FFA chapter wins contest for private Hailey Whitters concert

SHERIDAN, Ill. — Excited members of the Yorkville Christian FFA Chapter gathered at Spirit Farms for a private concert with country artist Hailey Whitters.

The chapter won the 2024 Rock the Crop contest from Firestone Ag.

“Rock the Crop started in 2021 because we wanted to unite music and agriculture and also to honor the American hardworking farmers and ranchers,” said Gloria Caples, brand manager for Bridgestone specifically focused on the Firestone brand.

“In 2021 and 2022, we focused on farmers, but this year to honor our 80th anniversary of our partnership with the FFA, we thought it would be great to change Rock the Crop to focus on FFA chapters,” Caples said.

“We wanted to honor the next generation of farmers,” the brand manager said. “I’m so excited for the FFA members to see the concert and have this experience.”

“The best part is getting to know the families and farmers that are selected as winners,” she said. “They welcome us with open arms like we are part of their family.”

“This is mind-blowing. We’ve never had this much media for our chapter that is from a smaller school,” said Grace Voitik, president of the Yorkville Christian FFA Chapter. “Being able to have Hailey Whitters here is crazy.”

Yorkville Christian High School was founded in 2014 by John and Michelle Stewart, who also own Spirit Farms.

“My mom is our FFA adviser and she applied for the contest,” said Ellie Stewart, a high school senior. “When they called her and told her she won, we were freaking out.”

The concert, Stewart said, is a dream come true.

“It doesn’t feel real and it’s at my house,” she said.

“I come from a farming community and my dad is a crop farmer so this reminds me a lot of growing up,” said Whitters, who is originally from Iowa.

“Celebrating and sharing with folks from the Heartland and the Midwest feels like coming home,” she said. “Hard work, perseverance and resilience are all things I carry with me every day.”

Whitters moved to Nashville 17 years ago.

“I consider myself an entrepreneur much like my dad and his brothers who all have started their own companies,” she said. “I was the first one to leave the nest, move nine hours away from home to chase my dream.”

The country artist has performed at many county fairs and festivals.

“I’ve played my fair share of shows on a flatbed trailer,” she said. “And we just wrapped a tour with Jason Aldean.”

The 80-member Yorkville Christian FFA Chapter is involved with many activities at the high school, including the monthly mission days.

“We’ve gone to the Northern Illinois Food Bank and Feed My Starving Children in Aurora,” Stewart said. “At Aurora, we packaged food to send to other countries.”

“We are planning to package lunches for farmers,” Voitik said. “They are busy in the field so we’re going to put together care packages for the farmers and deliver them to the fields.”

Around Christmastime, the high school students go to the Operation Christmas Child facility to help package shoeboxes.

“It’s a really good way to give back and work in the way the Lord wants us to,” Voitik said.

“It is so much fun. We stuff the boxes as full as we can,” Stewart said.

In addition to her involvement with FFA, Stewart is also Miss Illinois High School Rodeo.

“When you win your state, you can compete for national, which is the biggest rodeo queen pageant in the world,” Stewart said. “I was the queen in 2023-2024 and again this year.”

Stewart competed in the national queen event last year and placed eighth.

“I love the Midwest and representing Illinois was the best thing,” she said. “The contest is part of the National High School Finals Rodeo, which is where the best of the best competes.”

The National High School Rodeo Association offers five events for girls — barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying, breakaway roping and team roping.

“I do all of them so it’s really cool because not a lot of queens completely rodeo,” Stewart said.