Future Farmers of America (FFA) membership is at a 30-year high in Wisconsin, with more and more middle and high school students getting involved in agriculture education.
Last year, Wisconsin FFA chapters had almost 19,200 members in more than 250 school districts across the state.
While the organization isn’t steering away from its mission of “premier leadership, personal growth, and career success,” it’s diversifying opportunities for students.
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Wisconsin State FFA President Alison Wedig studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Like many members, she doesn’t come from a farming background. Wedig said more and more students are attracted to agri-science and food processing. She said that’s good since there are a growing number of mouths to feed.
“As the industry continues to increase, we’re obviously going to need more workers. Having students with a background of agriculture education and taking part in FFA events, they’re already going to have that background which will enable them to be better employees, which will then enable us to grow for Wisconsin agriculture,” she said.
Plus, FFA is starting to develop in more urban areas, like Milwaukee.
Wisconsin FFA advisor Jeff Wicken said there’s a lot of room to grow in the state, but there’s a shortage of teachers to advise the programs. Each FFA chapter is tied to a school’s agriculture education program, so there’s a push to encourage members to become teachers.
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