When did the FFA get started?
Our FFA Chapter was chartered in 2014, but the National FFA has been around since 1928. There was a need for Agricultural Education, with the help of the Smith-Hughes Act of 1917 the idea of Future Farmers of America was born. Later on in Kansas City, Missouri Future Farmers of America was established in 1928 with the first president being Leslie Applegate of New Jersey. Since then the name has changed from “Future Farmers of America'' to “National FFA” to encompass the advances in agriculture. A group of students at Orchard Farm High School had shown interest in starting an FFA Chapter. With the help of our school board, students, and community members the Chapter was chartered in 2014.
What is the foundation/goal of the FFA?
The goal of the National FFA Organization is to promote education based on agriculture. FFA is a student-run organization that has chapters in all 50 states. The principles have changed in this organization from being mostly farming-based to opening up opportunities to every aspect of agriculture. The FFA Vision is “Growing the next generation of leaders who will change the world”. The FFA Mission is “FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education”.
What community events does the FFA participate in and how can students get involved?
Our chapter tries to be as involved in the community as possible. Any chance we have, we try to give back to our supporters. Some events we participate in are delivering harvest snack bags to farmers, Trunk or Treat at the ELC, adopting a family during Christmas, volunteering at the St. Charles Co. Dinner Auction, and running the kid's games at our local county fair. Students have the opportunity to participate in their selection of events because we want to make our schedule adaptable to every member’s needs. A few educational events we host throughout the year for our school are Food For America, Early Learning Center Day, and a summer camp for 6th to 8th graders. Food For America is a program that promotes education on food sources from the farm to consumer tables for our third graders in the fall. The Early Learning Center Day is geared towards educating our preschoolers about simple agricultural practices and products.
Students have to be enrolled in an agricultural education course at the high school level and show up to the monthly FFA meetings to be in FFA. Students have the opportunity to do community service projects, travel to conferences and workshops in Missouri and the US, compete in agricultural content areas against other schools in Missouri and the US, and participate in many agricultural-specific academies and camps that are only available through FFA. There are opportunities for leadership roles within the organization as well.
What are some future plans for the FFA?
Because we are such a new chapter, I think that our main goal is to keep growing our student membership and gaining experience. Creating a chapter that has enthusiastic and involved members is also a top priority. By showing the community our desire to grow, we also hope to expand to an adult education program and an alumni chapter in the future. A few events we are looking to add to our program of activities for the year are an annual “Fun Run” and a “Fishing Derby”.
From a student's perspective, what are the benefits of joining the FFA, both during their high school years and beyond?
Tess Bauer: I would say that as a student, I have witnessed all of the personal growth I have gained since joining FFA. My public speaking skills, leadership, and communication skills have benefited greatly from this organization. I also feel that FFA, being a national organization, is like a family to all its members. It is amazing to think that so many people share common interests and when I see the blue jacket, I know that I share my love of agriculture with them.
As an organization that is ensconced in a region with a rich farming community and history, can you highlight the agricultural reach and impact that this region has (both locally to Missouri and throughout the United States)?
Though our community does have a rich farming history, within the last decade we have seen that our school district has become more urban and developed. This means that most of our FFA members do not come from a farming background, yet they still have a passion for agriculture. On the bright side, many of the remaining farmers in this area were Orchard Farm alumni, and are more than happy to be supporters of our chapter. Since our chapter wasn’t founded until 2014, most of these supporters would have likely been interested in FFA had it been offered while they were in high school. The interest we have seen is reassuring that our chapter has people who are willing to have our backs for years to come. As far as our region's impact goes, we have mostly row crop farming and less livestock-based agriculture. Most if not all of the farming operations in our community are family businesses that go back generations. I find it inspiring that so many people have continued their family’s legacy of farming. I think that this concept showcases how agriculture is an ongoing industry full of potential and growth. Because I have seen how people continue to advocate for it, I’m confident that our little town in Missouri can set an example for agriculture around the world.
When reviewing the 2022 Census St. Charles County has 589 farms, while Missouri has 87,887 farms. Our county is mainly focused on row crops like corn, wheat, and soybeans, along with some hay production. Missouri agriculture is both focused on row crops and livestock in the areas of Beef, Poultry, Hogs, and some milk production.