TOP Priority:
SAE Committee - Host SAE Proficiency Report Training
American & State FFA Degree Questions? Proficiency & Discovery Star Information??
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Click here for the most recent listserv sent addressing those questions
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For google sheet/Excel document of the State FFA Degree checklist - click here.
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Be on the lookout -THIS FRIDAY, we will send a Degrees & Proficiencies HELPFUL HINTS listserv - the FFA Center, FFA Board and the SAE Committee want to hear more of your questions as we continue to work on the HELPFUL HINTS listserv for next week. In the meantime - call or email questions to Mindy Bunselmeyer anytime. THANKS!
REMEMBER those Meet & Greets? See what your fellow teachers have to say about how great they are:
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“ Good Afternoon!! I just wanted to say the Chapter Visit workshop videos are AMAZING! My students have really enjoyed them and are now super excited for our meet and greet. I know that all the obstacles this year are a challenge for all. I am impressed with how our state officer team has not only taken on the challenge but exceeded my expectation in content and enthusiasm! Have a great Day!” Katrina Van Dyke, North Clay High School Agriculture Teacher & FFA Advisor
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Click here to sign up for a time to have your FFA Chapter do a “Meet & Greet” with a major.
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The ilaged Youtube Channel has the 2020-2021 Pre-recorded Chapter Visits Presentations. Please Click here to view the 2020-2021 Chapter Visits Reflection Questions. Click here for the pdf fillable 2020 -2021 Goal Card.
Items in this listserv:
****NEW Information****
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ISA AND ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION FFA ANNOUNCE 2021 ARBOR DAY COLLABORATION
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GROWMARK Announces 2021 Illinois Essay Contest Winner
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ELEVATE Illinois
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Who will feed us?
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National FFA Update
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ISA AND ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION FFA ANNOUNCE 2021 ARBOR DAY COLLABORATION
BLOOMINGTON, ILL – January 12, 2021 – Illinois Soybean Association (ISA), in partnership with Illinois Association FFA, will host an essay contest in early 2021, encouraging Illinois FFA chapters to address the topic “Promoting a Culture of Sustainability & Conservation in our Communities.” Three chapters will be identified as winners, and ISA will dispatch a local tree to be planted by a tree service in the winners’ communities at locations of their choosing. Tree planting ceremonies will take place Friday, April 30, 2021, on Arbor Day.
“We’re excited about this new collaboration, and the opportunity to grow awareness around sustainability and conservation,” says ISA CEO, John Lumpe. “Arbor Day is meant to celebrate hope for the future. Our soybean farmers are committed to sustainable practices, cleaner resources, and a healthier future, and this event seemed like a natural pairing between two organizations focused on improving the communities where we live and farm.”
Adds Mindy Bunselymeyer, Illinois Association FFA Executive Director,“You can't put a price on giving back to your community, especially when it also helps the environment for countless years to come. This type of effort is one that not only leaves a lasting impact on but also creates a fundamental tradition of investing time, talents and resources into bettering the world around us."
FFA chapters interested in entering the essay contest can find the application at https://www.ilsoy.org/arborday2021. Applications and essays must be submitted by February 26 for consideration. Winners will be notified by March 15.
The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) checkoff and membership programs represent more than 43,000 soybean farmers in Illinois. The checkoff funds market development and utilization efforts while the membership program supports the government relations interests of Illinois soybean farmers at the local, state, and national level, through the Illinois Soybean Growers (ISG). ISA upholds the interests of Illinois soybean producers through promotion, advocacy, and education with the vision of becoming a market leader in sustainable soybean production and profitability. For more information, visit the website www.ilsoy.org.
2. GROWMARK Announces 2021 Illinois Essay Contest Winner
Maggie Handfelt of East Dubuque, Illinois, has been named the Illinois state winner of the 2021 GROWMARK essay contest for FFA members. The theme of this year’s contest was “If you could invent a new technology to improve agriculture, what would it be?” Students were encouraged to think creatively, not necessarily realistically, as they described their ideal invention.
