LLCC Agriculture is hosting the Illinois FFA State Ag Communications Contest on June 12 and 13 and is in need of a few more judges.

On June 12, teams will be working on their individual practicums which consist of web design, video production and writing a letter to the editor. After the students are done with their area, the student work and scoresheets will be emailed to judges to evaluate and score. We are looking for three judges willing to evaluate the individual practicums remotely.

In addition, teams will submit a media plan ahead of June 12, which will be sent with the scoresheets to the judge. We are looking for one judge to evaluate the media plans remotely.

On June 13, teams will be presenting their marketing plan to a panel of judges at the President Abraham Lincoln Hotel next to the BOS Center. Judging will begin at 8:30 a.m. and go through 3:30/4 p.m. with lunch and snacks/drinks provided. We are looking for one or two individuals willing to judge the team presentations.

Please email Bill Harmon or Holly Bauman if you are interested in helping or have questions.

Yesterday’s 10^th annual Farmers Share Luncheon, sponsored by the LLCC Agriculture Club, called attention to the fact that farmers receive only 14% of the total cost of American food expenditures. Attendees had to pay just $1 for a full meal to represent the “farmers share.” Trivia questions asked by Bill Harmon, professor of agronomy, revealed other little known facts about agriculture.

The LLCC Agriculture Club is hosting its 10th annual Farmers Share Luncheon on Monday, April 17, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Trutter Center. Lunch will be either a pulled pork or chicken breast sandwich, Nelson’s cheddar potatoes, green beans, cookies and tea, lemonade or water. One hundred tickets will cost $1, to represent the fact that farmers only receive 14% of the total cost of Americans food expenditures. Tickets will be sold in A. Lincoln Commons today at noon, or they can be ordered from Ag Club Advisor Bill Harmon at bill.harmon@llcc.edu. Ag trivia and door prizes will be offered during the meal.

The LLCC Agriculture Club is hosting its 10th annual Farmers Share Luncheon on Monday, April 17, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Trutter Center. Lunch will be either a pulled pork or chicken breast sandwich, Nelson’s cheddar potatoes, green beans, cookies and tea, lemonade or water. One hundred tickets will cost $1, to represent the fact that farmers only receive 14% of the total cost of Americans food expenditures. Tickets will be sold in A. Lincoln Commons on April 12 at noon, or they can be ordered from Ag Club Advisor Bill Harmon at bill.harmon@llcc.edu. Ag trivia and door prizes will be offered during the meal.

L-r: Alex Sidener, Anthony Joiner, Wes Bland

Members of the Lincoln Land Community College Ag Club and Livestock Judging Team earned top honors at recent national competitions.

The Ag Club’s Soils Specialist Team was named 2023 National Professional Agricultural Student (PAS) Champions at the National PAS Conference in Des Moines, Iowa. The Soils Team includes Anthony Joiner of Carlinville, Wes Bland of Eldred and Alex Sidener of Rochester, who also placed second, fourth and fifth individually. They are the fifth LLCC team to win the soils event since its creation in 2004.

L-r: Wyatt Buckles, Anthony Joiner, Caedyn Finneran, Alex Sidener, Elizabeth Lee, Charlie Gum, Cole Repscher, Wes Bland, Logan Kearns

The Crops Team of Cole Repscher of Taylorville, Wyatt Buckles of Mechanicsburg and Charlie Gum of Tallula placed sixth. The Swine Team of Elizabeth Lee of Springfield, Caedyn Finneran of Chatham and Logan Kearns of Springfield placed eighth. The College Bowl Team of Logan Kearns, Wyatt Buckles, Alex Sidener, Wes Bland and Anthony Joiner placed fifth. Two LLCC students competed in the Employment Interview event. Elizabeth Lee placed fifth in Specialty Crop Production, and Cole Repscher placed fourth in Agronomic Production.

The students earned the right to compete at the national event by placing in the top three at Illinois PAS contests held earlier this year. This is the 24^th year that LLCC students have participated in this national competition, made possible this year by grants from Growmark and the Kreher Farm Perpetual Charitable Trust. LLCC will serve as the host site for the 2024 National PAS Conference. Ag Club advisor is Bill Harmon, professor of agronomy.

The LLCC Livestock Judging Team recently wrapped up its season at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The team placed 11th overall with several other team and individual placings. The team also finished ninth overall at the San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo, with a first-place win in sheep judging. Eight members of the team are currently being recruited to join judging teams at senior universities including Colorado State, Purdue, Iowa State and Texas A&M. The team includes Kylie Schakel, Carson Hoth, Cole Ellerbrock, Bailey Wadlow, Shaylee Maddox, Tommy Slack, Adam Bensman and Morgan Black, all of Springfield, and Tommy Tarr of Dawson. The team is coached by Craig Beckmier, professor of agriculture.

Kylie Schakel, a sophomore from Indiana in LLCC’s ag transfer program competed at last weeks Illinois Collegiate Farm Bureau Discussion Meet in Bloomington. In the event, students research four possible topics relating to the current ag industry. They then present their suggestions on how to solve the issues in a round table format with other students. Schakel made it to the finals, where she placed third overall. She is a member of the LLCC Livestock Judging Team, LLCC Ag Club where she serves as secretary and Illinois PAS as a vice president. She plans on transferring to study ag business and policy after LLCC.

Congratulations, Kylie!

Bill Harmon, professor of agriculture, recently received his 25-year award from the Illinois Association of Community College Agriculture Instructors. In the photo, he is accepting the award from IACCAI president and LLCC graduate Jess Smithers at the annual conference.

Congratulations, Bill!

LLCC Agriculture s hosting the Illinois FFA State Ag Sales Contest on Nov. 19 and needs a few more judges.

Teams start the event off by looking at a scenario and developing questions to ask the customer to gather information. The second part of the event involves the students to complete an individual practicum where they receive a scenario and ask questions to identify which product to sell the customer. Judges are needed in each of these areas.

We will have a judges meeting at 8:15 a.m. in Kreher 1115 with the first team starting at 8:50 a.m. The event will conclude by 4 p.m., and lunch is provided by Mission BBQ.

Please email Bill Harmon if you are interested in helping or have questions.

We welcome 150 high school students to campus today for the Ag Career Expo! The event showcases the many job opportunities available in agriculture by bringing together interested high school students with educational resources.