National FFA Week wraps up today in Missouri

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson,  on behalf of nearly 27,000 members of Missouri FFA, proclaimed this week to be National FFA Week in Missouri.

“FFA members are the future of Missouri agriculture,” Governor Mike Parson said. “The First Lady and I live an agricultural lifestyle, and we’re encouraged by the leadership we see displayed in Missouri FFA members who will uphold valuable traditions and introduce new ones. Each time we interact with this group, we’re reminded that both the industry and state we love is in great hands.”

For the sixth year in a row, Gov. Parson drove a John Deere tractor to the Capitol in honor of the FFA tradition of students driving their tractor to school during National FFA Week. Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe joined in on the tradition again this year, demonstrating his ties to agriculture and commitment to FFA students.

FFA members drove restored tractors alongside the Governor and Lieutenant Governor this year, and a display of tractors from local implement dealers was showcased in front of the Capitol. Missouri FFA President Sam Tummons from the Columbia FFA Chapter received the FFA Week proclamation on behalf of the 2023-2024 Missouri FFA State Officer team.

In 1928, 33 young men met at the Baltimore Hotel in Kansas City, Mo., and began the National Future Farmers of America Organization (FFA). Today, the organization’s official name is the National FFA Organization, which 96 years later is represented by 9,163 FFA chapters and 945,988 members nationwide.

Missouri FFA continues to help the next generation rise to meet the challenges of feeding a growing population. FFA allows members to develop their own unique talents and explore their interests in a broad range of career pathways. Missouri is home to 362 chapters and more than 26,830 members, ranking eighth nationally for membership.

To learn more about the Missouri FFA Association, visit MissouriFFA.org.