Illinois agriculture students one step closer to international livestock competition
By FarmWeek Staff
The Prairie Central High School FFA chapter’s Dairy Cattle Evaluation and Management Team has the exciting opportunity to compete at the Royal Highland International Dairy Judging Contest in Scotland and Clonmel Show in Ireland in late June 2023.
The team of four female students, Grace Lemenager, Hannah Miller, Ellie Ellis and Carla Kilgus, were surprised during National FFA Week with a $6,000 gift from COUNTRY Financial representatives Joe Jones of Forrest and Danny Schahrer of Fairbury.
“The four students earned an invitation to these international events as national champions and they bring so much excitement to their teacher and peers about opportunities within agriculture,” Jones said. “We are proud to work with many farmers in our community, helping them plan for and protect their legacy. We recognize the importance of developing the future of agriculture and are proud of this program’s accomplishments.”
As part of National FFA Week, Feb. 18-25, the four students are joining their Prairie Central High School FFA peers to engage their community with special events. They will host a petting zoo at the school Thursday, Ag Olympics on Friday and a large farm at home show with alumni on Saturday.
In addition to the upcoming international competitions in late June, the four students are looking forward to touring farms in both Scotland and Ireland during their visit. They are raising the needed funds for travel, totaling an anticipated $20,000. Prairie Central FFA is accepting donations on the team’s behalf.
The team is advised by teachers Becky Freed, Kyle Miller, Tyson Stork and Kylie Miller.
This story was distributed through a cooperative project between Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois Press Association. For more food and farming news, visit FarmWeekNow.com.
