From left, Samantha Hasselbring, Sen. Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington), Joseph Birrittier and Sen. Paul Schimpf (R-Waterloo)
From left, Samantha Hasselbring, Sen. Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington), Joseph Birrittier and Sen. Paul Schimpf (R-Waterloo)
Sen. Paul Schimpf (R-Waterloo) and Sen. Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) had the state's finest future farming leaders before them on Agricultural Legislative Day April 11 in Springfield.
“It is my pleasure to introduce someone who is not only president of the state (Future Farmers of America), he also happens to be my neighbor,” Schimpf said, introducing Joseph Birrittier. “He lives about half a mile from the house. He sees me out running and I see him riding in the car.”
Birrittier shared the FFA motto “Learning to do, doing to learn, earning to live and living to serve,” saying that is truly what membership with the youth organization is about.
“We guide our members into becoming the bold leaders of tomorrow,” Birrittier said, then thanking the General Assembly for the agriculture education line item that supports their future learning.
Behind Birrittier stood Samantha Hasselbring, Miss Illinois County Fair Queen, who was introduced by Barickman.
“She reins from Cissna Park, where she grew up on her family farm," Barickman said.
The General Assembly invites the state’s future farmers to Springfield each year for the Agricultural Legislative Day.
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