McLean County Farm Bureau awarded $7,950 in FFA Matching Grants for 2025 to 8 FFA Chapters. The FFA Matching Grant awards each chapter up to $1,000 for ag education purposes. Grants are matched with student volunteer hours at $10 per hour. LeRoy FFA – $960 award to help cover IL FFA State Convention costs Lexington FFA – $930 award for National FFA Convention expenses Normal Community FFA – $1,000 award to support their 2 ½
Lauren Mohr of Carlock and Autumn Schlipf of Gridley were each selected to receive scholarships from the IAA Foundation for the 2025-26 academic year. Lauren Mohr will receive the $1,000 Vincent O. Greene Memorial Scholarship, awarded to a student who demonstrates qualities of leadership and citizenship. Mohr graduated from Normal West High School and will be a Senior studying Animal Science at Iowa State University. Autumn Schlipf will receive a $1,000 Illinois Collegiate Farm Bureau
McLean County Farm Bureau is pleased to announce Julia Walton has been hired as Business Administrator, effective April 21, 2025. As Business Administrator, Walton will oversee business operations and office functions for the Farm Bureau and our affiliated organizations. Walton began her career at Illinois State University, serving most recently as Program Coordinator for Student Activities. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in History and a Master’s in College Student Personnel Administration from Illinois State University
McLean County Farm Bureau congratulates the 2025 FFA Service Award winners: • Drake Hardesty, Blue Ridge • Emma Ioerger, El Paso-Gridley • Emma Quinton, Heyworth • Claire Kuipers, LeRoy • Cori Pearce, Lexington • Eva Jensen, Normal • Alex Caruthers, Normal West • Anna Gordon, Olympia • Elizabeth Ellis, Prairie Central • Rylee Kukuck, Ridgeview • Zoey McCartney, Tri-Valley FFA The Service Awards are given annually to one member from each local FFA chapter who
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – John Grant and Kacie Kaufman graduated from Illinois Farm Bureau’s Agricultural Leaders of Tomorrow (ALOT) program, a comprehensive leadership development course, on March 20. Grant and Kaufman, members of McLean County Farm Bureau, were a part of the 25-member graduating class in 2025. Now in its 46th year, ALOT has graduated more than 1,200 leaders since 1979. The seven-session course featured experts in communication skills, political process, ag economics and global issues.
