FFA

Mission

FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.

To accomplish its mission, FFA:

Develops competent and assertive agricultural leadership.

•Increases awareness of the global and technological importance of agriculture and its contribution to our well-being.

•Strengthens the confidence of agriculture students in themselves and their work.

•Promotes the intelligent choice and establishment of an agricultural career.

•Encourages achievement in supervised agricultural experience programs.

•Encourages wise management of economic, environmental and human resources of the community.

•Develops interpersonal skills in teamwork, communications, human relations and social interaction.

•Builds character and promotes citizenship, volunteerism and patriotism.

•Promotes cooperation and cooperative attitudes among all people.

•Promotes healthy lifestyles.

•Encourages excellence in scholarship

Motto

Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve.

The FFA Creed

I believe in the future of agriculture, with a faith born not of words but of deeds - achievements won by the present and past generations of agriculturists; in the promise of better days through better ways, even as the better things we now enjoy have come to us from the struggles of former years.

I believe that to live and work on a good farm, or to be engaged in other agricultural pursuits, is pleasant as well as challenging; for I know the joys and discomforts of agricultural life and hold an inborn fondness for those associations which, even in hours of discouragement, I cannot deny.

I believe in leadership from ourselves and respect from others. I believe in my own ability to work efficiently and think clearly, with such knowledge and skill as I can secure, and in the ability of progressive agriculturists to serve our own and the public interest in producing and marketing the product of our toil.

I believe in less dependence on begging and more power in bargaining; in the life abundant and enough honest wealth to help make it so--for others as well as myself; in less need for charity and more of it when needed; in being happy myself and playing square with those whose happiness depends upon me.

I believe that American agriculture can and will hold true to the best traditions of our national life and that I can exert an influence in my home and community which will stand solid for my part in that inspiring task.

The creed was written by E. M. Tiffany, and adopted at the 3rd National Convention of the FFA. It was revised at the 38th Convention and the 63rd Convention.

The Agricultural Education Mission

Agricultural education prepares students for successful careers and a lifetime of informed choices in the global agriculture, food, fiber and natural resource systems.

The Three-Circle Model

Through agricultural education, students are provided opportunities for leadership development, personal growth and career success. Agricultural education instruction is delivered through three major components:

1) classroom/laboratory instruction (contextual learning)

2) supervised agricultural experience programs (work-based learning)

3) student leadership organizations (National FFA Organization, National Young Farmer Educational Association, and National Postsecondary Agricultural Student Organization).

FFA History

Founded in 1928

In Kansas City’s Baltimore Hotel, 33 young farms boys chartered a course for the future.

FFA was for young men who were studying vocational agriculture in public secondary schools, and the new organization was designed to develop agricultural leadership, character, thrift, scholarship, cooperation, citizenship and patriotism.

Each FFA chapter develops and follows an annual program of activities, and all members share in planning the program and participate in its execution. Through their participation, members learn how to take part in meetings, follow parliamentary procedure, speak in public and cooperate with their fellow students.

Student officers are elected on each level to lead the organization’s activities, and FFA members receive recognition for their achievements through competition and award programs. The annual national convention offers FFA members an opportunity to come together from across the country and celebrate their accomplishments over the past year.

President- Benjy Smith

Vice Presidents- Julie Cook and Danny Menlove

Secretary- Kody Roney

Reporter- Jaycee Raulston

Sentinel- Ashlee Rowberry

Treasurer- Ashley Zweifel

Committee Chair- Katie Packer

Historian- Austin Stilwell

By 1935, FFA membership had topped 100,000 with more than 3,900 chapters in 47 states, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. That same year, the New Farmers of America was established to provide leadership opportunities to African-American students enrolled in vocational education classes.

FFA membership took a leap in 1965 when 58,000 members of the New Farmers of America merged with the Future Farmers of America. This followed an act of Congress that prohibited segregation in public schools. Four years later, delegates at the 1969 National FFA Convention voted to allow women to be members of the FFA.

Today, the National FFA Organization is a premier youth leadership organization in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.

Public Law 105-225

Formerly Public Law 81-740

https://www.ffa.org/documents/about_publiclaw105225.pdf

Supervised Agricultural Experience

An agricultural education program is made up of three integrated parts: Classroom instruction, FFA and Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE)

Students with an SAE learn by doing. With help from their agricultural teachers, students develop an SAE project based on one or more SAE categories:

Entrepreneurship

Own and operate an agricultural business (e.g. a lawn care service, a pay-to-fish operation, holiday poinsettia production and sales.)

Placement

Get a job or internship on a farm or ranch, at an agriculture-based business, or in a school or factory laboratory.

Research and Experimentation

Plan and conduct a scientific experiment. (e.g. Determine whether the phases of the moon affect plant growth, or test and determine the efficacy of different welding methods.)

Exploratory

Explore careers in agriculture by attending an agriculture career fair, or creating a report or documentary on the work of a veterinarian.

Agricultural Proficiency Awards

Recognizes FFA who have developed proven, specialized skills through their SAEs.

The AET

http://www.theaet.com

SAE Ideas

SAE Ideas Spreadsheet

Current Membership

Today, there are 557,318 FFA members, aged 12‒21, in 7,498 chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

44% of FFA members are female; women hold approximately 50% of state leadership positions.

73% of our membership is White; 15% is Hispanic/Latino; 7% is Black/African-American; 5% is American Indian, Asian or Pacific Islander.

9% of FFA members are currently enrolled in grades 6-8; 87% of FFA members are currently enrolled in grades 9-12; 4% have already graduated from high school and may be engaged in postsecondary studies.

FFA chapters are in 18 of the 20 largest U.S. cities, including New York, Chicago and Philadelphia.

The top five membership states are Texas, California, Georgia, Missouri and Oklahoma.

The 2012 National FFA Convention was host to 56,167 members, FFA advisors and FFA supporters.

2010-11 National FFA Organization membership by states:

https://www.ffa.org/documents/about_2010-11_State_Membership_Comparison_Report-English.pdf

Industry Support

Agriculture is the nation’s largest employer, with more than 23 million jobs (17 percent of the civilian workforce) involved in some facet of American agriculture.

The National FFA Foundation has raised more than $232 million for the National FFA Organization since 1944.

•Over 3,000 sponsors provided more than $16 million for FFA and agricultural programs and activities in 2011.

•In 2011, 129 sponsors provided 1,590 individual scholarships worth over $1.9 million through the National FFA Organization.

•To date, more than $34 million in FFA collegiate scholarships have been awarded to students pursuing higher education.

•At the National FFA Convention and Expo, the exhibit halls utilize more than 225,000 net square feet, attracting more than 400 exhibitors and vendors.