FFA officers preparing for convention, Ground Zero conferences

This holiday season was filled with time spent with friends and family, along with plenty of home-cooked meals. Before heading out for the holidays, the major state officer team spent time training and then preparing for the 98th Illinois FFA State Convention.

To kick things off, National FFA staff joined us for our midpoint training as we officially passed the halfway point of our term. This marked the final training we will receive from the National FFA Organization.

Following that, the majors traveled to Decatur for our officer retreat. During the retreat, we began preparing for convention by determining who would chair each session and when each officer would deliver their retiring address.

We also received our individual responsibilities to help ensure a fun and memorable convention for every member in attendance.

After three days in Decatur, the majors returned to the office to welcome our families for a Christmas party before heading home for the holidays. This time allowed us to enjoy good food and meaningful conversation with those who support us back home while we are on the road.

Following a few weeks break for Christmas and New Year’s, the majors returned to the office to continue working on various convention planning details. We also attended our Youth Education in Agriculture, or YEA, meeting alongside representatives from the Illinois Farm Bureau and 4-H.

YEA is one way that we are able to advocate for agriculture working directly with the Illinois Farm Bureau and family of companies including GROWMARK, COUNTRY Financial, the IAA Credit Union and Prairie Farms, as well as Illinois 4-H.

YEA provides quality programs that develop and recognize outstanding professional development skills among youth in agriculture.

As we look ahead, we are excited to begin traveling across the state for all seven Ground Zero conferences while continuing to prepare speeches and finalize plans for a successful state convention.

Ground Zero is an excellent opportunity for freshmen and sophomore members to really find a way to kick off their involvement in Illinois FFA.

The conference allows members to meet other students from across the state, learn about Illinois FFA and Illinois agriculture, as well as build up their leadership skills.

Ethan Bremmer from the Pearl City FFA Chapter is the 2025-2026 Illinois Association FFA state reporter.