- Thread starter merlynr
- Start date
544hydro
Member
The official name of the organization is the National FFA Organization.
The letters “FFA” stand for Future Farmers of America. These letters are a part of our history and our heritage that will never change. But FFA is not just for students who want to be production farmers; FFA also welcomes members who aspire to careers as teachers, doctors, scientists, business owners and more. For this reason, the name of the organization was updated in 1988 after a vote of national convention delegates to reflect the growing diversity and new opportunities in the industry of agriculture.
The letters “FFA” stand for Future Farmers of America. These letters are a part of our history and our heritage that will never change. But FFA is not just for students who want to be production farmers; FFA also welcomes members who aspire to careers as teachers, doctors, scientists, business owners and more. For this reason, the name of the organization was updated in 1988 after a vote of national convention delegates to reflect the growing diversity and new opportunities in the industry of agriculture.
Brendon Warren
Well-known Member
My dad always said it stood for father farms alone or
father's fooled again. My older brother was always too busy
with FFA to help on the farm.
father's fooled again. My older brother was always too busy
with FFA to help on the farm.
I was never a member and none of my kids/grand kids are. The FFA of today is more a social organization than a place you will get in depth farm knowledge. The skills taught by the speaking contests and such are good training for many other careers outside of farming. I think the projects are a good thing just because they teach kids how to approach things in an organized manner. We decided that our kids would benefit from other things.
Dave Sherburne, NY
Member
Most schools around here don't even have an Ag class anymore. My son was in FFA when he was in school about 20 years ago. Even took a trip to Kansas City.
The name was changed in 1988. I just retired from 32 years as an ag teacher. That's why I have to ask so many questions from all
you guys who have actually done the work your whole life instead of just talked about it! In some places FFA is growing. One
county in southern Indiana went from 3 high schools without ag to 3 schools with ag, each with its own FFA chapter all in the
last 20 years. And two of those were pretty much city schools. My daughter is also an ag ed graduate and she is taking a job
next fall to start an ag program back up in a school that had not had it for the last 40 years.
The biggest challenge honestly is finding qualified teachers who want to do the job. It turns out that anyone who can get a
teaching degree is pretty valuable in other ag jobs, and teacher's salary can't compete.
you guys who have actually done the work your whole life instead of just talked about it! In some places FFA is growing. One
county in southern Indiana went from 3 high schools without ag to 3 schools with ag, each with its own FFA chapter all in the
last 20 years. And two of those were pretty much city schools. My daughter is also an ag ed graduate and she is taking a job
next fall to start an ag program back up in a school that had not had it for the last 40 years.
The biggest challenge honestly is finding qualified teachers who want to do the job. It turns out that anyone who can get a
teaching degree is pretty valuable in other ag jobs, and teacher's salary can't compete.
Traditional Farmer
Well-known Member
- Location
- Virginia
No surprise with the declining number of conventional farmers.And the farmers that I know that have started up and been successful in my area in the last 10 years are ones that the folks that run the
FFA would ridicule and dismiss.
FFA would ridicule and dismiss.
J. Schwiebert
Well-known Member
You need to remember that most of the kids in ag classes do not come from a farm and therefore would not have production ag projects. A very high percentage of the students who are in these classes are female yet a good percent of these work in some business related to agriculture. In Ohio they are called ag science classes. Also over 60% of the ag science teacher in Ohio are female. I sub for the local program and a high percentage of the seniors continue on in some form of ag classes at Ohio State or ATI. Probably less than 10% live on a farm and less than half of those would have a farm large enough for them to work on.
I couldn't find historical numbers, but present membership is almost 650,000. I think the organization has continued to grow since I was in it 50 years ago. Back then, it was pretty much just livestock
projects, livestock judging, public speaking contests and creed contests. But they were starting to move away from strictly ag even then, as a name change to Future Farmers and Agriculturalists was
proposed (and voted down). Not long after, they began projects in farm related businesses, etc. The organization has changed to meet the needs of kids who no longer were on a farm track.
projects, livestock judging, public speaking contests and creed contests. But they were starting to move away from strictly ag even then, as a name change to Future Farmers and Agriculturalists was
proposed (and voted down). Not long after, they began projects in farm related businesses, etc. The organization has changed to meet the needs of kids who no longer were on a farm track.
Andy Martin
Well-known Member
And just this week I had to give a speech to the cows about not rearranging the feed bunks when I'm not there. I just don't think I got through to them.
FFA is strong and valuable in Oklahoma. A lot of kids can't afford a steer but that does not deter them.
J. Schwiebert
Well-known Member
We there is a reason for that! We have 8 dairy farmers in the whole county! You can keep a small animal in town. There are probably less farmers with steers sheep and hogs in the county who grow more than 2 or 3 for there own use. When I was in the FFA 60 years ago farms with livestock were declining then already.
BarnyardEngineering
Well-known Member
- Location
- Rochester, NY
Nobody else see a problem with that?
Most kids in the modern FFA go on to "other ag jobs" and earn big money, while the farmers themselves scrape and scratch to get by, even the BTOs.
These are kids who, fresh out of "college" come to your place and tell you what to feed your animals, and what to put on your crops. Of course it all comes in shiny brightly-colored bags and costs a whole lot of money. Spend $500 an acre to increase your yield by $50 an acre. Makes perfect sense. NOT.
Andy Martin
Well-known Member
It all boils down to the free market system. We are able to produce much more than we need, and there are a lot of people who want to produce. GE just got out of the light bulb business. I figured out miraculously many years ago that there is not much profit in mainstream agriculture. Still money in niches, but if there is much money in a niche market, like all natural beef, there will be enough people jump in to lower the profit by overproduction.
My uncle returned from the Navy in 1952, and like any kid he had grown a small herd helping his dad. He had no car so when he got back they loaded up five steers in grandpa's pickup stock rack and took them to town. He bought a brand new pickup with the proceeds and treated his dad to a steak dinner at the cattleman's club. I can't buy a new pickup with the proceeds from 5 steers. Maybe 30 steers. I'm guessing it was easier to live off of cattle back then.
BarnyardEngineering
Well-known Member
- Location
- Rochester, NY
I'll be a little more direct this time:
Most of the kids coming out of FFA programs join an industry whose primary goal is screwing farmers out of as much of their hard earned money as possible, and it's GROWING.
Most of the kids coming out of FFA programs join an industry whose primary goal is screwing farmers out of as much of their hard earned money as possible, and it's GROWING.
bmack95hd
Well-known Member
- Location
- Cahone, Colorado
I was in FFA back in the late 60?s. Even though we
were in the city we rented plots to work and also
had a couple plots donated. I learned a lot and it is
that knowledge that stoked my interest in small
acreage farming.
were in the city we rented plots to work and also
had a couple plots donated. I learned a lot and it is
that knowledge that stoked my interest in small
acreage farming.
I took a intro to ag class my freshmen year of HS back in the late 1990s and loved it. I had no interest at all in being a farmer at the time but the people were great and I was on a very successful parliamentary procedure team. I ended up ensuring I was in ag classes every year in high school then and it played a big role in my long term outlooks. Now in my mid 30s I'm transitioning from a wanna be farmer to working out a deal to manage 45 acres this summer. It's a great organization that I credit many of my professional skills to.
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