In her contest entry, Handfelt said: “The preservation of our natural resources is essential to the sustainability of life to come. The primary concern is conserving forests and prairies that are being turned into agricultural developments. Improper disposal of compostable waste can also create a higher rise in CO2 and methane emissions. All of these problems can be addressed through the use of vertical growing towers with collection basins and other innovations.”
Handfelt is a student at Galena High School and a member of the Galena FFA chapter. Her FFA advisor is Sarah Lee.
As the contest winner, Handfelt will receive a $500 award from GROWMARK. The Galena FFA chapter will also receive a $300 award in honor of her accomplishment.
Four state runners-up will each receive a $125 award. The runners-up and their FFA chapters are, in alphabetical order: Megan Baker, Neoga FFA Chapter, Trilla, Illinois; Drew Mickey, Taylorville FFA Chapter, Taylorville, Illinois; Caleb Trieb, Marissa FFA Chapter, Marissa, Illinois; and Dylan Zwilling, Fisher FFA Chapter, Fisher, Illinois.
This is the 28th year for the program, sponsored by the GROWMARK System and FS member cooperatives, in conjunction with state FFA leaders, to help young people develop their writing skills, learn about current issues in agriculture, and understand the unique role of cooperatives.
GROWMARK is an agricultural cooperative providing agronomy, energy, facility planning, and logistics products and services, as well as grain marketing and risk management services throughout North America. Headquartered in Bloomington, Illinois, GROWMARK owns the FS trademark, which is used by affiliated member cooperatives. More information is available at www.growmark.com.
3. ELEVATE Illinois
NONPROFIT ELEVATE ILLINOIS LAUNCHES TO HIGHLIGHT POSITIVE SIDE OF ILLINOIS—FROM BUSINESS, COMMUNITY AND INDIVIDUAL EFFORTS
GENESEO, IL – New non-profit Elevate Illinois (Elevate) launches on social media and blog platforms today. Focused on sharing stories about people, places, communities, nonprofits and events from across the state, Elevate’s mission is to educate and unite Illinoisans around the many positive things which make this state great. “It’s time we take back our narrative in Illinois,” said Elevate Illinois CEO and President, Janet Mathis. “For too long, we have let negative news weigh us down and define us. Now is the time to remind ourselves and others of all that is good in Illinois and celebrate what unites, and not what divides, us.” Elevate Illinois’ website (www.elevateillinois.org) allows for grassroots sharing of stories, photos and videos which, upon review, will be shared on the Elevate Illinois blog and through the organization’s social media streams on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter with plans to expand to other platforms. Staff, volunteers, and, eventually, interns, will also build Elevate’s library of stories to share. Additionally, the public is encouraged to use #elevateillinois on their own positive news posts about Illinois. Elevate Illinois recognizes that Illinois is at our best when the whole state is strengthened. Illinois citizens have much more in common than what divides us. With that in mind, Elevate Illinois strives to put a renewed focus on downstate efforts and resources to create a positive synergy - similar to what Cook and the collar counties have nurtured successfully for many years. Elevate will also seek out opportunities to reenforce relationships between downstate and the more urban areas of Illinois. Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton encourages the idea of uplifting the positive stories that are happening in communities across the state of Illinois. “As Lt. Governor, I have traveled the state and have seen first-hand all of the good that is happening in Illinois. I have personally witnessed the innovation, creativity, determination and strength of Illinoisans especially during a global pandemic.” Stratton said. “Amplifying what is good about Illinois uplifts us all. I’m looking forward to seeing the collection of information and shared stories that will be amplified by Elevate Illinois.” From Illinois State Representative Tim Butler, “I have personally known the leadership of Elevate Illinois for decades. Both Janet and Craig Coil, Elevate’s Executive Vice President/Chief Operations Officer, are longtime Illinoisans who are committed to this state as evidenced by their exemplary careers in both the public and private sectors. I am thrilled they took the initiative to focus on creation of a stronger Illinois for us and future generations.” Emily Burke, the Senior Vice President, Project Development & Chief Community Engagement Officer for Walker’s Bluff, recognizes that, Illinois is a diverse state and applauds Elevate Illinois’ initiative to embrace this diversity as well as the unifying common goals which make the state great. “We, in Illinois, have much more that unites us than divides us,” said Burke. “Recognizing that, as well as what makes each part of Illinois unique, is what Elevate Illinois is all about. I am happy to be part of an effort that celebrates what makes each part of the state special as well as what brings us together.” The Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln (CFLL) has been involved with the formation of Elevate Illinois almost since its inception. John Stremsterfer, CFLL President/CEO said, “Community foundations have long been cornerstones in supporting cities, towns and counties all over Illinois. Elevate Illinois will give all of us, whether we are nonprofits, businesses, units of government or individuals, a broader voice and will help us to collectively change how Illinois is viewed, both within the state and in other parts of the country and world.” Elevate Illinois is a 501(c)(3) with a diverse board of directors from various industries, experiences and locations in Illinois. The organization works with individuals, entities and corporations from across the state to educate and remind people about Illinois’ positive attributes while uniting around shared issues that showcase and benefit communities throughout Illinois.
