108 Fun Facts About FFA

In what year was FFA founded?

1928 is the founding year: Future Farmers of America was established in Kansas City on November 20 at the first National FFA Convention, and the New Farmers of America for Black students followed nationally in 1935.

Where was FFA founded, and where did it hold its convention through 1998?

Kansas City, Missouri hosted the founding meeting in 1928 and every National FFA Convention for the next seventy years, through 1998.

How many delegates attended the first National FFA Convention in 1928?

33 delegates from 18 states met at Kansas City's Baltimore Hotel on November 20, 1928 to organize the Future Farmers of America.

Who was the first national FFA president?

Leslie Applegate of New Jersey was elected the first national FFA president at the founding convention in Kansas City in 1928.

FFA was modelled on an organisation founded in 1925 in which state?

Henry Groseclose and three colleagues at Virginia Tech organised the Future Farmers of Virginia for boys in agriculture classes.

Which 1917 federal law established vocational agriculture courses, laying the groundwork for FFA?

The Smith-Hughes Act of 1917 funded vocational agriculture classes in public high schools; its sponsors, Senator Hoke Smith and Representative Dudley Hughes, were both Georgians.

What is the FFA motto?

Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve is the FFA motto; Head, Heart, Hands and Health comes from the 4-H pledge.

What are the official FFA colors?

National blue and corn gold represent the blue field of the U.S. flag and golden fields of ripened corn.

The famous FFA jacket is made of what fabric?

Blue corduroy jackets were first made in 1933 for an Ohio chapter band by Dr. Gus Lintner and adopted as official dress at that year's national convention.

The FFA jacket originated with a chapter band in which Ohio town?

Fredericktown's chapter band wore the first blue corduroy jackets in 1933; Van Wert later became home to the jacket maker, Universal Lettering Company.

On the FFA emblem, alongside the sun, plow, eagle and owl, what does the cross section of an ear of corn represent?

Unity is the meaning of the corn cross section: corn is grown in every state, so it stands for the common interest of all members.

On the FFA emblem, what does the owl represent?

Knowledge is the owl's meaning on the emblem, the wisdom an agricultural education is meant to provide.

What does the rising sun on the emblem signify?

Progress is what the rising sun signifies, with its promise that tomorrow brings 'a new day glowing with opportunity'.

What does the eagle on the emblem symbolise?

Freedom is the eagle's meaning, a national symbol of FFA's scope and members' ability to explore new horizons.

Who wrote the FFA Creed?

E. M. Tiffany wrote the FFA Creed, which opens 'I believe in the future of agriculture, with a faith born not of words but of deeds'.

Reciting the Creed from memory is required to earn which degree?

The Greenhand Degree requires the FFA Creed memorised and recited; the degrees climb from Discovery through Greenhand, Chapter and State to the American FFA Degree.

Which FFA award level was approved in 2000 for middle-school students?

The Discovery FFA Degree, approved by convention delegates in 2000, recognizes seventh and eighth graders, who had been eligible to join since 1988.

What does SAE stand for in FFA?

Supervised Agricultural Experience is the SAE, a hands-on project outside class; types include ownership, placement, research, school-based enterprise and service learning.

What are the competitions like meat evaluation, land judging and tractor driving called?

Career Development Events (CDEs) test skills such as livestock and meat evaluation, land judging and agricultural mechanics from chapter up to national level.

Which FFA officer is stationed by the plow?

The vice president is stationed by the plow, symbol of labor and tillage, and presides whenever the president is absent.

The FFA treasurer is stationed by an emblem of which historical figure?

Because Washington kept his farm accounts carefully and accurately; National FFA Week falls around his birthday.

Which officer is stationed by the door?

The Sentinel is stationed by the door to ensure it is open to all and to help the president keep order in meetings.

The secretary is stationed by which emblem?

The ear of corn is the secretary's station, to keep records and 'correspond with other secretaries wherever corn is grown and FFA members meet'.

In what year were female students first admitted to FFA?

1969 is when convention delegates voted to admit girls nationally; Julie Smiley of Washington became the first woman national officer in 1976.

Which organisation for Black agriculture students merged into FFA in 1965?

New Farmers of America, the parallel organization for Black students in segregated schools, merged into FFA in 1965 after the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Why did the organisation change its name to the National FFA Organization in 1988?

