SOMONAUK — The Tri-County FFA Alumni support the agriculture program at Somonauk High School. This program provides quality instruction which promotes personal growth, premier leadership and career success. The program focuses on the skills that the students need to be successful in today’s agriculture industry, which is one of the top five in Illinois.

Ninety percent of the students in this program come from a nonfarm background. Students use the skills they are taught to develop Supervised Agriculture Experience Programs (SAEP). These SAEPs are hands-on learning activities which the students attempt to earn while they learn. They keep records on their projects and compete in interviews to become chapter, section and state winners.

Recently, the Somonauk-Leland-Sandwich FFA had 12 students compete in 20 different areas. Cassie Rogers won Swine Production Entrepreneurship, Joe Warhurst won Home and Community Development, Melanie Bennet won Agricultural Sales, Cody Wrobel won Agricultural Communications, and Stephen Riskedal won Goat Production. The other seven students placed second or third in their areas and 11 of the 12 students are sophomores and juniors.