4. Who will feed us?
Farmers for America, which aired nationwide this past Fall on PBS stations in celebration of Thanksgiving, addresses this question head-on as it traces the remarkable shifts coming to American agriculture as more and more consumers flock to farmers’ markets, embrace farm-to-table lifestyles and insist on knowing where their food comes from. At the center of the film are the farmers, young and old, who provide the spirit and energy to bring urban and rural America together over what both share in common: our food.
The film reflects a pivotal moment in the country’s agriculture. The average age of an American farmer is 60, and fully 50 percent of the country’s farmland will change hands in the next 15 years. This transfer of land contains the potential to bring together conventional older farmers with their vast experience with youthful idealistic farmers championing the local food movement. Both need each other. Hollowed-out rural communities are desperate for young people to fill their schools and jump-start their economies. Young and aspiring farmers are desperate for people with experience to provide guidance and access to ownership. The promise of America’s next agriculture, the film suggests, is to find a way to bring these two worlds together, so that they might just create an economically viable, soil-healing, regionally focused American agriculture.
Narrated by iconic TV and podcast personality Mike Rowe, the film airs stories from farmers across the country: People like Chuck Wirtz who grows thousands of acres of commodity corn and soybeans in northwest Iowa; to Lindsay Lusher-Shute, a Hudson River co-founder of the National Young Farmers Coalition, whose organization is developing new incentives for landowners to sell to young farmers; to Eliot Coleman, an four-season vegetable farmer in Maine, whose farming innovations have inspired millions; to Kentucky’s Mike Lewis, a military veteran growing hemp to create locally-sourced American flags.
Here's the info to access the documentary and curriculum guide:
https://www.leaveitbetter.com/free-educational-screener
pw- leavingitbetter2020
5. National FFA Update
**** PREVIOUS Information Shared****
**** WORTH Sharing Again****
Career Development Events:
Ag Issues Clarification
Ag Sales Product - Now Available
2020 Illinois FFA CDE Schedule (2021 CDE Schedule TBA)
IAVAT:
Bob Evans Offer for Advisors and FFA members
IAVAT Mentorship Program
NAAE Special Request
IAVAT Dues/Donations
IAVAT Fall 2020 Professional Development Series
IAVAT Committees
SAE Committee State Proficiency Survey - PLEASE Take a Moment to Complete
Membership Memos
IACCAI:
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Officers - Jeff Landers, JJC - President, Brian Clement, College of Dupage - Vice President, Doug Robb, WVCC - Treasurer, Jess Smithers, Richland - Secretary, Pete Fandel, ICC - Past President
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2020 Conference = Click here for listserv from FFA Center to collect feedback
PAS:
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Officers - President - Gwen Heimerdinger, 1st Vice-President - Ryan Reeverts, 2nd Vice-President - Rob Janssen, 3rd Vice-President - Mazi Walker
Illinois FFA:
Selection Committee - Students NEEDED!
Illinois Students Earn SAE Grants
Officer Candidate and Parent Orientation
Illinois FFA Board Updates from 12/10/2020 Meeting
Illinois FFA Officer SAE Video - Click here
FFA Board Updates/Reminders - 12/1/2020 Listserv
Illinois FFA Board Updates - NEW Information - MUST Read** - 11/3/2020 Listserv
Leadership Training School Speeches - Click here for a document that has reflective questions that you can use with each of the Leadership Training School (LTS) speeches.
