FFA Center Updates

Items in this listserv:

HOT TOPICS - MUST KNOW:  

HOT, HOT, HOT - How HOT you ask???  SUNBURN HOT - So HOT you gotta get the aloe from the fridge HOT.  

****NEW Information****

  1. Illinois FFA Roster Deadline OCTOBER 1, 2025

  2. Honey Show Survey:

  3. Illinois Agri-Women Generations Project

  4. Water’s Worth It! - Middle School Essay Contest

  5. Announcing the 2025-26 FFA in the USA Reporters

    1.  Illinois FFA Roster Deadline OCTOBER 1, 2025

Your FFA roster is to be submitted by October 1, 2025, to be eligible for having an active FFA chapter on the IFG.  Please click here to view the list of chapters that have been submitted as of Friday, September 26, 2025 at 10:00 a.m.  

Here is the link to the Teacher and Student Directions for AET and submitting the roster

FFA roster tips will take you to a few common errors in the student profiles that have prevented them from obtaining 100% complete, as well as an error message you may receive from National FFA when submitting the roster. 

NOTE: Once you have clicked the “Send ALL to FFA.org” from the FFA Roster Helper screen in AET, you do NOT need to wait 15-30 minutes and then go to FFA.org.  

Please submit the members that are at 100% by October 1, 2025.  This way the deadline for the IFG credit can be met.  You can continue to work with the students who are not at 100% and submit them once their profile is complete.  Please contact Tammy Yard if you need assistance at tyard@illinoisffa.org.  Please be patient if you do reach out to Tammy, as it is a new learning process for her, as well. 

  1.  Honey Show Survey:

In partnership with Honey Show USA and the American Honey Show Training Council, the Illinois FFA is exploring offering a Honey and Honey Related Projects Show at the 98th Illinois FFA State Convention. This event would allow students with Beekeeping SAEs, Food Service SAEs, Arts, Communication, and Design SOEs, and several other SAE projects to highlight their work for and promote awareness on the Beekeeping and Honey Processing Industry. Listed below are some potential categories that could be offered at this event. If any of your students are interested in competing, please fill out this interest survey:

2026 Honey Show Survey 

Additional Information:

  • Contestants will not need to stay with their projects throughout the day of judging. Projects will be dropped off in a designated area and time during State Convention, and results will be posted once judging is complete. 

  • Based on AHSTC guidelines (linked in survey), students are only allowed to compete in one category per contest. Once interest in this event has been collected, this policy may change based on the number of potential entries. 

  • AHSTC does have listed awards. Recognition of winners, as well as potential awards, will be determined after the survey results have been collected. 

  • Additional rules, category descriptions, and other information can be found in the links listed in the Interest Survey linked above. 

  1.  Illinois Agri-Women Generations Project

Illinois Agri-Women have partnered with GoAg3 and are looking to identify and honor “Generations of Women in Agriculture Across America” and they need your assistance.  Please see their press release for additional information.  

  1.  Water’s Worth It! - Middle School Essay Contest

Click here for more information about the Central States Water Environment Association (CSWEA) essay contest. Submissions are due January 30, 2026.

  1.  Announcing the 2025-26 FFA in the USA Reporters

Congratulations to the nearly 250 FFA members named FFA in the USA Reporters for the 2025-26 school year. You can begin reading their stories next month on the FFA in the USA webpage on FFA.org. Be sure to check back often, as new stories will be added regularly. 

Special Congratulations to our Illinois FFA members who are FFA in the USA Reporters: 

  1. Shiloh Beadles - Country Roads

  2. Wade Beck - Edinburg

  3. Cash Bryan - Mahomet Seymour

  4. Savannah Cycholl - Olney

  5. McKayla Fisher - Southwestern

  6. Shelby Hagen - Central Breese

  7. Emma Lenkaitis - Forreston

  8. Grace Morris - Arthur Christian

  9. Addilyn Obermark - Greenville

  10. Leah Pruitt - St Joseph Ogden

  11. Olivia Quertermous - Vienna

  12. Owen Rigg - Williamsfield

  13. Kennedy Smith - Chicago High School Of Ag Science

  14. Lyra Townsend - Normal

  15. Mila Zink - North Clay

  16. Natalie Zwilling - Olney

*** PREVIOUS Information Shared - WORTH Sharing Again****

  • PREVIOUS LISTSERVS - CLICK HERE to view - 2025 - 2026 School Year

  • PREVIOUS LISTSERVS - CLICK HERE to view - 2024 - 2025 School Year

  • CLICK HERE to view - the 2023 - 2024 School Year Previous Listservs

New Information for 2025-26 (Added 9/9/25):

*Please NOTE that clicking on Dates & Deadlines will take you to the www.ilaged.org calendar.  

