2 Streator FFA members receive $1,000 grants for projects

Two Streator FFA members were awarded at the end of December a $1,000 grant from the National FFA Organization thanks to two industry sponsors: Rabo Agrifinance and EDP Renewable North America.

FFA members Kaitlyn Pettyjohn and Kinslee Sweeden were each presented with grants.

These grants are designed to help FFA members create or expand Supervised Agricultural Experience projects, a requirement that all FFA members must complete. An SAE requires FFA members to create and operate an agriculture-related business, work at an agriculture-related business or conduct an agricultural research experience. Upon completion, FFA members must submit a comprehensive report regarding their career development experience.

For this grant, Pettyjohn and Sweeden had to provide a background of their SAE projects, describe their short and longterm goals, develop a budget, discuss the impacts their SAE has on themselves and outlines how the FFA has affected their life. Pettyjohn and Sweeden are two of the 22 students selected from Illinois to receive an SAE grant. They were selected from a pool of 1,238 applicants nation wide.

Pettyjohn and Sweedens SAE projects are under the advisement of their ag teachers, parents and community members. Their SAE projects allow them to develop, obtain and identify real life skills that they can give back to their community.

Pettyjohn owns and operates her own dairy goat herd where she breeds her goats, exhibits them at local shows and continues to improve her genetic base. She will be using her grant to continue to expand her SAE project.

Sweeden has always loved flowers and with her grant, she will be starting her own flower farm this summer. She will grow, market and sell flowers on her farm and at farmers markets. Her grant will be used to start her flower farm within the next six months.