22. Indiana FFA

Indiana FFA

 

Since 1906 when the first Indiana organized high school class in agriculture was offered, the evolution of Indiana’s vocational education in agriculture has continued to develop. In the early years, teachers of vocational agriculture realized that along with technical subject matter content their students also needed training in becoming an alert member of society through leadership and character development, sportsmanship, cooperation, service, thrift, scholarship, improved agriculture, organized recreation, citizenship, and patriotism.

 

As a result, high school agriculture clubs were organized by many to provide this training. These clubs became more numerous throughout the United States and provided a sufficient nucleus for a national organization to be formed in 1928. This national organization was the Future Farmers of America. The Indiana FFA Association, formed in 1929, was the 19th state association chartered by the National Future Farmers of America.

 

Over the years the Future Farmers of America has become an organization that is not just for students who want to be production farmers; there are members who aspire to careers as teachers, doctors, scientists, business owners and more. For this reason, the name of the organization was updated in 1988 after a vote of national convention delegates to reflect the growing diversity and new opportunities in the industry of agriculture. The official name of the organization is the National FFA Organization. The letters “FFA” stand for Future Farmers of America. These letters are a part of our history and our heritage that will never change.

 

The Indiana FFA Association, formed in 1929, was the 19th  state association chartered by the National FFA Organization, an agricultural education organization consisting of 52 chartered state associations including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Each state association is governed by its own constitution approved by the National FFA Organization and is comprised of chapters within secondary schools throughout the state.

 

The FFA is part of a three-tiered program of agricultural education that includes classroom instruction, hands-on experience, and community-based programs. When the Indiana FFA Association was founded, its headquarters were located on the Purdue University campus in West Lafayette, Indiana. The FFA operated as a branch of the Office of the State Supervisor of Agricultural Education, a division of the State Department of Public Instruction (now called the Indiana Department of Education). The State Supervisor of Agricultural Education assumed the role of State FFA Advisor and a Teacher-Trainer at the Purdue University Campus was chosen to serve as the State Executive Secretary/Treasurer.

 

In 1969, the Leadership Training Center opened in Trafalgar, Indiana, to house the administrative operations of the organization and to serve as a training camp for the members of the state association. Since its construction, the center has grown to include office space, camping facilities, hiking trails, swimming, a ropes course, and a residence for the state officers.