The National Future Farmers of America (FFA) Week began on Feb. 20 and will continue through Feb. 27, highlighting the importance of agricultural education.
The annual event originally began in 1948, and it is still held by the FFA today to recognize George Washington’s legacy as an agriculturalist. The timing of the event is correlated with the former president’s birthday each year.
Throughout the week, six national officers from the FFA will visit various chapters in states across the country, including Maine, Montana, Kentucky, Rhode Island, Louisiana and Wisconsin. The goal is to spread agricultural education while encouraging individuals to give back to their communities through service projects.
Unique to this year, the FFA dedicated Feb. 23 to “Give FFA Day.” The objective was to urge the public to support the various needs of FFA members. The gifts went toward helping the organization achieve its mission of “making a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.”
FFA chapters across the country use National FFA Week to not only spread the word about agricultural education, but inform students of the benefits of group membership.
Today, the FFA has more than 629,000 student members in local chapters across all 50 states. It is governed by a 19-member board of trustees comprised of agricultural educators.