Erbele Named ND Stockmen’s Association Honorary Member
The North Dakota Stockmen’s Association (NDSA) bestowed its Honorary Membership Award on two longtime industry leaders who have been influential both as educators and livestock marketers during its annual awards ceremony during the organization’s 96th Annual Convention & Trade Show in Minot recently. Ray Erbele of Streeter, and Tim Petry of Fargo joined the honorary roster and were recognized for a lifetime of contributions to the organization and industry.
“While Ray and Tim have worked in different capacities over their careers, both have made a remarkable difference in the classroom and to the economic viability of farm and ranch families across the state with their data, their wisdom and their humble encouragement,” said NDSA President Randy Schmitt, a Rugby cow-calf producer.
Ray Erbele
Erbele learned the value of hard work, an appreciation for God’s creations, the beauty and diversity of the four seasons and a passion for agriculture growing up on a Logan County farm and ranch. It was the foundation for his own diverse agricultural career that not only sustained his livelihood, but impacted hundreds of students and fellow cattle producers.
Erbele earned a vocational agriculture degree from North Dakota State University (NDSU) and taught high school ag at Ashley and Gackle High Schools, teaching for a decade as he grew his commercial cow-calf operation at the same time.
Joel Zenker, an NDSA member from Gackle was one of Erbele’s students and characterized him as someone who has had one of the biggest influences on his life. “He is an unbelievable person – someone who has always treated me like a son and who I could always count on no matter what the ask.” Zenker remembers he and his fellow Gackle FFA officers meeting “Mr. Erbele” as their new ag teacher when he was a junior in high school. Perhaps it was his characteristic deep voice or the serious way he laid out the rules that night, but Zenker said, “We thought, holy smokes, he’s going to be a tough one, but it didn’t take long for us to realize how kind he was and how much he cared about us.”
As his operation and family grew, Erbele decided to. . .