Lexington leaders rooted in FFA
LEXINGTON – This year’s Lexington High School FFA president and vice-president have strong roots in the organization.
“My dad was in FFA, I live on a farm and agriculture is an everyday thing in my life,” said chapter president Jordan Reimer. “I just want to get involved.”
“My family has been in FFA for many generations and it’s just something we do,” added vice-president Tanner Laesch.
Reimer hopes to eventually attend a four-year college and get a degree in agriculture or engineering while Laesch may also attend a four-year school or attend classes at a place like Joliet Junior College studying agriculture.
Lexington FFA advisor Brian Wiltz describes the two students as diverse since they both play football and basketball while maintaining their FFA leadership roles.
“They’re unique kids and we are really proud of them,” he said.
Reimer is taking a big step up in his high school journey has he is only a sophomore. He admits it is different being such a leader at his age. He hopes to run for a section office during his senior year. Laesch hopes to place in a competition this year and get more practice time in.
“This year, we’ve been getting people more involved in activities and judging and just having more fun with everybody,” said Laesch, whose sister was chapter president last year.
According to Wiltz, all of the Lexington FFA members worked hard for the recent Christmas on the Prairie event as they created Christmas decorations out of scrap, wood and metals as a fundraiser. They plan to pay it forward with Giving Tree items and future service to the community.
Wiltz is really proud of how the FFA did last week when the agronomy team took second in section and they had a top 10 placer on the dairy products team.
“We took 14 kids to the national convention and that was a lot of fun,” Wiltz explained.
The Lexington FFA will host a fundraising auction and dinner later this winter.
The Central Illinois Farm Network visited with Reimer, Laesch and Wiltz during halftime of last Friday’s basketball game between Lexington and Dee-Mac during the CIFN Sports Central Game of the Week.