and last year we received the Ixarbon Award for my mom's side and my dad's side. So we've been we've been in agriculture for a hundred and some years, and I still fix fence. I'm saw up a few trees that fall on the fence and and and just help around the farm whenever I can. So um I don't do near as much as I did before, but I mean, you know, my feet are still wet in agriculture and and taking care of uh what has taken care of me.
SPEAKER_04:Do we maintenance of things, whether it be vehicles, the lawn or little acreage, that keeps me pretty busy. Plus, I really like going to um uh to different conventions and uh uh conferences. I still like doing that. Of course, uh any livestock show, especially beef show, you can usually find me around there uh looking around uh for sure. Also pretty active uh with the farm yet. I'm I'm uh co-manager of our farm, which now is uh uh is an LLC and rent it out to people, but still very active in uh maintaining uh that uh farm.
SPEAKER_01:So if my truck needs an oil change, Dewey, can I swing by and have you change the oil in it?
SPEAKER_04:Well, I'll tell you what, I stopped in Hastings this uh morning to pick up oil in the filter to do the view. Appreciate that.
SPEAKER_01:Everyone who's listening to understand if you need your oil change, Dewey's the guy. So he's ready, he's looking for things to do.
SPEAKER_04:Oh gosh, yes. If only I had a uh one of them high lifts, I use ramps and I still got to crawl underneath there. It just takes me a little longer to get in and out.
SPEAKER_01:Have you ever gotten stuck? I'm not gonna divulge that. So if if you're a kid in high school today and you're kind of thinking about maybe going into ag, what what do you tell them? What what what do you tell them about the opportunities that lie ahead?
SPEAKER_04:Any hands-on uh occupation. And um, of course, I'll I would steer him towards ag education because we need more ag teachers. But um I have two grandsons that uh decided they wanted to go into uh into a different uh uh form uh in in in construction and and uh uh actually industrial arts type things uh as teacher, as one as a teacher, one as an actual worker. But I I encourage kids to do hands-on things, uh vocational skills, I think, are the future uh for not only this state but this country.
SPEAKER_05:This is an interesting question because I spend part of my time still up at the Ravenna High School helping the ag ed department and then also helping with some FFA things. Um I was just up there the other day and we have a new teacher, and so I got to know him. He calls me up and uh ask me some questions, and you know, it kind of revitalizes my life now that they're asking questions, and my comment to him is you know, I'll tell you what I did and how it happened and whatever, but it's your department, and so you run it as you see fit, but I'm here to just help you in different ways to try and make your road a little bit easier. So that's kind of fun when you've been out of it as 22 years like I have, and you still have people asking you for your advice. I mean, I that that's kind of what makes it uh a life. And education and kids were my life, and it's sure fun to be in it yet.
SPEAKER_01:Looking back on your careers, if people were to say Dewey Linneman, Kent Zeller, uh this is what I remember about them. Kent, we'll start with you. What do you what do you want folks to remember most about you when they remember the fond memories of you as an ag educator and all the service that you've uh given to the state?
SPEAKER_05:Well, you know, uh I mentioned this at the uh Grand Marshal deal the other for day fair, and so was our grand marshal, but in my mind, what the first year I was teaching, the ag teachers code, the first line is I am an agriculture education teacher by choice, not by chance. And for 32 years by choice, I signed the contract every year because teaching, as far as I'm concerned, is the best occupation there is because you get to see kids grow. And you know, I still have kids when I call them kids, they're starting to retire. But doing Mr. V or whatever, you know, because there was uh a bond with kids. So that's the thing. Um education is our life and we're still living it.
SPEAKER_04:Do we? I I would I would say an amen to that. It's never been about me, it's always been about my kids. And uh, and like Kent said, uh I got a lot of students that are retired, uh, which doesn't seem possible, but what's really nice is I get invited almost every year to their high school alumni uh uh gatherings, and uh uh it feels good to see how they have prospered and done well in their lives. And uh uh the kids are an important part. I hope they remember uh me for working with those students um uh no matter what stage in life they are. Uh I also hope they uh take a look at what I know Kent is the same way, what we did for our communities. And uh we had uh uh we had several programs that that helped uh help our local communities to the FFA and also probably by individual work. Uh I think that's important. Kent and I were both leaders in almost everything we were at, um and uh and leadership's an important thing to pass on to your kids. And uh and I think that I hope that goes into my legacy is the fact that that um uh we led and not followed.
SPEAKER_05:And I think where Dewey and I have done so many things together, it's kind of been a joke. They if they see one of us, they see both of us. And they and it was kind of a joke there for a while. I said, you guys must be hooked at the hip because we we don't see one of you without the other. And I think that speaks to volumes for friendship and the kinds of things that we did together that uh we had the opportunity to do. And living to serve is part of the motto, and I think that was probably uh something that that we did and enjoy doing that was living to serve for the blue and gold.
SPEAKER_04:And it's a partnership, and uh teamwork always works best. You can do a lot more with a team of horses than one by itself.
SPEAKER_01:So, guys, I'm gonna ask you a question, and we ask all of our guests the same question. So you get just one word, so that's your one rule. You get one word. What is the one word that to you best describes the state in which you were born and raised, grew up on farms, mentored literally hundreds, if not thousands, of kids over the years, and continue to live today. It's where you attended the University of Nebraska Lincoln and they're still leaders. What's your one word for the state of Nebraska? Do we?
SPEAKER_04:Agriculture. That covers the entire state as far as I'm concerned.
SPEAKER_05:I'm gonna say blessed, blessed to be where I was at.
SPEAKER_01:Gentlemen, thank you for joining us. Uh again, great to chat with you. Uh, wish you nothing but the best. And and I think on behalf of myself and Spencer and everyone who's listening, thank you for your many years of service to our state and to the kids and to the industry of agriculture and to our communities. Thank you.
SPEAKER_04:Thank you for having us.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, thank you. What a was a great day.
SPEAKER_01:If you enjoyed this episode, consider subscribing on Apple or Spotify or whoever it is to get your favorite podcast. Share with someone who might find it. Someone who's a favor for a nose for doing it.
