Miller

Niles 2010 honors graduate Kyle Miller, a junior at Michigan State University, was interviewed on Fox News Channel Friday morning by Stuart Varney by satellite feed from Lansing.

Kyle, son of Herb and Joyce Miller of Sumnerville in Pokagon Township, garnered state and national accolades as a Cassopolis FFA member.

He was a member of the state-champion and U.S. runner-up parliamentary procedure team Cassopolis fielded.

Based on his public-speaking performance at the state FFA convention in March 2010, the former Cass County Fair king qualified for nationals that October in Indianapolis.

On July 28, 2010, Miller spoke to the Cass County Planning Commission on agri-terrorism, creating awareness of rural vulnerability to attacks while helping hone his “rusty” presentation.

Miller, who was also state FFA treasurer, showed cattle, hogs and sheep at the fair and decorated cakes.

At Niles High School, he ranked as the school’s top chemistry student his senior year.

He started work on the Miller farm “around 13 or 14. A big thing about the bill I didn’t like was that I knew at a young age I wanted to farm. By 16, I knew I wanted to do it, so that was a major benefit for me.”

The Millers grow row crops, raise cattle and sell hay to the Amish.

Kyle said this summer he will be interning in sales with seed genetics giant Monsanto in Delaware, helping farmers make better decisions to improve yields.

He said he looks forward to moving back to southwest Michigan and perhaps becoming an agronomist for a seed company, but eventually taking over the family farm.

“I hope my kids someday will be showing animals at the fair and have the same passion and love for agriculture I do,” he said last year when he won a $1,000 MSU scholarship.

As to how Fox found an agriculture student even with Miller’s pedigree, Kyle said the national news organization learned about Farm Bureau’s young farmers convention, interviewed eight, then notified him Thursday morning the opportunity was his.

In the meantime, the U.S. Department of Labor rescinded the proposed rules.

“I could hear Stuart Varney in my ear,” he said Monday evening.

“Farm Bureau put it on Facebook and Twitter, so it went all over the country. It was pretty cool.”