Milton Pope students sign charter to create new FFA chapter

Milton Pope Grade School in rural Marseilles is the newest home of an FFA chapter after sixth, seventh and eighth graders signed a charter founding the organization on Wednesday.

It’s fitting for Milton Pope to join other local grade schools such as Grand Ridge in establishing its own FFA chapter. Many students in the Seneca High School FFA are Milton Pope alums, like Seneca freshman Jace Mitchell and the day’s keynote speaker, Seneca graduate and Illinois State FFA Reporter Levi Maierhofer.

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Levi Maierhofer, state reporter on the Illinois FFA State Officer Team and Seneca FFA Chapter, unveils a new FFA jacket during the Milton Pope FFA charter signing event on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, at Milton Pope School. (Sanderson@shawmedia.com)

Maierhofer said he travels and advocates for agriculture and agricultural education.

“Whenever I think of that, the first thing I think of is right around here in our home in the Marseilles-Seneca area,” Maierhofer said. “Every single classroom here has a window that looks outside and sees corn and soybeans.”

Maierhofer said he often hears Milton Pope described as the school in the middle of nowhere but he believes it’s the school in the middle of everywhere. The corn and soybeans grown by those working in agriculture the world has food, he said.

Milton Pope was a landowner and farmer who donated the money to start the grade school as one-room school houses began to consolidate. Maierhofer and School Board President Dan Mitchell both talked about Pope.

“He’d be proud of what we’re doing here,” Maierhofer said. “Because what he saw in his life is that agriculture and education are really important, and that embodies not only Milton Pope but the idea of the school mascot being the Pilots. A pilot doesn’t just fly planes. A pilot can be a pioneer who starts something new.”

The new FFA chapter has garnered support from many, such as Mitchell and the school board along with the Milton Pope Community Club, which bought the FFA jackets for students.

Mitchell said Pope wanted to keep the school going for generations, which is why he left it with farmland to gain extra income. Milton Pope Grade School has a farm trust that manages farms that have expanded over the years to include several farms.

“We think it’s a great opportunity for Milton Pope Grade School to let students see crop production firsthand,” Mitchell said. “Beyond the farm adjacent to the playground out here, we would like to donate 10 acres of that farmland for the FFA chapter to gain crop production knowledge and get some experience and income to get the chapter off on the right foot.”

Sarah Farnsworth, who is in her first year as a teacher at Milton Pope but has been a teacher for 12 years, said area agriculture teachers met with Milton Pope’s administration to start an agriculture program along with the school’s updated science program.

Farnsworth said the students love the new agriculture program so far and while they’re only getting their feet wet with FFA events, they’re enthusiastic for the program.

“It’s funny to see that correlation between science and agriculture click for them,” Farnsworth said. “It’s essentially the same. It’s just more focused. Instead of just general plant science, we can focus on corn crops and showing how this plant works. It’s a little more specialized.”

Farnsworth said the FFA provides opportunities for students to decide and take advantage of what’s appropriate for them. Some students might not be interested in livestock and some might be, and some might prefer sticking with plants. The children decide their own future.

Maierhofer said middle school chapters have been growing across Illinois and Milton Pope’s is off to a good start.

“With the community support, I expect great things from Milton Pope in the future,” Maierhofer said.

Fifty-eight junior high students signed up to be part of the new Milton Pope FFA chapter.