The National FFA Week is an annual holiday that occurs for a week in February starting from the Saturday before the last Saturday of the month, from February 15 to 22 this year. The holiday was initiated by the National Future Farmers of America Organization; a youth leadership development organization with more than 760,000 student members in 8,700 local F.F.A. chapters in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, with the mission to prepare future generations for the challenges of feeding the growing population of the United States. Fun fact: the National F.F.A. Week was specifically initiated to fall on George Washington’s birth week to highlight his legacy as a leader and a foremost farmer.
History of National FFA Week
National F.F.A. Week was initiated by the National Future Farmers of America Organization — a youth leadership organization, and one of the largest in the U.S., to make a positive difference in the lives of young people by developing their potential for leadership, personal growth, and career success through agriculture education.
First founded by a group of young farmers in 1928, the F.F.A. mission, during National F.F.A. Week, is to prepare future generations for the challenges of feeding the growing population of the United States by teaching members various topics relating to agricultural technology, science, and business, i.e., Ag Business, Ag Mechanics, Ag Sales, Dairy cattle evaluation, and Agronomy, Food Science & Technology, and Dairy Food, etc.
Initially, the holiday was observed on a single day. In 1948, to recognize George Washington’s example and legacy as a leader and farmer, the National F.F.A. Board of Directors initiated a weeklong tradition.
Each year, all 700,000 F.F.A. members spend the weeklong holiday developing their potential for leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education in creative and innovative ways in their various local F.F.A. chapters. During the week, F.F.A. members will take part in agricultural, leadership, and service-based activities across the country.
The organization hosts Career Development Events or Courses contests in which student members compete to test the skills they learned through agricultural education instruction from the program.
National FFA Week timeline
National F.F.A. Day is started.
The F.F.A. purchases 28.5 acres of land a short distance from George Washington’s Mount Vernon plantation.
National F.F.A. Day becomes National F.F.A. Week following the decision of the F.F.A. Board of Trustees at a meeting in July.
First National F.F.A. takes place from February 21 to February 27.
National FFA Week FAQs
What does F.F.A. stand for now?
The letters F.F.A. stand for Future Farmers of America — a youth leadership development organization with more than 760,000 student members in 8,700 local F.F.A. chapters in all 50 states, including Puerto Rico, with the mission to prepare future generations for the challenges of feeding the growing population of the United States.
Are F.F.A. members going to be farmers?
Most people think of farming at the mention of the word agriculture. However, agriculture is a broad field of study and includes veterinary science, marketing, food processing, retail sales, timber harvesting, etc., and members are not necessarily going to be farmers.
How can I observe National F.F.A. Week?
Enroll in an agricultural science class if you’re a student or donate to the F.F.A. and show your support for the program on social media during the National F.F.A. Week if you’re a parent looking to enroll your kids
How to Observe National FFA Week
Enroll in an agricultural science class
To observe National F.F.A. Week as a student, the first step is to enroll in an agricultural science class. This is because the F.F.A. is a part of the teaching program in agricultural sciences. F.F.A. activities are an outgrowth of the classroom and supervised independent projects.
Donate to the F.F.A.
The National Future Farmers of America Organization is a charitable organization that's mostly reliant on donations. Donate a generous amount to it as a way to observe National F.F.A. Week. You can also support its mission by buying the iconic blue jacket of its members from its official store.
Show your support on social media
Perhaps a more accessible way to observe National F.F.A. Week as a parent is to show your support for the program publicly on social media. Use the hashtag #FFAWeek.
5 Things You Didn’t Know About National F.F.A. Week
There was first an F.F.A. Day
Before the establishment of National F.F.A. Week, there was a National F.F.A. Day.
The F.F.A. has official colors
Gold and blue — gold represents the color of corn, and blue is a reference to the U.S. flag
There’s a legion of support
The F.F.A. reports that it has 760,000 fellows across the United States participating in National F.F.A. Week activities at local, state, and national levels.
States with the most F.F.A. members
The five states with the most members are California, Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia, and Missouri.
Headquartered in Indianapolis
Although it has representatives in each state it operates, the National Headquarters of the F.F.A. is in Indianapolis.
Why National FFA Week is Important
It spurs interest in agriculture
National F.F.A. Week promotes the F.F.A., which is part of the agricultural sciences teaching program in schools meant to pique students' interest in agriculture. The National F.F.A. aims to help students understand that agriculture is more than planting and harvesting through supervised independent projects.
It helps secure future population growth
One of the reasons National F.F.A. Week’s promotion of F.F.A. is important is because it guarantees that the U.S. has a growing number of food production experts concerning the average growth of the populace. It helps enlighten students about the various career pathways that might fit them.
It makes use of available agriculture expertise
Although, according to the U.S Department of Agriculture, an estimated one in five people in the U.S. work in one of over 300 agriculture-related jobs. To meet up with the constantly growing population, more and more people are needed to acquire expertise in these jobs.
National FFA Week dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | February 19 | Saturday |
| 2023 | February 18 | Saturday |
| 2024 | February 17 | Saturday |
| 2025 | February 15 | Saturday |
| 2026 | February 21 | Saturday |
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