To reflect agriculture's diversity: delegates in 1988 renamed it the National FFA Organization because members were pursuing careers well beyond production farming.

Which president signed the bill granting FFA a federal charter in 1950?

Harry Truman signed Public Law 81-740 on August 30, 1950, granting FFA a federal charter from the 81st Congress.

Who was the first sitting U.S. president to speak at a National FFA Convention?

Dwight Eisenhower addressed the National FFA Convention in Kansas City in October 1953, during FFA's 25th-anniversary year.

Which future president was a member of the Plains, Georgia FFA chapter?

Jimmy Carter was a Plains FFA member; he addressed the convention as former Georgia governor in 1975 and as president in 1978.

Where is the National FFA Center, dedicated in 1998?

Indianapolis has housed the National FFA Center since its 1998 dedication; the previous headquarters near Alexandria, Virginia sat on land once part of George Washington's estate.

Roughly how many members did FFA report in 2025?

Over one million: FFA reported 1,042,245 members for 2024-25, with chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Which award, one of FFA's first, was won by Carlton Patton of Arkansas in 1929?

Star Farmer of America, first awarded to Carlton Patton in 1929; in 1939 identical twins Albert and Arthur Lacy of Hondo, Texas became the only members ever to share it.

What was the FFA magazine renamed in 1989?

FFA New Horizons replaced The National Future Farmer as the magazine's title in 1989; the original had published its first issue in 1952.

How many pins may an FFA member wear on the jacket at one time?

They go under the name on the right chest: highest degree, highest office, highest award.

Where is the large FFA emblem placed on the jacket?

The chapter name goes beneath it; a smaller emblem sits on the left chest.

What colour is the official FFA scarf or tie worn with official dress?

Blue: an FFA blue tie or scarf is worn with the white collared shirt and the corduroy jacket zipped to the top.

What was the first official FFA dress in 1930, before the jacket?

Dark blue shirt, cap and yellow tie, with blue or white trousers, was adopted by 1930 delegates, who the same year restricted membership to boys.

Which Californian was elected the first female national FFA president in 1982?

Jan Eberly of California was elected the first female national FFA president at the 1982 convention, thirteen years after girls were admitted.

Which corporation made the first $1 million contribution to the National FFA Foundation, in 2006?

The Foundation itself dates to 1944.

Which WWE Hall of Famer once held a state FFA office?

Jim Ross, the WWE announcer, served as an Oklahoma FFA state officer in high school; Willie Nelson and Bo Jackson are also alumni.

Which pop superstar is listed among notable FFA alumni?

Taylor Swift, who grew up on a Pennsylvania Christmas tree farm, appears on FFA's alumni list with country singers Trace Adkins, Craig Morgan and Willie Nelson.

Which astronaut who died aboard Challenger was an FFA member?

Ellison Onizuka, raised on a Kona coffee farm in Hawaii, was an FFA and 4-H member; he had earlier flown on Discovery's STS-51-C mission in 1985.

Which city first hosted the National FFA Convention in 2006?

Indianapolis first hosted the 79th National FFA Convention in 2006, drawing 54,589 attendees to the Indiana Convention Center.

In what year did FFA sell its one-millionth jacket?

The three-millionth was worn by a Texas member in 1988.

Which president greeted FFA members on the White House lawn in 1933?

Franklin D. Roosevelt welcomed FFA members on the White House lawn in 1933, the same year the blue corduroy jacket became official dress.

Since middle-school chapters were allowed in 1988, at what age may FFA membership begin?

12 is the minimum age, the seventh-grade entry point; active membership may continue until age 21.

The FFA Creed was translated into which language as an official version in 2014?

The National Creed Speaking event had begun in 1999.

Which type of chapter is defined for ninth-graders only?

Junior chapters are for ninth grade only; middle chapters serve middle school, and senior chapters cover tenth to twelfth, or ninth to twelfth, depending on the school.

Which record was set in 2010?

The American Degree is the highest a member can earn.

How many administrative regions each elect a national FFA vice president?

The regions are Eastern, Southern, Central and Western, giving the national officer team a president, a secretary and four regional vice presidents.

What serves as the official FFA salute?

The Pledge of Allegiance to the flag is the official FFA salute, recited at the close of the opening ceremony of meetings.

Which part of the U.S. Code contains FFA's congressional charter?

Title 36 covers patriotic and national organizations, which is why FFA sits alongside groups like the American Legion there.

