By Ben Cox
Photos/Submitted to The Source
Jacksonville High School FFA members got one-on-one with their local lawmakers last month on Wednesday, April 9 for Ag Day at the Capitol in Springfield. The JHS chapter was one of many who met with lawmakers about the importance of agriculture education.
JHS FFA Advisor Mark Dyer says it was Jacksonville’s first year participating in the annual meeting day in Springfield, “It’s a way for the students to be ag ambassadors for schools in front of state lawmakers. A lot of elected officials in the upper quadrant of the state may not quite understand what all these kids do and how important for agriculture education is to be in schools.”
Students met with elected officials from the 99th and 100th representative district and 50th senate district and their representatives and senators — Kyle Moore, C.D. Davidsmeyer and Jil Tracy, respectively. “We met with Senator Tracy first at 9:30 that morning,” Dyer says, “It was a great meeting with her. Then, we kind of bounced around the Capitol, so I called C.D. Davidsmeyer to see where he was at and they were in session. The kids thought it was pretty cool that I had his phone number. He and Representative Kyle Moore actually came out and spoke with us while the House of Representatives were in session.”
Dyer says that each FFA chapter was given three names and then they are given commodity baskets to take to a state senator or representative and then have a short conversation with them. “The officials then get to engage with the kids and ask questions about ag and its role in their life, whether its their career path,” Dyer said, “It was a good all-around day so the students can see the process of what’s going on in government and the process of being a voice for what they like.”
Dyer says that he likes the push from state leaders for agriculture in the classroom and advocating for changes to aid ag in the classroom. “According to a bill signed by Governor Pritzker a year or so ago, anything FFA or 4-H related is now an excused absence from school. It’s not like students will be marked absent for participating in these ag-related activities. It’s a pretty good deal,” Dyer says.
He says a prime example of that state law at work is for students who show livestock and other items at the Illinois State Fair. The fair schedule runs late this year, which he says will interfere with the start of school in the fall. “We go back to school in District 117 the second week of August … August 13th I believe. There will be kids actually showing at the [Illinois] State Fair that will miss school but it will be an excused absence thanks to that bill,” Dyer says.
Dyer says Jacksonville’s FFA program continues to grow in both participation and notoriety. Current president Alex Lansaw and treasurer Cece Trace both earned state degrees this year, something that Dyer says is both prestigious and difficult to earn: “Alex ended up making it to the state awards day for his record book and he got runner up in his category. That’s outstanding. He was a little disappointed he didn’t win but he did an excellent job and he’s a great ambassador for ag.”
The FFA students will also be out and about in the community. Students have a requirement to fulfill a certain number of community services hours before they can attend the national convention each year. Dyer says he requires 10 community service hours throughout the school year in order to be eligible to attend the convention. Past community service by the group includes ringing bells for the Jacksonville Salvation Army during the holidays, collecting money and helping with set up of the Jacksonville Festival of Lights at the Morgan County Fairgrounds, volunteering with Midwest Youth Services’ Doll-I-Day, and helping with the Jacksonville Main Street Pumpkin Festival as well as a clothing drive for the Crisis Center Foundation’s women’s shelter. Dyer says the students enjoy giving back to the community in multiple capacities.
The FFA chapter recently completed their annual flower sale in the greenhouse. Remaining flowers and vegetable plants were donated to Dr. Michael Woods for the AGROWhood initiative. The next big event for the Jacksonville High School FFA is their annual end of the year banquet on May 19 at 6:30 p.m. in the JHS cafeteria; during the banquet, alumni and outgoing senior members will be recognized.
