Officers travel thousands of miles during National FFA Week

From the 2026 National FFA Week to district proficiency awards, this past month has been full of successes across the state.

To start off the busy month, Illinois FFA attended the Illinois Grain and Feed Convention in St. Louis, followed by our final Ground Zero Conference, FFA Week, proficiency awards, four state contests and the Illinois Products Expo. The major state officers have also begun banquet season, traveling across the state.

At the Illinois Grain and Feed Convention, Illinois FFA hosted a booth where agriculture industry professionals could learn ways they can become involved in supporting Illinois FFA.

Over the next two years, the goal is to collect memorabilia from the past 100 years of FFA. This memorabilia would only be borrowed and returned to the owner after the 100th year celebration of Illinois FFA.

If you, or someone you know, has something you would be willing to showcase, be sure to contact the Illinois FFA state office. A submission form is online at tinyurl.com/FFA-memorabilia.

While at the convention, the major state officers were also able to meet with vendors to learn about new innovations in the industry, as well as ways to maintain grain storage and feed systems that farmers and grain elevators may already have.

The final Ground Zero Conference in Effingham marked the completion of all seven conferences held across the state for ninth- and 10th-grade members. In the coming weeks, preparations will begin for Spring Middle School Conferences in April.

National FFA Week was truly one to remember for each and every major state officer. During the week, the team traveled more than 7,000 miles and visited 47 different schools. Each school had its own fun activities, workshops, games and assemblies.

Throughout the week, the major state officers gave speeches, participated in activities, presented Golden Owl Awards, attended FFA chapter auctions, attended charter signings and, most importantly, connected with the future generation of agricultural leaders across the state.

For some members, this may have been their last FFA Week in the blue jacket, while for others it was their very first. The major state officers’ goal is to help every student find their place in FFA, and through FFA Week, they are able to contribute to that inspiring mission.

After wrapping up FFA Week, it was time for the five district proficiency events across the state. Proficiencies allow members to showcase their supervised agricultural experiences or supervised occupational experiences in 64 different categories.

Members are evaluated through an interview discussing their projects, as well as the records they have kept throughout their time in FFA while working with their respective projects.

In order for a member to compete at the district level, they must first win at the chapter and section levels. Members who win at the district level then advance to the State Awards Day on March 21, where they compete for the state title in their respective areas.

In Illinois, there are 26 different Career and Leadership Development Events. Four of the competitions recently hosted were agricultural communications, meats judging, poultry and dairy cattle.

These events allow members to demonstrate their skills and knowledge in each category. Most members have already competed at the section level before advancing to the state contest.

Lastly, the 2025-2026 Illinois FFA state officer team joined together for two days of meetings, contest assistance and volunteer work at the Illinois Products Expo.

During the expo, Illinois FFA members sell drinks to attendees, assist vendors with their booths and help keep the building clean. This not only allows the public to see FFA in action, but also provides an opportunity to advocate for agriculture in a unique setting.

Along with the many large events this month, the major state officers continue working behind the scenes on convention planning and the beginning of banquet season.

The team spends many hours filming, scripting and memorizing material in preparation for the 98th annual Illinois FFA State Convention on June 9-11.

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