Illinois FFA Proficiency Award Report for Spring 2021
Opening Ceremonies
Illinois FFA Chapter Files
Section CDE Registration Reminder
2020 National FFA Results for Agriscience, National Chapter Award and Proficiency Results
Illinois FFA State Officer Team Updates
Tallo-AET SAE Grant Winners
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Click here to view the listserv message about Olivia Charles, West Carroll FFA
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Click here to view the listserv message about Dennis Wollin, South Central FFA
State Theme t-shirt, Convention t-shirts & Buttons
FFA Board Updates - August 2020
Notes of Thanks to Virtual Convention Sponsors & Friends
Donate to Virtual State FFA Convention
Illinois FFA Alumni and Supporters:
Illinois FFA Alumni Ranger Raffle
Alumni Update - August 2020
Illinois FFA Alumni Annual Meeting & Auction Update
Illinois FFA Center:
Illinois FFA Center Student Worker
Congratulate & Celebrate our Staff - Lori Nelson, Proudly Serving Illinois FFA Center since November 16, 2001
How to Pay Account Balances with a Credit Card - For Teachers
November 26 - 27, 2020 - Illinois FFA Center CLOSED - Thanksgiving
December 24, 2020 - January 4, 2021 - Illinois FFA Center CLOSED - Winter Break
Celebrate our Staff - Patti Davis, Proudly Serving Illinois FFA Center since August 23, 2010
Celebrate our Staff - John Edgar, Proudly Serving Illinois FFA Center since July 6, 2015
Celebrate our Staff - Tammy Yard, Proudly Serving Illinois FFA Center since April 30, 2007
Illinois Foundation FFA:
Prairie Farms Helps Support the Illinois Foundation FFA through the Our Caps, Your Cause Program
Illinois Foundation FFA October Update
2019 - 2020 Illinois Foundation FFA Annual Report
Industry Friends of agricultural education posts:
Compeer Financial Scholarship OPEN - DUE March 15, 2021
New Apprenticeship Program Seeks to Fill Employment Gap
GROWMARK Foundation Awards FFA Jackets
HELP is NEEDED with COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma
NCGA Accepting Applications for 2020 Scholarships
National FFA:
National FFA Convention Awards
National FFA Scholarship Application OPEN
SAE Grants Application Opens
National FFA Update
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Include lots of great information about the National FFA Convention, be sure to check out the National FFA Update.
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National FFA Convention Schedule
The Horizon Conference
***DATES & DEADLINES - Remember***
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January 23, 2021 - State FFA Officer Parent/Candidate Orientation Virtual Mtg
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January 22 - 23, 2021 - Alumni & Supporters Annual Mtg - POSTPONED
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February 9 - 11, 2021 - Ground Zero - Virtual FFA Conference for 8th - 10th Grade Members
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February 16 - 18, 2021 - Ground Zero - Virtual FFA Conference for 8th - 10th Grade Members
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February 20 - 27, 2021 - National FFA Week
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February 23 - 25, 2021 - Overflow Ground Zero Week
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February 19 - 28, 2021 - Illinois FFA Alumni Annual Auction - ONLINE
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February 25, 2021 - Give FFA Day
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March 1, 2021 - American FFA Degree applications DUE
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March 1, 2021 - State FFA Officer Application and Resume DUE
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March 8, 2021 - State FFA Degree Review Day at the FFA Center
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March 9, 2021 - American FFA Degree Review Day at the FFA Center
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March 15, 2021 - Selection Committee Application DUE - STUDENTS NEEDED!
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March 20, 2021 - Selection Committee Process Round 1
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April 17, 2021 - Selection Committee Process Round 2
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Mindy Bunselmeyer
Illinois FFA Center
Phone: 217-753-3328 Cell: 217-412-5646
Email: mbunselmeyer@illinoisffa.org
Address: 3221 Northfield, Springfield, IL 62702