What's Growing On in Texas FFA

Today, more than 170,000 Texas FFA members in nearly 1,200 chapters are engaged in a wide range of agricultural activities. With so many opportunities available to students, it can be difficult to stay informed. Click the "FFA Unraveled" image to access this informative podcast series.

December 9-13, 2024

Texas FFA's Career Week aims to provide quality resources for teachers to provide a valuable career unit experience that will showcase the extensive career opportunities within the agricultural industry.

Advisors, take advantage of the three weeks' worth of lesson plan resources! Learn more here.

Through generous donations, the Gift of Blue program allows members who would not otherwise be able to afford their own official FFA jacket to apply or be nominated to receive a jacket. You can nominate a member to be gifted a jacket or learn more at FFA.org/giveblue

Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) is recruiting high school students, teachers, and Child Nutrition Directors (CNDs) to be a part of our Health Ambassadors for a Ready Texas (HART)program. We’re looking for students who are passionate about Texas agriculture and would like to promote healthy school meals, teachers to serve as student advisors, and CNDs to provide inspiration and guidance about school meals. For more information, email HART@TexasAgriculture.gov

The FWSSR calf scramble is an incredible opportunity for FFA members! They have a new website specifically for 2025 calf scramble applicants to learn about the program. You can view the website here. Rules and entry applications for 2025 will be available October 1st.

Spend a half day with Ford Driving Skills for Life's advanced driver training clinic for newly licensed or permitted drivers. Now in its third decade, Ford Driving Skills for Life supports a Safe System Approach, which prioritizes the elimination of crashes that result in death and serious injuries while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility among all road users. For more information, click here.

The American Pastured Poultry Producers Association (APPPA) is hosting its annual Pastured Poultry Conference from January 23-25, 2025, in Allen, Texas. This event brings together around 300 farmers and industry professionals from across the country who are dedicated to sustainable, pasture-based poultry farming. It’s a great opportunity for students to learn more about the future of poultry farming, engage with experts, and discover hands-on ways to improve farm operations. For more information click here.

Registration is now open for Texas FFA, 4-H and Jr. MANRRS members to attend the 2025 American Farm Bureau Federation Convention for FREE through the Youth Leadership Program! Click here for more information and here for the agenda outline.

This year's event is being held in San Antonio, Texas. It provides an excellent opportunity for ag students to connect with farmers and ranchers, gain an inside look at the convention of the country’s largest general agricultural organization, and jumpstart local collaboration.

*One chaperone or advisor per chapter should coordinate registration and will also receive free registration. Students under the age of 17 must be supervised by an adult at all times.

Are you considering attending the Washington Leadership Conference (WLC) in 2025? This year, National FFA has the opportunity to share funds for those registering and attending WLC through the Student Engagement and Travel Assistance Grants. For more information, click here. Grant applications are now open and will close on Monday, Dec. 2.

The Arizona National Livestock Show has partnered with collegiate livestock judging programs from across the nation to increase focus on the Junior Livestock Judging Contest and provide an opportunity for networking and potential college recruitment.

The event will be in Phoenix, AZ on December 31st. Entry deadline is December 27th. Click here for more information.

YAP Camps are week-long, immersive courses on career exploration held at Texas A&M University's College Station campus. In this course, students will discover “un-bee-liveable” ways insects interact with their environments, their significance to human society, and careers in the field. Students will gain practical, field- and laboratory-based skills through experiments, expeditions, and hands-on activities, including creating their own insect collections. By the end of this course, students will know the basics of insect diversity, biology, morphology, and more, and how to pursue entomology through high school and beyond! Registration will open for Entomology and other YAP programs in January 2025, and several scholarship opportunities will also be available. Click here for more information!

A new partnership between the Institute of Competition Sciences (ICS) and the National FFA is challenging members to develop innovative experiments to learn how to plant the Moon!

This collaboration provides an excellent opportunity for students to engage with NASA, space exploration, and STEM like never before!

Learn more here.

