Chambana Sun

Rep. Jason Bunting (R-Springfield) took to Facebook to pay tribute to the recent achievements of Prairie Central's chapter of Future Farmers of America (FFA), which has taken a step closer to competing in an international competition.

In his Facebook post, Bunting shared an article from Farm Week Now, announcing that the Prairie Central High School's Dairy Cattle Evaluation and Management Team had earned an opportunity to compete in Scotland and Ireland at the Royal Highland International Dairy Judging Contest in June.

The Illinois FFA Association marked National FFA Week, kicking off the celebration with a Facebook post of its own.

"Happy FFA Week Illinois FFA! The Major State Officer Team is kicking the week off with SAE Sunday," The post stated. "We have all shared a glimpse of what our Supervised Agriculture Experiences are like, and we encourage you to do the same! Keep a lookout for an SAE article to see all of the opportunites that come with a record book! #FFAWeek2023 #NationalFFAWeek #electrifyilffa"

Illinois Future Farmers of America dates back to 1928, when State Supervisor of Agriculture Education J.E. Hill introduced the Future Farmers of America program to teachers at a state teachers' convention. Nearly 1,500 students and advisors met that June to create the FFA in Illinois.

Bunting  was selected to represent the district after Rep. Thomas Bennett was chosen to join the Senate to replace Jason Barickman, who resigned before the legislative session began. Bunting was previously elected as the Highway Commissioner of Broughton Township, and was president of the Livingston County Farm Bureau. According to his official biography, he is also a director for the Illinois Corn Growers’ Association.