Baca County Youth Entrepreneurship Fair Results and Sponsors

--The Baca County Economic Development Commission hosted the first annual Baca County Youth Entrepreneurship Fair March 23-24 in Springfield at the Springfield High School. On Friday March 23, 32 students from Springfield, Kim, Campo and Mosquero, New Mexico were interviewed and judged on the businesses that they had entered in the fair on March 10, 2007. The judges ranked the projects on completeness of the application, compatibility of the business with a rural area, feasibility of the business, and the student interviews.

Results for 2007 are as follows: Grand Prize of $1,000 sponsored by Ogallala Commons and book sponsored by Laneha and Casey Everett went to Alyse and Paige Owenby of Campo for their business "Canyon Road Bed, Breakfast and Spa", Reserve Prize of $750 sponsored by Ogallala Commons and book sponsored by Laneha and Casey Everett went to Alex Guthrie and Brenda Guiterrez of Kim for their business "A&B Websites", Third Overall Prize of $500 sponsored by The Baca County Economic Development Commission went to Sarah Gunkel of Springfield for her business "Horse Retirement Arena"

The specialty prizes awarded were: Ogallala Commons Special Prize for $250 donated by Ogallala Commons went to the Mosquero School Students for their innovative school business creating documentary videos and a digital history book of their community. Energy Efficient Business Award for $500 sponsored by the South East Colorado Power went to Rafe and Rhine Schroder of Campo for their business "Schroder Farms", Outstanding Horse Award for $100 sponsored by the Blue Rose Ranch went to Sarah Gunkel of Springfield for her business "Horse Retirement Arena", Creativity Award for $100 sponsored by Shayla Perkins went to Alyse and Paige Owenby of Campo for their business "Canyonlands Bed, Breakfast and Spa", Best Campo Student Project for $200 sponsored by DLT Trucking went to Alyse and Paige Owenby of Campo for their business "Canyonlands Bed, Breakfast and Spa", Special Prize for $100 sponsored by the Campo Youth Advisory went to Luke Simmons of Springfield for his business "Luke's Bicycle Repair Shop", Best Team Prize for two $500 scholarships was sponsored by Lamar Community College went to Rafe and Rhine Schroder of Campo for their business "Schroder Farms", Sports Recreation award for a $50 savings bond sponsored by Campo Recreation Board went to Dara Nickerson of Springfield for her business "Lanes 'O Fun" bowling alley,.

Honorable Mention Prizes are as follows: First Honorable Mention for $300 sponsored bySECED and the South East Colorado Enterprize Zone, Baca County Commissioners, and the Baca County Farm Bureau went to Sarah Broce of Kim for her business "Broce's Nature Retreat", Second Honorable Mention for $200 sponsored by Tri State Power and Generation, and the Town of Springfield Electric Light and Power Fund went to Lane Rothman of Springfield for his business "Rothman Small Engine Repair", Second Honorable Mention for $200 sponsored by City of Campo, and Town and Country Disposal went to Edgar Martinez for his business "Martinez Contracting Services", Honorable Mention Prize for $100 sponsored by Harding County New Mexico Economic Development went to Ryleigh Jacobs of Springfield for her business "Jacobs Photography", Honorable Mention Prize for $100 sponsored by Ute Creek Cattle Company of New Mexico went to Seth Burnett of Springfield for his business "Seth's Fencing and Repair", Honorable Mention Prize for $100 sponsored by the Wood Family of New Mexico went to Blane Short of Springfield for his business "Put-Put Golf", Honorable Mention Prize of $100 sponsored by the People's Credity Union of Springfield went to Randall and Johnathan Guthrie of Kim for their business " JR's Car Detailing", Honorable Mention Prize of $100 sponsored by Tri State Power and Generation and City of Campo went to Dara Nickerson of Springfield for her business "Lanes 'O Fun", Honorable Mention Prize of $75 sponsored by Lightning Livestock Transportation and Johnson Motors of Campo went to Luke Simmons of Springfield for his business "Luke's Bicycle Repair Shop".

The public viewed and voted on the studen't businesses and the top four businesses with the most votes as the public's favorites were awarded $100 People's Choice Awards. First People's Choice Award also earned a print by LeVeda Rogers and the $100 sponsored by Baca County Farmers Bureau was Alyse and Paige Owenby of Campo with their project "Canyonlands Bed, Breakfast and Spa", People's Choice Award for $100 sponsored by Baca County Commissioners went to Mosquero School Students for their innovative school business creating documentary videos and a digital history book of their community, People's Choice Award for $100 sponsored by the Town of Springfield Electric Light and Power Fund went to Kaylee Eskew and Ashley Guiterrez of Kim for their business "Majestic (dinner) Theatre", and People's Choice Award for $100 sponsored by the Town of Campo went to Rafe and Rhine Schroder with their business "Schroder Farms". The People's Choice Award Drawing for participating voters was sponsored by: Prarie Candle Company, NAPA, Everitt-Moore, Apen Leaf, Loves, Bar-4 Restaurant and Truck Stop, Radio Shack, and Hometown Burritos. The People's Choice Award Door-Prize Basket was sponsored by: Brent and Coleen Schroder, Clarence Jenkins Truck Stop, Just a Stich'n, Cowpoke Feeds, Kay Thompson Avon, and Denise Patrick.

All student participants in the fair were given participation packets which included: T-shirts sponsored by Peter Dawson, Geston and D'Ann Hebberd, SECED and the South East Colorado Enterprize Zone and printed by Cecil Wade, Sunday from the Campo Café, Lamar Community College Pamphlets, Trinidad State Junior College Pamphlets, Oter Junior College Pamphlets, Small Business Development Center Pamphlets and the Colorado Small Business Development Guide, Harding County New Mexico Pamphlets, and New Mexico Tourism Pamphlets, Snacks sponsored by Alco, Notebooks, Pens and snacks sponsored by the Campo Recreation Board, McGraw-Hill Guide to Starting Your Own Business sponsored by the Baca County Conservation District and Tri-State Generation and Power, every student received a book business/leadership/or interviewing sponsored by the Baca County Library, bags to hold the packets were sponsored by the Campo Youth Advisory and printed by Sherry Canyon Creations of Campo.

The Baca County Economic Development Commission would like to thank the judges: Frank Goode of Kim, Aubry Humberg of LCC, Julie Worlie of Rocky Ford economic Development, Susann Mikkelson of Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, and Brandon Grogan of People's Credit Union. DLT Trucking of Campo and Baca County Commissioners sponsored the lunch for the judges.

The Baca County Economic Development Commission would also like to thank the following people for their help throughout: Renee Grigatt, Monte Barham and the Springfield Chamber, Springfield High School, Mike Page, and Rick Hargrove for the use of it's facilities and their support for the fair, Kathy Self for all of her help coordinating students and her support for the fair, Donna Hazen, Tudda Libby-Crews and our regional cluster community of New Mexico for their support and help with finding sponsorships, Nikki Johnson for her help coordinating, the Campo School District for their support of the fair, the Baca County Commissioners for their help in getting sponsors and for their support of the fair, Dusty Turner for his help in getting sponsors and for his support of the fair, Kathy Cranson and the Kim Schools for their help setting up interviews and their support of the fair, and Darryl Burkenfeld and Ogallala Commons for their support and up-loading documents for the youth entrepreneurship fair to their web-site.

First Place, Alyse Owensby, Campo, CO


Second Place, Alex Guthrie, Kim, CO


Third Place, Sarah Gunkel, Springfield, CO