Print This PageNational FFA Week
February 20th marks the start of National FFA Week, a celebration of the largest youth organization in the nation. The theme of the week is “Lead Out Loud,” and this theme helps set the tone for the week. Chapters use the theme to plan activities during the week to engage the community and raise awareness about the opportunities available through the FFA.
The National FFA Organization was founded in 1928 with just 33 members, and today there are more than half a million FFA members in the U.S., including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. These members vary in age from 12 to 21 years and make up 7,429 chapters.
The large membership of this youth organization is a result of the National FFA’s noble mission. The mission 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" has helped shape the lives of thousands of ag professionals today and provided an ag education to young adults from every background of life.
Monsanto and FFA
Monsanto has supported FFA for more than 50 years and is the organization’s largest agriculture sponsor. As a company, Monsanto donates more than $1 million a year to support multiple FFA programs, including the Washington Leadership Conference, the Million Hour Challenge, career development competitions and collegiate scholarships. Many Monsanto employees also support FFA through individual giving and are alumni of the national organization.
To learn more about the FFA and FFA Week visit: http://www.ffa.org/ffaweek
Did You Know?
Check out the members stats of FFA members below
History of FFA
| 1928 | The Future Farmers of America was established in Kansas City, Mo. It consisted of 33 members from 18 States |
| 1929 | The official FFA colors were established - National Blue and Corn Gold. |
| 1933 | The first FFA jacket was donned at the national FFA convention and was quickly adopted as the official dress of the organization. Today, the jacket is the most recognizable symbol of FFA. |
| 1935 | New Farmers of America (NFA), an organization for African-American students interested in agriculture, was formed in those states where schools were segregated. |
| 1965 | The FFA and the NFA merged, increasing FFA membership by 50,000. |
| 1969 | Women were admitted to National FFA membership, allowing them to run for office and compete in Career Development Events. Today, women hold more than 50 percent of FFA state leadership positions. |
| 1988 | To recognize the expansion of traditional agriculture into the sciences and technology, Future Farmers of America officially became known as the National FFA Organization. |
| 1998 | The National FFA Organization’s national business center moved to Indianapolis. |
| 2007 | The National FFA Merchandise Center was built in Indianapolis and dedicated. |