  • September 29 - October 3, 2025 - Chapter Visits - Sections 10, 12, 14, 16, 17

  • October 1, 2025 - FFA ROSTERS DUE

  • October 1, 2025 - 2024-25 FFA Chapter Strategic Plan DUE

  • October 1, 2025 - IL FFA Alumni and Supporters Letter of Intent DUE

  • October 1, 2025 - Early Bird Registration ENDS for State Land Use CDE 

  • October 1, 2025 - Special Accommodation Form DUE for State Land Use CDE

  • October 6, 2025 - Illinois Foundation FFA Board Meeting, Illinois FFA Center, Springfield, IL

  • October 6, 2025 - Illinois FFA State Officer Team Virtual Meeting at 3:30 p.m.

  • October 6, 2025 - Illinois FFA State Delegate Training for National FFA Convention at 6:30 p.m.

  • October 6 - 10, 2025 - Chapter Visits - Sections 2, 6, 9, 11, 25

  • October 7, 2025 - National Convention Prep Day, IAA Building, Normal, IL

  • October 8, 2025 - IAVAT Board Meeting, Illinois FFA Center, Springfield, IL

  • October 10, 2025 - State Job Interview LDE Results DUE

  • October 13, 2025 - Illinois FFA Center CLOSED

  • October 14, 2025 - IL FFA Board Meeting, IL FFA Center, Springfield, IL

  • October 15, 2025 - State Land Use CDE, Black Hawk East Campus, 26230 Black Hawk Rd, Galva, IL

  • October 16 - 17, 2025 - IACCAI Conference, Parkland College, Champaign, IL

  • October 21, 2025 - 100th Committee Virtual Meeting at 3:30 p.m. 

  • October 23, 2025 - PAS Fall Conference Registration ENDS

  • October 24, 2025 - State Food Science CDE Mandatory Registration ENDS

  • October 24, 2025 - Special Accommodation Form DUE for State Food Science CDE

  • October 24, 2025 - State Job Interview LDE Materials DUE

  • October 25, 2025 - State Ag Sales Results DUE

  • October 25, 2025 - State Ag Ed Lesson Plans DUE

  • October 27, 2025 - LLCC Fall Middle School Registration & Food Allergy Form ENDS

  • October 29 - November 1, 2025 - National FFA Convention, Indianapolis, IN

  • October 31, 2025 - IAVAT & NAAE Dues DUE

  • October 31, 2025 - Richland College Fall Middle School Registration & Food Allergy Form ENDS

  • November 1, 2025 - Administrators' Approval of FFA Rosters DUE

  • November 3, 2025 - Belonging & Engagement Virtual Meeting at 3:30 p.m.

  • November 3, 2025 - IL FFA Alumni WLC & Ground Zero Conferences Scholarship Applications & Letter of Recommendations from Teachers DUE

  • November 5, 2025 - 100th Committee Virtual Meeting at 3:30 p.m. 

  • November 6, 2025 - Virtual IAVAT Board Meeting, 3:30-5:00

  • November 7, 2025 - State Food Science CDE, Joliet Junior College, 1215 Houbolt Rd, Joliet, IL 

  • November 8, 2025 - IL FFA Alumni and Supporters Council Meeting, IL FFA Center, Springfield

  • November 8, 2025 - State Ag Education, Ag Sales, and Job Interview LDEs, Illinois State University, Normal, IL

  • November 11, 2025 - IL FFA Center CLOSED for Holiday

  • November 10, 2025 - BUILD Conference Registration & Food Allergies Form ENDS

  • November 10, 2025 - Fall Middle School Conference, LLCC, Trutter Center, 5250 Shepherd Rd, Springfield, IL

  • November 13, 2025 - Fall PAS Conference, Illinois State University, 100 N University St, Normal, IL

  • November 14, 2025- Fall Middle School Conference, Richland Community College, 1 College Park, Decatur, IL

  • November 17 - 21 , 2025 - Chapter Visits - Sections 1, 3, 7, 8, 19

  • November 22, 2025 - Mandatory Registration for State Dairy Foods CDE ENDS

  • November 22, 2025 - Early Bird Registration ENDS for State Agronomy CDE

  • November 22, 2025 - Special Accommodation Form for State Dairy Foods & State Agronomy CDEs DUE

  • November 24 - 25, 2025 - BUILD Conference, Illinois State University, Bone Student Center, 200 N University St, Normal, IL

  • November 26, 2025 - IL FFA Center Closes at 12:30 p.m.

  • November 27 - 28, 2025- IL FFA Center Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

  • December 8, 2025 - Agricultural Skills Showcase Written Reports DUE

  • December 12, 2025 - 100th Committee Virtual Meeting at 3:30 p.m. 

  • December 23, 2025 - Illinois FFA Center Closes at 12:30 p.m. for Christmas/New Year’s Holiday

  • December 24-1, 2026 - IL FFA Center Closed for the Holidays

-- Mindy Bunselmeyer

Illinois FFA Center

Phone: 217-753-3328

Cell: 217-412-5646

Email: mbunselmeyer@illinoisffa.org

Address: 3221 Northfield, Springfield, IL 62702