FFA alumnus, senator shares stories

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — As more than 1,000 FFA members and their teachers visited the Statehouse April 9, a longtime advocate for those wearing the blue jackets reminisced about how the organization impacted his life.

“It was phenomenal. Those relationships, the people that were in your FFA chapter, they’re friends for life. They’re people you grew up with, because it was a farm community,” state Sen. Patrick Joyce, D-Essex, said of his high school FFA experience at Reddick.

“I loved the experience of going to state conventions, the amount of exposure it gives to people that are outside their comfort zone and the things that it teaches you. I think the program’s even gotten more so.

“The kids that came by today were well-speaking. It’s important that you give that next generation the tools they need to be able to talk.”

During a visit with state officers on Illinois Agriculture Legislative Day, Joyce asked how many of them know the legislators in their districts.

“Every one of them raised their hands. That’s not going to happen with kids other than those in some organizations that are good at that. It’s pretty cool to watch,” said Joyce, a 2022 recipient of an Honorary State FFA Degree.

“There’s a lot going on in the capitol today, but everybody notices when the FFA kids come. They’re always polished. It says a lot about what the organization does for young future farmers. The name is apropos.

“It is always exciting for us. They bring us a wonderful basket. It’s good for the ag industry when you see young leaders like that. There’s not a lot of industries that have the quantity of young, sharp future generation and they represent well.”

Home Farm

Joyce, a fourth-generation farmer, grows corn and soybeans near Essex and also operates a composting facility on the farm.

“We had sheep, up to 400 at one point, when I was younger, and it’s amazing that after I turned 18 and moved out of the house, the sheep went away. The free labor left,” Joyce chuckled.

Legislation

Besides the baskets filled with Illinois-sourced products at lunches provided to legislators and their staff, Agriculture Legislative Day also includes representatives from nearly 50 farm organization meeting with lawmakers.

Among the issues discussed with Joyce were a proposed change in the estate tax and a nuisance deer bill chief-sponsored by Joyce.

The bipartisan Family Farm Preservation Act introduced in both chambers raises the $4 million estate tax threshold to a $6 million exemption.

Under the plan, only dollars over $6 million will be taxed as opposed to the current law where the entire estate is taxed if the $4 million threshold is breached.

The average size farm in Illinois is 350 acres.

“We’re trying to protect those average-size farms. Right now the equipment and the land for a 350-acre farm is in excess of our what our estate taxes are. It’s not fair that the person farming 350 acres is probably only making $60,000 a year. They’re not rich. They’re rich in farmland. We’re trying to get legislation. We’ve tried the last couple of years. I think we’ve got to a good conversation going right now on moving that,” Joyce said.

Another bill on the table in the Senate introduced by Joyce aims at giving landowners more tools to control deer populations on their own properties and create a Hunter Food Bank Fund which would support grants awarded to food banks to pay processors for donated deer.

“The deer populations, especially in some parts of southern Illinois, have come unglued. I’ve been talking to Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois Farm Bureau. I think we’ve got some legislation that’s going to be coming out in the next week or two on nuisance deer and giving farmers a tool to be able to regulate deer populations. It’s something that’s a lot of farmers are asking for right now,” he noted.

Ag Advocate

With fewer farmers in the state legislature, Joyce was asked about the challenges that creates in dealing with agriculture issues and urban representatives.

“When you look at population centers, they’re urban. Legislative districts are drawn by how many constituents there are in the district. So, you have a disproportionate number of urban legislators versus rural. That becomes a challenge, but we’ve got a great Department of Agriculture director, Jerry Costello, who beats a drum constantly,” he said.

“We still are the No. 1 industry in the state of Illinois, and with the amount of revenue and the amount of trade that we produce in the ag industry, you have to have a voice in it. It can be difficult. It can be very difficult.

“I do appreciate the leadership on the Senate side and the House, too. They do listen to their farmer members, and it’s really important that we have some representation in both chambers.”