Items in this listserv:
ALWAYS HERE: includes information that remains relevant from week to week. New updates are added as needed.
Illinois FFA Board Reports
Illinois FFA 100th Memorabilia - Click here to complete the form
100 Faces of Illinois FFA - 100 Faces of Illinois FFA – stories of former members whose FFA experiences influenced their lives, careers, and communities. Nominate someone today!
HOT, HOT, HOT - 2026 - 2027 FFA Chapter Strategic Plan - DUE October 1, 2026 - Please click here for Chapter Strategic Plan instructions.
HOT, HOT, HOT - Congratulations to those earning the American FFA Degree, teachers, and for all of the information they need to know - click here.
HOT, HOT, HOT - 2026 National Convention Results
****NEW Information****
Celebrate your state through the #SpeakAg Showcase!
Harvest for All Program - 2026-2027
Mike Builta Memorial Jacket Program
Greetings from Fair Oaks Farms, located in Fair Oaks, Indiana!
Celebrate your state through the #SpeakAg Showcase!
Tell your state’s story through the #SpeakAg Showcase program! #SpeakAg Showcase allows FFA members to tell their states’ agriculture story to a broader audience. While the deadline isn’t until Wednesday, Sept 23, we know it can take time to gather the video footage you may need to make your project successful! Chapters that submit videos will also be able to present their submissions on the Student Showcase Stage. Winners will be announced during the 99th National FFA Convention & Expo.
Harvest for All Program - 2026-2027
Hello Agriculture Teachers!
We’re excited to share that the Harvest for All Program is back for the 2026-2027 academic year! This program highlights and recognizes the impact FFA chapters make in their communities through service, donations, and volunteer work. To see how chapters were celebrated at last year’s State FFA Convention, check out this short video here. And for general info, check out our flyer here.
Program Overview
Harvest for All is championed by American Farm Bureau and led in Illinois by the Illinois Farm Bureau Young Leader Committee. The program is all about identifying a need, filling it, and giving back to your community, whether by hosting a food drive, volunteering, fundraising, or other service projects. As of 2023, all community service efforts can be counted for Harvest for All, NOT just those related to fighting food insecurity!
Tracking & Submissions
To align with American Farm Bureau’s tracking system, submissions will be collected by semester. However, if your chapter wants to submit a form after every individual activity, you’re welcome to do so; we’ll add them together on the back end for your totals. Or you’re welcome to submit one as soon as your efforts are complete for the tracking period.
Semester Tracking Periods:
May 1 – Dec. 31, 2026 | Form Due Jan. 1, 2027
Jan. 1 – Apr. 30, 2027 | Form Due May 1, 2027
Rules & Scoring
From May 1, 2026 – Apr. 30, 2027, chapters will track:
Dollars donated &/OR, for non-food, monetary value of items donated
Pounds of food collected
Hours volunteered
Scoring:
1 point = 1 volunteer hour
1 point = 10 lbs. of food donated
1 point = $10 donated
* A minimum of 10 cumulative points is required for recognition.
Application
Advisors will submit the JotForm with the following for each Harvest for All event:
Date of event
Organization supported
Dollars donated or Monetary value of non-food items donated
Pounds of food collected
Volunteer hours
Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on either Jan. 1 or May 1 (depending on the tracking period).
Awards & Recognition
Following final submissions by May 1, 2026, the top FFA chapters in each section and across the state will be recognized.
Section Winners – Recognition at State FFA Convention
State Winners:
1st Place – Recognition + $200
2nd Place – Recognition + $175
3rd Place – Recognition + $150
4th Place – Recognition + $125
5th Place – Recognition + $100
If you have questions about the program or form, please contact youth@ilfb.org. We can’t wait to see the creative ways your chapters will impact your communities this year!
Taylor Hartke | Illinois Farm Bureau
Youth & Collegiate Program Coordinator; (309)-557-2834 | thartke@ilfb.org
Mike Builta Memorial Jacket Program
The GROWMARK Foundation is teaming up with Illinois FFA and the family of Mike Builta to provide 25 jackets to Illinois FFA students to honor the legacy of long-time employee Mike Builta, who passed away unexpectedly in 2019.
