Scott Dingels earns top FFA awards, offering product at local market

^{_{By Troy Krause
Editor, Redwood Falls Gazette
Posted Jul. 7, 2015 at 1:22 PM}}
 

When Scott Dingels was still in elementary school, his family began a new venture through their involvement in the 4-H?program – sheep.  By the time Dingels was a sophomore at RVHS he had taken what became his favorite project into a business, and recently he was recognized for his business acumen during the Minnesota state FFA convention. Dingels was named a state finalist for the Star in Agribusiness award making him one of the top young entrepreneurs in the state.  He was also presented the state proficiency award for his business, which is known as the Northern Lights Lamb Company, Inc. He started that business out of his home in rural Redwood Falls marketing the lambs his family raises.

Dingels’ company sells a variety of meat products that are processed at a USDA?certified site in Grove City.  Those products include everything from ground lamb to lamb chops, and Dingels keeps freezer space available for product that he sells through his Web site as well as at area farmer’s markets.  This Tuesday, Dingels is going to set up as a vendor at the Redwood Falls Farmer’s Market.

Northern Lights Lamb Company began as an FFA project that built upon the family’s existing lambing operation. Dingels said it just made sense to take the lambs they were raising and then develop a business through which the meat from those lambs could be sold.  “It’s a family operation,” said Dingels, adding with he and his sister, Jaclyn, away from the farm more of the work from lambing to day to day chores is being done by their parents Steve and Pat.

Dingels is going to have a busy week, as he is also going to be entering lambs in the Redwood County Fair 4-H sheep show. That is being held Friday starting at 9 a.m. Dingels said this is the final year he is going to be showing sheep at the fair.  As a direct marketer of lamb meat, Dingels said business has been growing, adding there are still a lot of people who may tend to shy away from lamb. That, he added, is simply because they have never tried it.Click here to read the rest of the article!