Press Release: Loos Tales Merit award to OK FFA'er Piper Merritt

For immediate release For additional information, contact Trent Loos 515.418.8185 trentloos@gmail.com. www.LoosTales.com Oklahoma FFA student inspires Loos Tales Merit award (Owasso, OK) The first ever Loos Tales Merit award will be presented to Piper Merritt, a freshman at Owasso, OK High School. Loos will award a purebred Spotted gilt to Merit as a result of her research and presentation on the importance of antibiotics in animal agriculture. Merritt will receive the gilt in the Owasso, OK High School at 11:00 am on Nov 14, 2012. “Piper Merritt, as a 13 year old, has as much poise and maturity as any guest on my Loos Tales radio program” says Trent Loos, host of Loos Tales. “Piper addressed antibiotic usage in animal agriculture, an issue that many others have made very complicated, and she was able to break it down to the sheer basics of science and explain the importance to all consumers.” “In today’s world many myths exist about how and why modern agriculture has evolved into the most efficient safest food supply in the world. Technologies such as antibiotic usage have contributed to healthy animals and safe food. It has become a largely political issue yet as an 8th grade student Piper Merritt chose to give a speech on the topic.” Loos Tales is a daily look at the people and places in Rural America that truly make it what it is. In 13 years of broadcasting in 19 states on over 100 radio stations, Loos says no one program generated as much positive impact as the Piper Merritt speech on air. The United States of America was built by generations of individuals doing extraordinary things to improve the lives of others. That is what Piper did by bringing to light the importance of antibiotics for improving the health of animals and thus the food supply for 313 million Americans and people around the world. As a result of her powerful presentation, Trent Loos decided to establish the Loos Tales Merit award to recognize a young person that goes above and beyond the call of duty to improve human lives. The purebred Spot gilt that Piper Merritt will receive was born on Aug 18, 2012 and will provide her the opportunity to compete in youth livestock shows including Oklahoma Youth Expo in March 2013. In accepting the Loos Tales Merit award gilt, Piper agrees to continue the tradition by recognizing other agricultural youth who rise above and beyond. She will be asked to designate one person next year to receive a gilt from her first litter. Trent Loos is a 6th generation United States farmer residing in central Nebraska. His passions include a lifetime in animal agriculture and supporting youth within the farming community that inspire optimism for the future of American Agriculture. Congratulations to Piper Merritt, not only for being the first recipient, but for being the person who inspired the entire program.