National FFA Week

This is National FFA Week. There are nearly 560 thousand FFA members in grades 7 through 12 across the country, and every year they utilize this week as an opportunity to reach out and educate the public about the FFA organization and the importance of the agriculture industry. Many FFA members are visiting elementary and middle schools this week to talk with young students about where their food comes from and the people who work hard to provide that food. They are also connecting with state and local government leaders and performing community service projects. Interestingly, a great number of FFA members did not grow up on a farm. Instead, they were first exposed to the organization in middle school and they’re passion for agriculture grew from there. When asked about what they feel is the most important point for them to convey to not only the young people they speak to, but school district leaders and state and federal legislators, they respond by stating that agriculture is the nation’s largest employer, and that while farming is about tending livestock and the planting and harvesting of crops, it is also about science, technology, and the business of feeding an ever growing world population.