Future Farmers of America (FFA)
Future Farmers of America (FFA) participates in a wide range of community service and personal/career growth experiences related to the field of agriculture. The FFA is a nationwide student organization designed to promote the understanding of the profound
significance and complexity of farming. FFA members engage is local, regional, and broader competition in speech, debate, and parliamentary procedure.
The Future Farmers of America originated in September, 1925, by Henry C. Groseclose at the Department of Agricultural Education at Virginia Polytechnic Institute. He suggested the snappy title:"Future Farmers of Virginia". Two years later a team of administrators and educators met in Washington, D.C. to form a national association for students of vocational agriculture. In 1928, 33 delegates from 18 states officially started the FFA while attending the American Royal Livestock Show in Kansas City, Missouri. Just one year later, FFA represented 30,000 students in 35 states. At its peak in 1977, FFA had more than 509,000 members in all 50 states, as well as Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
FFA students learn people-skills, parliamentary procedure and public speaking that prepare them for leadership roles (whether or not they pursue agricultural careers). Starting in the late 1980s, in response to increased interest in the non-production-ag careers, high school agricultural classes were revamped to include a greater emphasis on science and business. The name of the organization was changed in 1988 from Future FARMERS of America - to the National FFA organization. |