The GROWMARK Foundation has provided 175 jackets to Illinois FFA members over the last six years. FFA members are asked to answer the question “What does the FFA jacket mean to you?” and share the main goal they wish to accomplish as an FFA member. The Builta family reviews student submissions and chooses 25 students to receive the jacket, a scarf, or a tie, along with a memorial FFA/GROWMARK pin with Builta’s name.
The application is now open and closes on September 11, 2026. All Illinois FFA
Students who have not yet purchased a jacket are encouraged to apply.
Mike Builta was raised on a family farm near Bellflower, Illinois. He was an active FFA member and lifelong supporter of agricultural education. He held GROWMARK System management roles at Christian County Farmers Supply Company in Taylorville, Illinois, and GRAINCO FS in Ottawa, Illinois, before becoming GROWMARK vice president of Energy and Logistics in 2018. Please click here to open the application.
Questions: Contact Sabrina Burekieicz - sburkiewica@growmark.com
Greetings from Fair Oaks Farms, located in Fair Oaks, Indiana!
The 99th Annual FFA Conference will be here before you know it! Fair Oaks Farms would like to remind you that we would be a great educational destination for your FFA members to visit before, during, or after the conference. We are approximately 1 ½ hours north of Indianapolis, and we are also on Central Time here!
Fair Oaks Farms is the #1 Agri-tourism destination in the Midwest. Fair Oaks Farms is an escape to the country with acres of great outdoor fun, food, and learning. Your group will explore family farms and learn the operations of modern-day dairy and pig farming.
We offer three Adventures for your members to see first-hand. The Dairy Adventure: Members will learn all about the farm's sustainability, cow nutrition, cow comfort, safety, and milk nutrition in our exciting exhibits.
The Crop Adventure will have your group experience modern crop farming while learning about the challenges farmers face in producing food for a growing population. You’ll find out how weather affects crop growth and catch virtual raindrops by witnessing a state-of-the-art thunderstorm from beneath the ground.
They can also explore the Pig Adventure, which begins at the Pork Education Building. Here they will learn about past and present pig farming practices at the Welcome Center. They will take the bus to the pig farm to visit the Growing Barn to see how piglets grow up. They’ll get to visit the Breeding and Gestation Barns and witness the miracle of life in the Farrowing Barn.
Days and times are filling up fast! To get your group registered, contact Lisa Roozee, Adventure Coordinator, at either 219-394-5322 or 877-536-1194 ext. 322, or email lisar@fofarms.com.
Kind Regards,
Lisa Roozee, Adventure Coordinator
National FFA has two new resources, and one thing we'd love from you when you have a few minutes.
Brand, Licensing and Trademark site: https://brand.ffa.org
Everything related to FFA trademarks now lives in one place: the new board policy on trademarks, our trademark enforcement procedures, and brand guidelines and assets. There's also a section for local vendors who want to become FFA licensees. Our aim is for this site to be a one-stop shop for you, advisors, alumni leaders, and licensees to get the information you need. The fastest way to find information is to click "Ask a Question" in the lower right of the site.
Licensed products marketplace: https://corduroyandco.ffa.org
A full list of licensed vendors, plus links for group orders and awards. You and your advisors can use it as an easy place to find licensed vendors and comparison shop.
*** PREVIOUS Information Shared - WORTH Sharing Again****
PREVIOUS LISTSERVS - CLICK HERE to view the 2026 - 2027 School Year of Listserv messages
2025 - 2026 School Year - CLICK HERE
Information for 2026 - 2027:
2026 - 2027 Calendar: Includes Application Links and full event addresses.
Instructions on how to find your Invoice in AET/JudgingCard.
SAE Description Questions - Response will come from Sean via email
*Please NOTE that clicking Dates & Deadlines will take you to the www.ilaged.org calendar.
-- Mindy Bunselmeyer
Illinois FFA Center
Phone: 217-753-3328
Cell: 217-412-5646
Email: mbunselmeyer@illinoisffa.org
Address: 3221 Northfield, Springfield, IL 62702