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by: Stu Ellis
Posted: Mar 29, 2022 / 11:14 AM CDT
Updated: Mar 29, 2022 / 03:23 PM CDT
by: Stu Ellis
Posted: Mar 29, 2022 / 11:14 AM CDT
Updated: Mar 29, 2022 / 03:23 PM CDT
CENTRAL ILLINOIS (WCIA) — When you meet young leaders in FFA, you realize they are building a future for success.
First, there is Stephanie Porter of Taylorville, who was a leader in her Nokomis FFA chapter and has become the soybean product manager for Syngenta.
“I think that it just comes down to my roots and how I was raised on a farm,” Porter said. “And I was lucky enough to find out at a younger age what I really really love to do, and that was agriculture.”
Her FFA advisor Randy Meyer helped focus that.
“We can show them many of the things they can do, go to take them to conventions, conferences and leadership camp and go to things that just open up their eyes,” Myer said. “They have an opportunity to do so many things that they would just take advantage of the opportunities that they are given.”
Consider what Jerry Thomas of Charleston and FFA have done for his sons.
“I got them each an antique tractor to pull and so it was a family event,” Jerry said.
That led son Justin to the top proficiency award given out by the National FFA for tractor restoration.
“What I enjoy most about it is taking something that is an old rusty heap and turning it into something that is new and fresh again,” Justin said. “Once you get done and that thing fires up for the very first time, that is pretty rewarding.”
But their most special tractor was rebuilt to raise money for FFA.
“We redid the motor, fixed a bunch of seals and gave it a custom paint job and decals,” Jerry said. “Its been a very popular tractor.”
McLean County farmer John Scheets welcomes his kids’ interest in farming and FFA.
“Because I love going to the farm and helping my Dad and my Grandpa and I love showing pigs,” Hollis Scheets said.
“Probably the main part for me is the 4H and the FFA part is what it does for the family,” John Scheets said. “The family community has just been outstanding and you meet some amazing, amazing people that I know in my life are some of my best friends and I would assume at some point will continue to be some of their best friends many years from now.”
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Harvest Heritage: Future Farmers – wcia.com
