FFA History
The passage of the Smith-Hughes Vocational Education Act in 1917 not only provided federal funds to states for high school courses in vocational education (agriculture, family and consumer sciences, and trades and industries) – but it also led to the idea for an organization that is known today as the National FFA Organization.
In the early 1920s, just a few years after the Smith-Hughes Act was enacted, Virginia formed a Future Farmers of Virginia club for boys in agriculture classes. Other states soon followed Virginia’s lead and formed their own Future Farmers organizations. The next logical next step was to create a national organization to bring together all of the state organizations.
In 1928, a group of vocational agriculture students were in Kansas City, Mo., for the third annual National Congress of Vocational Agriculture Students, which was held during the American Royal Livestock and Horse Show. On Nov. 20, 33 of those students from 18 states met at the Baltimore Hotel in Kansas City and formed the Future Farmers of America (FFA).
FFA was for young men who were studying vocational agriculture in public secondary schools, and the new organization was designed to develop agricultural leadership, character, thrift, scholarship, cooperation, citizenship and patriotism.
The organization was structured on three levels – local, state and national – with students starting their FFA experience by joining a local chapter at their school, where the agriculture teacher serves as the chapter advisor. As part of the larger program that is now called agricultural education, FFA members are encouraged to participate in all three components of the program: (1) classroom/laboratory work (through enrollment in agriculture classes); (2) membership in FFA; and (3) hands-on work experience through the supervised agricultural experience (SAE) program.
Each FFA chapter develops and follows an annual program of activities, and all members share in planning the program and participate in its execution. Through their participation, members learn how to take part in meetings, follow parliamentary procedure, speak in public and cooperate with their fellow students.
Student officers are elected on each level to lead the organization’s activities, and FFA members receive recognition for their achievements through competition and award programs. The annual national convention offers FFA members an opportunity to come together from across the country and celebrate their accomplishments over the past year.