FFA Week Brings Agriculture to Schools

By Blake Jackson

A nationwide initiative is raising awareness about agriculture and leadership this week, with FFA playing a key role in engaging students. Future Farmers of America (FFA) is an organization that helps students develop leadership skills, personal growth, and career opportunities in agriculture and related fields.

FFA state officers are actively visiting schools to promote the program and its benefits. One of these officers, Luke Schraufnagel, is traveling across north-central Wisconsin, visiting around 26 schools in the region. By the end of the week, all state officers combined will have reached approximately 70 schools.

“We are huge supporters of agriculture, but we are a place where students can join and find their FFA family and connect with other members and learn many different skills and traits that can bring them in many different avenues in their life,” said Schraufnagel.

Becoming a state officer is a competitive process. Schraufnagel went through four interview rounds, competing against other nominees. He answered delegate questions from different chapters and was selected for the role. He has been serving since June 2024 and will continue until June 2025.

“I love kind of communicating with people, especially students and FFA members in schools, and it’s just really cool to see the connections that you can make and the people that you meet, like it’s crazy how many friends I’ve made in every single school across my section, and I see them at different events, and it’s always a great time to reconnect with them,” said Schraufnagel.

FFA Week, which runs from February 17 to February 22, features numerous activities to engage students. Schools organize assemblies, dairy breakfasts, and fun competitions like relay races, milk chugging contests, and even donkey baseball. Activities vary by school, but Tuesday is dedicated to FFA alumni.

FFA continues to play a vital role in promoting agriculture while helping students build essential leadership and career skills for the future.

Photo Credit: shutterstock-alex-brylov