Streator FFA Takes State by Storm (Twice!)
In a year where most headlines feel like budget gaps and business closures, the Streator FFA Chapter is out here stacking trophies like hay bales—and they know a thing or two about hay bales.
With immense pride, the Streator FFA was recently crowned State Champion not once, but twice—first in the National Chapter Award area of Strengthening Agriculture, and again in the Ag Communications Career Development Event (CDE). In a town that used to be known for glassmaking, it turns out we’re still manufacturing excellence.
Strengthening Agriculture? Yeah, They’re Doing That.
The National Chapter Award evaluates chapters in three categories: growing leaders, building communities, and strengthening agriculture. And guess where Streator came out on top?
FFA peers across Illinois selected Streator as best in the state for its robust activities strengthening agriculture in both the school and the community. Programs like Fighting Fires for the Future, Closing the Pie Gap, and Tag Your Ag weren’t just catchy names—they were impactful, meaningful efforts that tied students to real agricultural experiences.
To quote something Orion Samuelson never actually said (but absolutely could have):
“If you want to grow a strong country, start by growing kids who know how to feed it.”
And honestly? That sounds about right.
Ag Comms Champs—From Feature Stories to TikTok (Probably)
Meanwhile, the Ag Communications Team wasn’t content to just grow crops—they’re out here growing content. This group of high-achieving ag journalists took home the State Champion title in their own competitive arena and will now represent all of Illinois at the 2025 National FFA Convention in Indianapolis.
Their contest included:
- A communications plan
- A feature story
- A video broadcast
- A magazine spread
- And a social media campaign
(So yes, future newsletters, TikToks, and news releases are in good hands.)
Team members Klay Schaffner, Annika Michlik, Grace Nasvytis, and Destany Krebsbach didn’t just show up—they shut it down. Their work highlighted not just skill, but a keen understanding of modern ag storytelling.
Hay Plots & Hard Work
And let’s not forget the behind-the-scenes work happening in the literal fields. Streator FFA Plot Manager Kiana Hawthorne spent her week organizing every step of the hay production process: from cutting, raking, baling, to selling—all on a plot donated by Bill Walsh Automotive. The Lukach and Glascock families pitched in, too, making this a full-on community affair.
It’s the kind of grassroots, cooperative spirit that makes even the most cynical among us believe in the power of local agriculture—and local youth.
A Win for Streator
These achievements aren’t just wins for the FFA. They’re wins for the high school, for local ag traditions, and for a community that often gets overlooked when people talk about “innovation” or “leadership.”
Let’s be honest: the national media won’t cover this. But here in Streator, we know better. We know that growing something real—whether it’s crops, leadership, or future journalists—takes more than a press release and a grant. It takes people who care.
The Streator FFA cares. And because of that, we all get to win.
More trophies to come. Probably more hay, too.
