Not Your
Father’s FFA
by Aaron Alejandro
Texas FFA, Agriscience
Prepare Students for
Career Challenges
When an organization has a 90-year history, some- times the biggest challenge is getting people to see what it is now, not what it was a century ago. The Texas Future Farmers of America (FFA) was founded in 1929, a time when many people
were looking for direction. The leadership program offered greater
opportunity for self-expression, personal development, and a sense
of pride in one’s work—the cornerstones of student achievement.
Everything the FFA does today still boils down to that bedrock concept: student achievement. This core value is at the heart
of everything FFA offers both students and teachers. It’s a promise
kept through cutting-edge programming that links STEM to the real
world, empowers teachers with mentorship and leadership opportunities, and offers millions of dollars in annual scholarships.
Originally, vocational farming was about feeding a growing
country. Today, agricultural science education and the FFA are
about training young people to be confident, resilient, ethical adults
who are successful and employable—and not just in farming.
The Texas FFA has launched business careers, established
CEOs, and played an integral role in creating some of the state’s
most respected leaders across a host of occupations. The organization retains its roots as the Future Farmers of America, but a core
focus on leadership and agricultural science means that FFA is also
about future biologists, future engineers, future entrepreneurs, and
much more.
