FFA

Incorporating cover crops into their regenerative farming system has been a learning process for the Riskedal family this spring.

After a rigorous interview and selection process, seven students were named Indiana FFA state officers.

Leadership and impact occurs in the small moments. And present happiness is not the way you should evaluate your current day, week or month.

Four FFA students were named Stars over Indiana for their exceptional Supervised Agricultural Experiences.

Four members with outstanding projects that include cattle, flowers, sheep, auctioneering and hay production were presented the prestigious star awards during the 97th Illinois FFA State Convention.

It took just short of four weeks for Dan Parker to finally get the last seed in the ground.

Delegates wrote history at the 97th Illinois FFA State Convention with the vote to add a sentinel to the FFA officer team that now includes six members.

Illinois AgriNews presented the Outstanding Section Reporter awards to four members during the 97th Illinois FFA State Convention.

The 2025 Indiana FFA State Convention will be held June 16-19 at Purdue University.

Earlier this winter while attending a farm show sponsored by a local radio station that carries Brownfield programming, a listener shared with me a poem, “Sermons We See,” by Edgar A. Guest.

Compeer Financial announced 22 middle and high schools across Illinois will receive up to $4,000 each to support agricultural education programs and equipment through its Agriculture Education and Classroom Equipment Grant Program.

Illinois FFA state proficiency winners are selected based on FFA members’ outstanding skills in recordkeeping, leadership and scholastic achievement.

Exceptional projects of FFA members from across the state will be highlighted during the 97th annual Illinois FFA State Convention set for June 10-12.

These students have been selected district winners for the Star in Agriscience award after an extensive process of evaluating the students and their record books.

The Star in Agricultural Placement award will be presented during the Stars Over Illinois ceremony on Wednesday, June11.

The winner of the Star in Agribusiness award will be announced during the Wednesday afternoon session of the Illinois FFA State Convention starting at 2 p.m.

Five district winners for the Star Farmer award will be honored on the stage of the Illinois FFA State Convention.

The countdown to the 97th Illinois State FFA Convention continues, along with practices to perfect every skit, speech and stage cue.

Ten students were recently named Illinois FFA Top 10 Chapter Presidents in recognition of excelling in their role as an FFA president.

Illinois FFA chapters and collegiate Farm Bureaus proudly raised a total of 206,084.37 pounds of food, volunteered 7,482.75 hours and donated $54,897.42 during the 2024-2025 Harvest for All campaign.

For several years, I have used this column to offer up some nuggets of advice for those newly minted graduates and others willing to accept it.

The Riskedal family uses regenerative agricultural practices on their farm where they grow corn, soybeans and wheat along with feeding cattle for a freezer beef enterprise.

I’ve sat in my fair share of coffee shops, airplane terminals, restaurants, FFA chapters and convention halls this year, and it has continued to remind me that we find joy in the people around us.

Top-performing and innovative FFA section presidents and 4-H members cultivated necessary leadership and professional skills during the Youth Education in Agriculture Committee’s recently held Premier 20 Leadership Conference.

A lot of growth has occurred in the agricultural department at Peotone High School since Abby Cowger started teaching and advising the FFA chapter in 2018.

Janna Morgan is the fifth generation of teachers in her family.

Rebekah Peterson’s students describe her teaching style as enthusiastic, hands-on and engaging.

Golden Owl Award finalist Kenna Slough was inspired to be an agricultural educator for a combination of reasons.

Students at Grant Park learned how to “bend don’t break” during a project developed by the Grant Park FFA Chapter that focused on mental health.

Chris Kaufman has been teaching agriculture for 24 years, but he remembers when life looked very different.

To McCord Snider, FFA is not just a club, organization or another group at school.

Students at the Hinckley-Big Rock Middle School are learning about a wide variety of agricultural-related topics through three new classes added to the curriculum this year.

Two weeks ago, I was playing basketball and trying to dunk on a slightly wet court when I fell and hurt my wrist.

On any given day, Dan Parker could be advocating for agriculture with legislators, helping his daughters with 4-H projects, supporting the local FFA chapter, selling seed, or working on the farm.

As more than 1,000 FFA members and their teachers visited the Statehouse, a longtime advocate for those wearing the blue jackets reminisced about how the organization impacted his life.

The newly named Corteva Coliseum was unveiled at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. The facility features more than 150 events for more than 1 million guests each year.

March went in — and out — like a lion. Several state contests take place in spring, such as the recent dairy cattle and food science career development events, with many more on the calendar.

It’s now March of my National FFA president year, and I have a lot to catch you up on. There’s been a whole lot of delayed flights, late nights, a few times where it’s gone wrong and a few times where it’s gone right.

Food, feed and fuel production is a global business, but it still all comes down to finding the best solutions for individual farmers on their fields.

Between the chartering of new FFA chapters, celebrations of FFA Week, announcements of District Golden Owl Award recipients, convention preparation and chapter banquets, February brought many blessings.

The Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers honored two individuals for their contributions to agriculture and the profession at the group’s recent annual meeting.

Eight agriculture teachers have been named finalists for the Golden Owl Award — sponsored by Farm Credit Mid-America and Nationwide.

It is a new day for agriculture, said Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins.

The Turn the Bag Blue & Gold program from Brevant seeds provides FFA students with the opportunity to gain industry experience and fundraise for their chapter.

As we bid farewell to February, I find myself aching for the warmth and promise of spring in the heart of middle America.

Though FFA Week may last a mere seven days, the state officers find it important to sport an attitude of pride and excitement for the FFA every day.

Over this past year, I dedicated extra time to celebrating our county presidents because they are the very heartbeat of our mighty federation.

Gov. Mike Braun proclaimed the week of Feb. 15-22 as FFA Week in Indiana to celebrate agricultural education and FFA’s impact on youth leadership and career success.

A children’s tractor magazine that ceased publication in 2023 after 17 years has been given a second chance.

During National FFA Week, many of us recall those years we spent wearing blue and gold jackets with the FFA logo emblazoned on the back. I still have mine, a hand-me-down from my sister, hanging in a closet somewhere in this old house.