A Greenhand FFA Degree pin is made of which metal?

Bronze is the Greenhand Degree pin; the Chapter Degree brings a silver pin, the State Degree a gold charm and the American Degree a gold key.

Who serves as the advisor of a local FFA chapter?

The school's agriculture teacher is the chapter advisor, because FFA is run as an intracurricular part of the agricultural education program.

How long is the term of a national FFA officer?

One year: the six national officers are elected at each National FFA Convention and serve full time until the next one.

The FFA mission names premier leadership, personal growth and what third outcome?

Career success: the mission reads 'developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education'.

Whose Apparel Research Center led fit corrections for the restored FFA jacket?

The early-2000s project also standardized the corduroy's blue using samples from archived jackets.

In what year did the improved, color-standardized FFA jacket first go on sale?

The improved jacket, produced in Van Wert, Ohio and South Vietnam, arrived in August 2005.

What color are the slacks or skirt worn as part of FFA official dress?

Official dress pairs black slacks or skirt with a white collared shirt, blue scarf or tie, black shoes and the zipped jacket.

In what year did FFA bylaws allow members to wear any official dress item regardless of gender?

The same update also explicitly allowed religious garb such as headwear.

Where on the FFA jacket are award pins placed?

Beneath the name on the right chest, limited to three: the highest degree earned, the highest office held and the highest award received.

Where is a State or American FFA Degree key worn on the jacket?

Above the name on the right chest, or on a standard key chain, is where a State FFA Degree charm or American FFA Degree key is worn.

At which National FFA Convention was the FFA Creed adopted?

The 3rd National FFA Convention, held in Kansas City in 1930, adopted the Creed by delegate vote.

The author of the FFA Creed, E.M. Tiffany, came from which state?

Kansas: Erwin Milton Tiffany of Lyndon, Kansas wrote the Creed that delegates adopted in 1930.

At which two conventions was the FFA Creed revised by the delegates?

The 38th and 63rd conventions, in 1965 and 1990, each revised the Creed's wording by vote of the delegates.

Which FFA officer is stationed by the flag?

The reporter's charge is to inform the public that FFA reaches from Alaska to the Virgin Islands and from Maine to Hawaii.

The chapter chaplain may be stationed by which symbol?

A chaplain may also be stationed by a Bible or the keystone and presides over invocations at events.

Which FFA officer is stationed by the rising sun?

The president is stationed by the rising sun, 'the token of a new era in agriculture', and presides over chapter meetings.

Which words appear on the FFA emblem alongside the letters FFA?

Agricultural Education is lettered across the emblem above FFA, marking the organization as part of the school agriculture program.

A chapter student advisor may be stationed by the key or which emblem symbol?

The student advisor can stand in for absent officers, except the president and vice president.

In what year were national blue and corn gold adopted as FFA's official colors?

1929: delegates at the second National FFA Convention chose national blue and corn gold as the official colors.

In what year was the National FFA Foundation formed?

1944: the National FFA Foundation was formed to raise sponsor money for awards, scholarships and programs.

In what year did the U.S. Postal Service issue an FFA postage stamp?

1953: a 3-cent stamp marked FFA's 25th anniversary, the same year Eisenhower addressed the convention.

Which year saw the National FFA Alumni Association mark its 40th anniversary?

2011: the National FFA Alumni Association, founded in 1971, marked its 40th anniversary that year.

Who became FFA's first female African-American national president in 2017?

Breanna Holbert of California was elected in 2017, 48 years after women were first admitted to FFA.

Which city hosted the National FFA Convention from 1999 to 2005?

Louisville hosted again from 2013 to 2015 before Indianapolis locked in a long-term contract.

Which FFA award honors the best supervised agricultural experience in a single area like beef production?

Agricultural Proficiency Awards recognize outstanding SAEs in dozens of specific areas, from beef production to turf management, at chapter, state and national levels.

Which Buffalo Bills quarterback is a former FFA member?

Allen grew up on a farm in Firebaugh before his NFL career.

Which Glee actor appears among FFA's notable alumni?

Colfer grew up in Clovis, in the agricultural San Joaquin Valley.

Which Farm Aid co-founder is listed as a notable FFA alumnus?

Fellow Farm Aid founder Willie Nelson is also an FFA alumnus.

Which future U.S. senator served as a national FFA vice president?

