National FFA Week: A week to celebrate farmers of the future

Sowing seeds of knowledge and experience into the soil of their students’ minds, agricultural education teachers across the country toil to raise new crops of farmers who will bear the fruits of their labor. Adding the nutrients of praise and encouragement to foster confidence and self-esteem and pruning back with discipline any branches showing signs of idleness or sloth. Thankfully, America’s future farmers are pushing through the earth and soaking up the light of their lessons and drinking deep the waters of wisdom raining down from those who have worked this land for generations.

Feb. 17 through 24 is Future Farmers of America week. It coincides with the birthday of George Washington who once said, “Agriculture is the most healthful, most useful and most noble employment of man.” Every year since 1947, FFA chapters around the country celebrate this week by bringing awareness to the positive impact of agricultural education in our schools.

The Future Farmers of America teaches students a lot more than just how to plant corn or raise cows. FFA members can grow into a variety of different careers, such as chemists, veterinarians, government officials, entrepreneurs, bankers, international business leaders and teachers. The agriculture education program helps students develop skills they will use throughout their lives no matter what job they take.

The FFA Motto: Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live and Living to Serve.

Students can live this motto in a variety of ways, such as volunteering for committee assignments, serving as an officer or committee chairperson of their chapter. They also participate in supervised agricultural experiences, such as exhibiting crops or livestock at shows and fairs, public speaking, or getting a mentorship or an after-school job. Only so much knowledge can be gained from books. Learning by doing is the FFA way.

FFA Week is also about fun. Missouri Schools with chapters all have a schedule of events for the week. Each day they can dress according to different themes, such as their favorite patriotic, farming, or hunting fashions. One day they’re allowed to drive their tractor to school. Also, there are contests with prizes and students can show off the projects they are working on and meet the community they will one day serve with their agricultural skills and experience.

So much of the world’s attention these days is on the powerful in politics and business, but it is the humble aspect of men and women who love to feel the dirt running through their fingers and the sound of cows bellowing to be milked and roosters crowing the sunrise, that keep this earth green and fruitful for all. After all, even the first president of the United States said, “I had rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world.”

The history of the FFA (according to www.FFA.org)

• Since the Smith-Hughes ACT in 1917 the quality of life has been bettered for everyone across the globe who is fed and clothed by the American farmer.
• In 1925 educators at Virginia Tech organized the Future Farmers of Virginia which served as the model for the FFA.
• 1928 — Future Farmers of America is established at the first FFA convention in Kansas City, Mo. 33 delegates from 18 states attend. Leslie Applegate from New Jersey is elected first national FFA president.
• 1929 — National Blue and Corn Gold are adopted as official FFA colors.
• 1947 — FFA Day is expanded to the first celebration of FFA Week.
• 1953 — The U.S. Post Office Dept. issued a special stamp to celebrate the 25th anniversary of FFA. Dwight D. Eisenhower was the first U.S. president to speak at a national FFA convention.
• 1959 — First National FFA Center is dedicated in Alexandria, Va., on land that was once part of George Washington’s estate.
• 1969 — FFA opens membership to females, making it possible for them to hold office and participate in competitive events.
• 1994 — Corey Flournoy from Illinois is the first African American to be elected national FFA president.
• 2005 — National FFA launches Seeds of Hope, a fundraising campaign to rebuild Gulf Coast states’ agricultural education and FFA programs following hurricane Katrina.
• 2016 — AgExplorer, a career website is created to help students explore unique careers in agriculture.
• 2019 — The National FFA Foundation celebrates its 75th anniversary, and student membership hits an all-time high with 700,170 members in 8,612 chapters.