The Mike Rowe Works Foundation's Work Ethic Scholarship Program and giving away another $1,000,000 in scholarships this year. They looking for hardworking men and women who will keep the lights on, water running, and air flowing--people who will show up early, stay late, and get the job done. It's not for everyone, but we know hard workers are out there. Learn more here.

The Texas Nursery and Landscaping Association (TNLA) Foundation Scholarship is now accepting applications. Application Period: April 26, 2024, through December 15, 2024. Apply here.

If you are a senior FFA member in high school or an FFA Alumni in college, we have news for you! The National FFA Scholarship program is now open. Just one application is required for multiple scholarship opportunities totaling nearly $2.5 million. Apply today!

In partnership with US Rice Producers Association, the Stoesser family is offering a $5,000 scholarship to one deserving high school senior or current college student who is interested in or is currently pursuing a career in an agriculture-related field. In addition to the monetary award, the selected recipient will serve as a student ambassador for USRPA in 2025 with an expectation of participating in at least two activities during the calendar year. The recipient will be invited to participate in various USRPA activities, including but not limited to Field Days, legislative activities, conferences, and more.

The application deadline is Friday, December 6 at 11:59 p.m. CT. The application is available here.

Since its founding in 2019, the National Society Descendants of American Farmers has awarded over 104,000.00 in agriculture scholarships. The scholarship is specific to higher education students majoring in an agricultural field of study. Students may reapply each year that they are in school. Application deadlines are August 1st and January 1st annually. The application is available here.

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Smithfield works every day to produce good food the right way, with respect for its people, animals, community, and planet. As part of that mission, Smithfield provides FFA chapters with funds to increase diversity, culture, and engagement, breaking down financial barriers by providing chapter operations funds and supporting community service projects focusing on food insecurity. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Funds will be distributed quarterly. Learn more here.

Through various grants, scholarships, and other opportunities, your FFA Alumni and Supporters chapter can take it to the next level. Use these opportunities to start a chapter and grow the quality reach of your chapter. Learn more here.

This award honors and recognizes individuals who have dedicated much of their lives to growing and nurturing the next generation of agriculturists! If you know an advisor, club leader, extension agent, etc., who deserves recognition, please nominate them here.

The nomination window is open until December 31, 2024.

Did you know that the Texas Farm Bureau is so much more than an insurance company? Joining the Texas Farm Bureau is an option for any friend or advocate of agriculture. This membership does not require you to hold an insurance policy through Texas Farm Bureau Insurance. Click here to learn more about the benefits available as a Texas Farm Bureau member.

The SAE for All committee would love to highlight any unique/innovative activities you conduct in your state regarding SAEs/SAE for All. Ideas could include but are not limited to: communication of SAEs (on social media, radio, newsletters, etc.), programming for SAEs (for students or teachers), statewide events or policies you have regarding SAEs, promotion/special awards for SAEs, etc. Highlight your state initiative or nominate another state/individual here.

New Mexico State University is offering a professional development opportunity during the summer of 2025 (June 23rd-June 27th) to introduce agricultural educators throughout the U.S. to southwest agriculture. This travel opportunity will include farm visits, visiting prominent agricultural education programs in NM, white sands national park, exploring the Ruidoso Downs horse track, and a trip to Puerto Palomas, Mexico (No passport required). This trip is open to agricultural educators throughout the U.S. and their families. If you are interested in attending, please complete this survey. If you have any questions, you can email wnorris1@nmsu.edu.

The AET is hosting a two-day SAE Symposium in San Antonio, Texas, starting Monday, December 2, 2024. For more information, click here.

The Texas FFA Association is working with the ATAT to grant continuing professional education hours to teachers who judge leadership development events. The reasoning behind this decision was to help teachers with administration restraints to attend contests as judges, provide an incentive for contests that do not have the budget to pay judges and aid in delivering area and state events to more qualified judges. Credit will not be awarded if you are receiving an honorarium, stipend, or monetary gift for being there. If you are asked to judge at an area or state event, the documentation will be done through the area coordinator or the state office.