Sterling High School FFA plants interest in all things ag with visit to Challand

STERLING — Sterling High School’s National FFA Organization chapter, commonly known as FFA, visited students at Challand Middle School on Tuesday to teach them about the agricultural organization and how they can get involved.

FFA which is celebrating National FFA Week through Saturday, is a national youth organization founded in 1928 that promotes and supports leadership development, personal growth and success through agricultural education.

More than 1 million student members aged 12-21 in more than 9,235 chapters nationwide are engaged in a wide range of agricultural education activities and explore a variety of careers in the food, fiber and natural resources industry, according to the National FFA Organization’s website.

Each chapter elects its officers, and members participate in various agricultural and leadership development activities, competitions, and state and national conferences.

Sterling High School FFA member Grace Wetzell said her chapter is also involved in several volunteering and community events, including Farmapalooza.

“A lot of FFA is about leadership and career development,” Wetzell said. “We do a lot of career development events that give us insight into a lot of different ag industries. In October, we go to the national convention with FFA members from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. We just hit one million national members.”

CDEs are events and competitions that allow students to demonstrate their skills and knowledge in specific areas of agriculture, including public speaking, plant science, livestock judging, agricultural mechanics and more.

FFA members can also engage in hands-on projects outside the classroom, known as supervised agricultural experiences, which can range from running a small landscaping business or working for an agricultural employer to community service or research work.

CMS Agriculture Education teacher Julie LeFevre wants people to know that “agriculture is for everyone, not just for farm kids.” She said the state of Illinois pays FFA membership dues for every student enrolled in an agriculture education class.

“Mrs. LeFevre makes agriculture fun for kids that might not know a lot about it and have never seen or been to a farm before,” CMS Ag Club student Ella Springman said. “She makes them feel like they’ve experienced it when they haven’t. She takes the topics we learn about and does hands-on activities that give us a better understanding.”

LeFevre said CMS’s Ag Club is a way for students to learn more about agriculture and the FFA before deciding if they want to join their middle school chapter. She invited the SHS FFA chapter to speak with the students and provide them a closer look at what they can expect should they continue at the high school level.

“We’re here today to teach them about the different opportunities in ag that they’ll have in high school,” Wetzell said. “We teach them about the different classes that they can take and how those can turn into a career. We have ag mechanics, horticulture, woodworking, and animal science, and then our biggest one for freshmen is Intro to AG. There’s also veterinary trade school, ag education and even crop insurance agents.”

For more information on how Sterling middle school students can get involved with FFA, contact LeFevre at 815-626-3300, ext. 2115, or visit ilaged.org.