Sam Brownback was Kansas state FFA president and then a national FFA vice president in 1976-77, long before the Senate and the Kansas governorship.

Which Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist was an FFA member in high school?

Nicholas Kristof, raised on a sheep and cherry farm near Yamhill, Oregon, was an FFA member before Harvard and the New York Times.

Which star of The Bachelor is a former FFA member?

Soules was nicknamed 'Prince Farming' during his season of The Bachelorette.

Which Fox & Friends co-host is a former FFA member?

Doocy grew up in Kansas and is also a best-selling cookbook author.

In which Alabama town was the New Farmers of America organized?

Tuskegee: the New Farmers of America was organized at Tuskegee Institute and served Black agriculture students in segregated Southern schools until the 1965 merger with FFA.

In what year did New Farmers of America become a national organization?

The national body was created on August 4, 1935 after state and sectional associations had grown across the South.

Who is known as the 'Father of NFA'?

Thomas was a teacher trainer at Virginia State College, where the New Farmers movement began around 1927.

Which crop appeared on the New Farmers of America emblem in place of corn?

The cotton boll reflected the main economic interest of NFA's largely Southern membership.

Where did G.W. Owens teach when he wrote the constitution for the New Farmers movement?

Virginia State College in Petersburg, where G.W. Owens was a teacher trainer, is where he wrote the New Farmers of Virginia constitution in 1927.

What did the letters FFV originally stand for before Groseclose reused them?

First Families of Virginia, the old planter elite of Washington and Jefferson, lent the initials Groseclose wanted farm boys to live up to.

In which Virginia community did Henry Groseclose live most of his life?

A state historic marker honoring him stands in Bland County near Ceres.

Which fraternal order's three-level membership inspired the FFV degree structure?

Groseclose was a Mason and a seventh-degree Grange member, and the FFV levels were Greenhand, Virginia Farmer and Virginia Planter.

What was the highest of the three original FFV membership levels?

The three levels were Greenhand, Virginia Farmer and Virginia Planter.

For how many years did Henry Groseclose serve as National FFA Treasurer?

He was treasurer from 1930 to 1941 after two years as executive secretary.

What did Groseclose announce he had written at the 1930 national convention?

The manual outlined the organization's procedures and structures.

On what was the owl perched in Groseclose's original hand-drawn emblem?

His drawing showed a half-plowed wheat field behind the owl, and parts of it survived into the national emblem.

In what year did Groseclose write the formal ceremony still used at FFA meetings?

The ritual he wrote for the FFV was adopted as a national ritual two years later.

Which Virginia town's high school first offered ag classes under the Smith-Hughes Act?

Woodlawn was the first public secondary school in the country to do so.

The Smith-Hughes Act of 1917 created which federal body to administer its funds?

The Federal Board for Vocational Education, created by the Smith-Hughes Act, approved state plans and distributed federal matching funds until it was folded into the Office of Education in 1933.

Which vocational subject was the only one the Smith-Hughes Act recognized for girls?

The act funded agriculture, trades and industry, and homemaking, but only homemaking was aimed at girls.

Whose report on aid to vocational education was the basis of the Smith-Hughes Act?

Prosser led the National Society for the Promotion of Industrial Education, which lobbied the bill through.

Under the Smith-Hughes Act, what minimum share of a trade student's time went to shop work?

50 percent: the act's '50-25-25 rule' put half of a trade student's day in the shop, a quarter in related subjects and a quarter in academics, until the 1960s.

Which president signed the first Morrill Land-Grant Act?

Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Act on July 2, 1862, after Southern secession removed the opposition that had blocked it before the war.

Which president vetoed the first Morrill Land-Grant bill before the Civil War?

James Buchanan vetoed the Morrill bill in 1859 and the Homestead Act in 1860; both passed in 1862 once Southern states had left Congress.

In which season is the National FFA Convention & Expo held each year?

Fall: the convention is held in late October or early November, the season of the founding meeting in Kansas City in November 1928.

How many circles make up the model of agricultural education that FFA is part of?

The circles are classroom/laboratory instruction, SAE and the FFA student organization.

In 2001, FFA set a new standard for its corduroy blue with a supplier based in which state?

Samples from archived jackets were used because the corduroy had drifted between shades of blue and purple over the decades.

Which Jacksonville Jaguars center is listed among FFA alumni as a past chapter president?

He shares the alumni list with Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and WWE announcer Jim Ross.