Forreston FFA gets honors

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SPRINGFIELD – Members of the Forreston FFA chapter attended the 90th annual Illinois State FFA Convention on June 12-14 along with more than 5,000 other FFA members, advisors, and guests.

“Be Bold” was the theme of the three-day event, which recognizes achievements of Illinois FFA members, elects the major state officer team, and celebrates agriculture. Students at the convention were greeted with activities including a career fair featuring colleges and agribusinesses, an evening dance and talent show, and an opportunity to engage in the history of Illinois’ capital city. The convention program featured addresses by National FFA Southern Region Vice President Ian Bennett of Georgia and from each of the retiring major state officers.

During the convention, the following awards were presented to the Forreston FFA chapter:

Dairy Production Placement State Proficiency Winner: Brooklynn Hollis is the daughter of Todd and Jodi Hollis of German Valley; her FFA Advisor is Robert Nelson. For her Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE), Hollis works on her parents' dairy farm. She completes a variety of tasks, but her main responsibilities include milking, herd health management, animal nutrition, heifer management, cattle transportation, and herd reproductive management.

Foundation Star Sponsor: Forreston FFA Alumni The chapter was recognized for making a gift to the Illinois Foundation FFA of at least $1,000 during the annual fundraising campaign.

State FFA Degree Recipients: The Forreston chapter also had two members earn their State FFA Degree. Brooklynn Hollis and Hailey Kruse each were awarded their degrees at the Wednesday night session. Hollis will continue her education at Highland College in Freeport studying Dairy Science while Kruse will attend UW-Platteville majoring in Agronomy.

Retiring Advisor: Robert Nelson, FFA Advisor and agriculture instructor at Forreston High School, was recognized for his 37 years of teaching service. Nelson will retire on June 30.