Dexter, Missouri - Tyler Heil was awarded the first ever Jamie D. Sifford Memorial Scholarship sponsored by Biovante located in Bernie, Missouri.

Jamie Sifford, a well known farmer from the community suffered a fatal accident in April of 2016.  "I have known Jamie for about four years," commented Chris Masters, President of Biovante.  "We worked together on his farm and has always been a student of products and new technology.  I was kind of a new kid on the block for our company, Biovante, and he gave me a shot to use some of our products."

"He understood why we do what we do and this year he had set up on his corn, he had set up some plots and we were going to evaluate them throughout the season to emergency all the way until harvest time," continued Masters. "I just felt that with the situation that as much as a passion he had for farming if we could facilitate something to another student to help keep that passion alive and keep it going would be a great honor for him."

Tyler is a senior at Dexter High School and is the son of Dan and Connie Heil.  He has played football his freshman and sophomore years, Cross Country his junior year, Baseball and Basketball all four years of high school.  Tyler is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Future Farmers of America, and Student Council.

His future plans are to attend Missouri State University and Study Agri-Business.

"Tyler was one of four applicants that we received and we narrowed it down to two," stated Masters.  "One major criteria was GPA and with Tyler's history of being involved with different groups, not that basketball was part of it, but he was heavily involved in the program and that was a passion for Tyler as much as it was for Jamie.  I think there were some similarities between this applicant and Jamie, but overall his history of being in school, education, and GPA along with his primary studies going into Agri-Business.

This scholarship will be part of Jamie's legacy. "As long as I am alive and Biovante is alive we are going to have Dexter Schools who are interested in agriculture receive a scholarship for many years to come and we will do this every single year," stated Masters.

Shown in the photo are from left to right: Chris Masters, Meagan Masters, J.D. Sifford (father of Jamie), Tyler Heil, Dan Heil, and Connie Heil.