State officers attend events to celebrate FFA

For many communities, it’s considered Homecoming Week. For ag students, it’s an excuse to drive a tractor to school.

For the nation, however, it’s another reason to celebrate FFA: National FFA Week. The 2025 National FFA Week began Feb. 15 and closes Feb. 22.

The Illinois FFA state officers will travel to celebrate top agriculture teachers from each of the five districts, visit middle school students, attend FFA benefit auctions, compete in Ag Olympics and interact with high school students among the packed schedule.

Illinois FFA will also highlight each day of FFA week with social media posts, such as Teacher Tuesday, Thankful Thursday and SAE Sunday, spotlighting the Supervised Agricultural Experience program.

Aside from the National FFA Week festivities, the state officers checked off countless to-do-list items, including meetings with the Youth Education in Agriculture Committee, Illinois Association of Agricultural Fairs, Illinois Coordinating Council for Career and Technical Student Organizations and Illinois FFA Alumni Association.

The state officers also assisted with the Illinois County Fair Queen Pageant, State Horse Career Development Event and Spring PAS Conference.

More than 1,500 freshmen and sophomore FFA members experienced growth in leadership through the 2025 Ground Zero Conference lineup that encompassed two weeks, five locations and six conferences.

These conferences are made possible by volunteer group leaders, section presidents, state officers and past state officers.

As a part of “Mission: Connect,” these conferences aim to build up the leadership skills of young FFA members, expose participants to FFA opportunities and allow members to connect with other students from around the state.

As a sequel to the fall business and industry visit series, the state officers completed five agriculture business visits around the state.

These visits include local-to-Springfield destinations, such as Seed Life and Brandt. The state officers also traveled further to Eastern St. Louis to Bayer, Prairie Farms and Cargill.

These visits were also accompanied by the occasional American Degree interview, which three of the state officers are attempting to achieve this year.

Ongoing state convention preparation was squeezed in between every conference, meeting and road trip. The team has made significant progress on filming, graphics, scripts, appreciation items and promotional materials, among other tasks.

While the state officers practiced delivering their banquet speeches to a room of students from local FFA chapters, a sense of reality settled in.

National FFA Week reminds advisers, students and FFA supporters that the chaos of spring has arrived. Contests, banquets and, of course, FFA Week festivities now fully embrace agriculture programs everywhere.

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.

Sidney Stiers from the Williamsfield FFA Chapter is the 2024-2025 Illinois Association FFA state reporter.