About FFA
What is FFA?
The FFA is a dynamic youth organization within agricultural education that changes lives and prepares students for premier leadership, personal growth and career success.Today, almost half a million student members are engaged in a wide range of agricultural education activities, leading to over 300 career opportunities in the food, fiber and natural resources industry. Student success remains the primary mission of FFA.
Organization Name
The National FFA Organization
The name was changed in 1988 from Future Farmers of America, when membership dropped because kids thought that they had to live on a farm or want to be a farmer to join FFA. That is not true, a lot of members don't live on farms, they start their own businesses or work for someone in an agriculture related field.
Year Founded
1928
Number of Chapters
There are 7,358 chapters in all 50 States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
Membership Statistics
- 500,823 members aged 12 - 21
- 38% of all FFA members are female; and women make up more than 50% of the state officer positions
- 62% of all FFA members are male
- 27% of FFA members live in rural farm areas
- 39% of FFA members live in rural non-farm areas
- 34% of FFA members live in urban or suburban areas
- The states with the highest FFA membership are: California, Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma and Ohio
Education Statistics
More than 11,000 teachers deliver an innovative, cutting-edge and integrated curriculum to students.
Agricultural classes schools offer:
- 92% offer agriscience
- 71% offer advanced agriscience and biotechnology
- 59% offer agricultural mechanics
- 49% offer horticulture
- 43% offer animal science
- 24% offer environment-related
FFA Mission:
The National FFA Organization is dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.
Motto
Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve.
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.
History
The original inspiration for the organization began after the Smith-Hughes National Vocational Education Act of 1917 established vocational agriculture courses. Virginia's Future Farmers clubs for boys in agriculture led to the establishment of a national organization, The Future Farmers of America, at the Hotel Baltimore in Kansas City, Missouri in 1928. The FFA was granted a federal charter in 1950 when Congress passed Public Law 740. In 1965 the organization consolidated with the New Farmers of America, the organization for black agricultural students. Girls were permitted to join as members in 1969. In 1988, the official name of the organization was changed from the Future Farmers of America to the National FFA Organization.
The FFA is structured on the local, state and national levels. The National FFA Organization is led by a board of directors and six student national officers. Delegates representing the state associations vote on recommendations and policy issues at the national convention. National FFA staff members carry through the policies and provide programs and services while the national officers represent the members and guide the organization.
For information on the history of Illinois FFA click here.
Emblem
The emblem of the FFA represents the history, goals and future of the organization. The five symbols of the emblem are: the cross section of the ear of corn, the rising sun, the plow, the eagle and the owl. 
