National FFA CEO Scott Stump says the organization’s mission of preparing young people for careers in agriculture remains as important as ever as FFA celebrates its 99th National Convention in Indianapolis. With membership reaching more than 1 million students, Stump says the organization is focused on expanding opportunities across the agriculture industry while preparing for its 100th anniversary in 2027.
In a conversation with Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays, Stump reflected on FFA’s growth, its evolving membership and the importance of connecting students with agricultural careers, whether they come from a farm or ranch background or are discovering the industry for the first time.
FFA’s Mission Remains Rooted in Agriculture
Hays noted how much FFA has changed since its beginnings in the 1920s, with the organization preparing to celebrate its 100th anniversary next year.
“Our purpose remains the same, and that purpose is to get young people interested in and engaged in, and ultimately working in the industry of agriculture.” Stump said.
Stump said that mission includes a wide range of career opportunities, from production agriculture to animal health, food products and processing. “While agriculture has continued to grow and we’ve grown with it, our purpose still remains the same, and that we are core to the industry of agriculture,” Stump said.
He also highlighted the growth from FFA’s early membership to its current total of 1.053 million students, crediting the agricultural educators, state leaders and others who helped build the organization. “What a testament to those that came before us that have led all of those agriculture FFA advisors, all of those state leaders that have gotten us to this point of serving as the pipeline for the industry of ag,” Stump said.
Connecting Students to Every Part of Agriculture
As the agriculture industry has expanded, FFA has worked to introduce students to careers beyond traditional farming and ranching.
Stump pointed to the organization’s broader reach, including environmental science and natural resource management, as examples of how students can contribute to agriculture in different ways.
He described a tribute at the convention’s welcome kickoff luncheon to an FFA chapter in Alaska that works on bay cleanup and environmental science. “At its core, agriculture has always been the number one steward of the resources of the land, and we’ve got to continue that operation in a wide variety of opportunities for young people,” Stump said.
For Stump, expanding the definition of agricultural careers is part of helping students understand the full scope of the industry, from production to the food products consumers ultimately purchase. “Our scope is the industry of agriculture,” Stump said. “And so we follow the competencies and standards for the ag food and natural resources systems that cover that whole space of everybody from the farm gate to the consumer’s plate.”
FFA Focuses on Giving Every Member an Experience
With membership exceeding one million students, Stump said the organization’s next challenge is ensuring students have meaningful opportunities to participate. “It means that I’ve got to double down, and our organization needs to double down on figuring out how to get each of those young people engaged,” Stump said.
He emphasized that membership numbers alone do not measure the organization’s impact. Students need opportunities to apply what they learn and receive feedback along the way. “It’s great to have a million members, but unless they are getting FFA experiences, you know, our motto is learning by doing, and they’ve got to do something,” Stump said.
He said FFA is working alongside local agricultural education advisers to make their responsibilities more manageable while finding new ways to connect students with the industry.
Stump acknowledged that agricultural educators play an important role in creating those opportunities and supporting students as they explore potential careers.
Reaching Students Without Farm or Ranch Backgrounds
Stump said the backgrounds of FFA members have changed significantly over the decades. While many students once came directly from farms and ranches, he estimated that fewer than half of today’s members have that background, although the organization does not have an exact figure.
That shift makes it increasingly important to give students firsthand exposure to agricultural businesses and operations. “How do we give those young people that didn’t grow up with that experience a chance to see the authentic industry of agriculture?” Stump asked.
He said partnerships offer one way to help bridge that gap.
Stump pointed to opportunities to work with the American Farm Bureau Federation, which can help open farms, ranches and facilities to students. He also highlighted corporate partnerships, including Culver’s, which has offered a virtual field trip.
Through that experience, FFA members can follow the process from a dairy farm through milk processing and the production of the frozen custard served at Culver’s restaurants. “Lots of different ways we’ve got to approach it because one alone is not going to solve the problem,” Stump said.
By combining hands-on experiences, partnerships and classroom learning, FFA aims to help students understand the many career paths available throughout agriculture.
FFA Prepares for Its 100th National Convention
Looking ahead to next year’s 100th anniversary, Stump said the organization is preparing to celebrate its history while continuing to build for the future.
One anticipated feature is a special version of the iconic blue corduroy FFA jacket. “Will be our jackets. You know, the emblematic, iconic blue corduroy. We’ll have a special patch inside that will mark that being a jacket of the 100th anniversary year,” Stump said.
He added that FFA is also looking ahead to attendance and the number of chapters that may want to participate in the milestone celebration.
For Stump, the anniversary is about more than recognizing how far the organization has come. It is also an opportunity to consider how FFA can continue serving students and the agriculture industry in the decades ahead. “The key is we are absolutely celebrating the incredible, rich traditions of our organization and what brought us to this point, while also looking to the future and saying, how do we ensure that we keep preparing young people to lead in the industry of agriculture?” Stump said.
When Hays asked about the next century of FFA, Stump said preparing for the future is a major focus. “Absolutely, that next century is what keeps me up at night,” Stump said. “Of how are we going to position and continue to meet this generation, not just where they are, but bring them into a love of this industry.”
FFA Explores New Opportunities in Agricultural Business
Stump also discussed FFA’s efforts to support innovation and entrepreneurship within agriculture, including a venture capital fund the organization launched two years ago to support new businesses forming in the industry.
He said the fund was initially intended to focus on high-tech developments in plant and animal systems. Stump noted that the organization is working with an animal health company and a plant protection company.
He said supporting new businesses could help address one of the challenges facing young people interested in production agriculture: making the economics of starting a farm or ranch work.
“Getting a young person to start a farm or ranch starts with economics, and if we can be a partner in figuring out how to make that work and make that play, that’s a space that we need to be in as well,” Stump said.
As FFA approaches its centennial, Stump said the organization will continue working to connect students with opportunities across agriculture while maintaining its core mission of developing young people for leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.
Click here for the schedule of events to watch on the FFA Horizons TV.
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