A word from Hohenwald FFA

If your child is enrolled in an Agriculture Education class either fall or spring semester, they are an FFA member. Students enrolled in Mr. Peery’s Agribusiness or Mrs. Flippo’s Agriscience, Food Science or Animal Science classes are FFA members. Parents and community, we fundraise so we can offer extracurricular education opportunities for our members and students with little to no out of pocket costs. Since the students and members are responsible for participating in the fundraisers, they are truly earning those extra opportunities. We strive to make sure all our fundraisers are Agriculture related.

Our FFA programs provide members opportunities to travel around the United States and even abroad. I have had the privilege of taking students to FFA camps in Tennessee and Alaska. We have traveled out west as far as Yellowstone, north to Mackinaw Island and all the way to Ireland. These trips are all planned around Agriculture education opportunities for our students.

In 2020, Tennessee FFA Association, upon unanimous approval and funding from the Tennessee FFA Foundation Board of Directors, became an affiliated state association within the National FFA Organization.

The National FFA Affiliation Fee Program allows students who are currently enrolled in secondary agricultural education programs (grades seven-12) who have met the local, state and national requirements to be eligible for all the benefits and opportunities offered through FFA.

Under the affiliation program, all enrolled students in local agricultural education programs are considered official FFA members.

“It has long been the goal of the Tennessee FFA Foundation to provide support for Affiliate Membership,” Tennessee FFA Foundation Chairman Ben Byler. “All Agricultural Education students will now have opportunities for leadership and personal development through the FFA. This is a history-making moment for Tennessee FFA.”

Involvement in FFA is an integral part of an agricultural education program and therefore should not be optional. Affiliation marks significant progress in implementing the recommendations of the Tennessee Agricultural Education and Youth Participation Task Force. “The Tennessee FFA Foundation should be proud of their decision to take on the financial obligation for membership affiliation for our members,” Munford High School Agriculture Educator and Task Force representative Ann Johnson said. “Many students who are in agriculture education courses do not join our organization because of the financial burden it would place on their families. It warms my heart to know that in these trying times our leadership had the foresight to help make a difference in over 30,000 members’ lives across this state. This step by the Tennessee FFA Foundation is the first step towards achieving the mission and ideas that the Task Force has set forward.”

Tennessee FFA membership increased from 13,917 members, as reported in the 2018-19 school year, to more than 30,000 members across the state. Tennessee FFA also became the fourth largest state association within the National FFA Organization.

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. Nationally, there are 700,170 FFA members, aged 12-21. To learn more about FFA, visit http://www.tnffa.org.