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Agriculture, food, fuel and fiber industries offer “more than 300 diverse and plentiful career opportunities.”
This is one main reason, according to the FFA (formerly the Future Farmers of America), that its membership continues to grow.
The number of FFA members in 2008 is 507,763, which is the highest it’s been since the 1970s, when membership reached 509,000.
This increase is in spite of a drop in the number of people living in rural areas.
Where do FFA members live? Its statistics show: 27% living in rural farm areas, 40% live in rural nonfarm areas and 33% live in urban and suburban areas.
In addition to agricultural career opportunities, the FFA says the increase also has to do with the agricultural issues having a greater impact worldwide. More agricultural professionals, including students of agriculture, are expected to play a role. FFA reports that the agriculture accounts for 17 percent of the American workforce.
The FFA is open to students ages 12 to 21 and enrolled in agricultural education programs in public high schools. About 5 percent of members are high school graduates or members in the Collegiate FFA.
Organized in 1928, FFA received its federal charter under tha National Vocational Education Acts. It receives no federal funding.
