Virginia FFA

06/01/2026

The Schoolyard Habitat is abuzz with pollinators! The area in front of the Media Center/Library and JH/HS science classrooms is planted with Illinois tall grass prairie natives and serves as a pollinator habitat.

The first monarch of the season was seen munching on Showy Milkweed while a pair of bumble bees were feeding on the flowers of Common Milkweed.

This small patch features 6 species of milkweed and more than 20 other native grasses, sedges, and forbs/wildflowers. It supports a diverse population of insects, birds, and small mammals and perfectly encapsulates the saying, “small but mighty.”

06/01/2026

We are proud to do our part in supporting the annual Virginia BBQ!

05/14/2026

Thank you to Sunrise FS for their generous donation and awesome swag! We’re grateful for supportive industry partners.

04/30/2026

Wish these kids good luck as they prepare to give their oral presentation at the Illinois State Envirothon!

They spent yesterday testing over the five Envirothon areas:
🐠 Aquatic Ecology
🌳 Forestry
🪏 Soil
🦌 Wildlife
☠️ 2026 5th Category - Nonpoint Source Pollution

After testing, participants were presented with a challenge to identify solutions to manage nonpoint source pollution that will result from building a data center and transitioning farmland from traditional corn and soybeans to intensive livestock farms, both of which threaten local water quality. Teams were given 3 hours to prepare a 10-minute presentation in which they share their solutions, why they’ll work, and how they spent their $1 million budget.

This morning, they’ll get 20 minutes to practice before going before a panel of judges to present. Once they finish, they’ll answer judge questions for an additional five minutes.

All this for the chance to represent Illinois at the National Envirothon this summer at Mississippi State University in Starkville.

Thank you to the many sponsors of this awesome event, including the Cass County Soil and Water Conservation District and Illinois FFA.

Good luck, Virginia FFA!!

04/28/2026

**PLANT SALE**

Our spring greenhouse plant sale is now live. Orders will be fulfilled beginning Friday, May 1st. First come, first served! Thank you in advance for supporting our 8th graders who have been hard at work in the greenhouse all semester. We hope you find something you'll love!

Petunia Hanging Baskets
Tomatoes
Peppers
Perennials - Daisies, Blanket Flower, Black Eyed Susan, Wild Bergamot
Annuals - Sunflowers, Calendula, 4 O'Clocks, Marigolds

This year, all plants were produced by the Spring 8th Grade Exploratory Agriculture Class. This group did a great job and had a great learning experience, but we want you to know that we made mistakes along the way and everything isn't perfect. We assigned what we hope you will feel are reasonable p...

04/25/2026

Thank you to Ross and Wendy (and Harley!) for hosting the 8th grade exploratory agriculture class for a floral design workshop. This group has been hard at work all semester preparing plants for our upcoming greenhouse sale. This was an awesome experience as we begin to wrap up our learning—from planning and growing to marketing and now designing, this group has learned a lot about the horticulture industry this semester!

This workshop was financed with CTE grant funding through the Two Rivers Career Education System. Thank you to Sarah Graham for coordinating the financial aspect of this experience!

A big Rosebud thank you to Mrs. Birdsell and the Virginia Agriculture Class for spending part of their day with us, yesterday! 💐

Harley, Wendy, and I had such a great time hosting this wonderful group of students and sharing a little more about the floral industry, flower care, and some basic floral design techniques.

Flowers are agriculture, art, business, emotion, and a little bit of controlled chaos and we loved getting to share that with you all. 🤍

Thank you for choosing Rosebud & Co. We hope you left inspired!

04/14/2026

Thank you to Tanner Force, Tanner Shade, and Keenan Dixon for hosting our Natural Resources class for a tour of the Virginia Regional Water System* treatment facility in Virginia today!

This trip felt especially meaningful because one of our hosts is a former student who took part in this tour last year. It’s always rewarding to see students succeed, and even more so when they choose to stay connected to the community and build careers that matter to them.

*Edited to correct the facility name.

03/11/2026

Strawberry delivery is today, Wednesday, March 11th. FFA members should make arrangements to pick up berries or meet with customers at the school to ensure all berries are delivered in a timely manner.

Delivery has been pushed back to 1:00 PM, so we are asking that members, parents, and community members wait until school dismissal is complete before picking up berries.

Thank you for supporting our fundraiser!

02/27/2026

Due to inclement Florida weather, our strawberry shipment has been delayed one week, to ensure we receive the freshest, highest quality product possible.

Pick up will now take place on Wednesday, March 11th, from Noon until 7:00 PM.

02/25/2026

THEY ARE COMING!
Fresh, Florida strawberries will be delivered to Virginia on Wednesday, March 4th. If you missed out or didn't want to order a full or half-flat, you're in luck! We ordered extras and will be selling individual clamshells for $5 each.