As the agriculture industry celebrates FFA Week, AEM caught up with association FFA Fan Group members Ben Smith of Kubota Tractor Corporation and Doug Griffin of Context Network to discuss the value of FFA, why and how young people should get involved, and what excites them about the future of the organization.

Led by AEM member company representatives and several association staff members, AEM’s FFA Fan Group seeks to accomplish a variety of goals aligned with the association’s support of FFA. Learn more about AEM’s FFA Fan Group.

AEM: Why do you think it’s so important for folks in our industry to be aware of FFA, its purpose and what it does to support people in the ag industry and beyond?

Smith: I have very fond memories of being a member of FFA. In junior high school, high school and even a little bit into college when I was a State Officer, the organization was a major part of my life. That’s why I think it’s so important to give back to the organization, as it helps enable opportunities for the next generation of ag professionals.

It also seems pretty obvious to me that we need to work to find ways to feed the world’s growing population by doing more with less. That’s going to take real leadership in agriculture, and it’s going to require the next generation of youth leadership in agriculture to successfully achieve it.

Griffin: There are three reasons I believe it’s important to support FFA. The first is somewhat personal to me. It’s a way to pay it back. When I was growing up, FFA did so much for me. It gave me opportunities to develop my leadership skills and provided me a chance to get involved in things I probably would not have otherwise. I feel like now, as an adult, I want to seize the opportunity to return the favor.

Another reason I participate is it’s a critical part of supporting the future of the ag industry. Attracting talent is a battle today. But FFA helps to develop young people that will eventually be leaders in our industry. For that reason, everyone involved with ag should be supporting FFA. Doing so will keep our industry healthy, and it will give us great leaders for a long, long time.

The third reason is a simple one. it’s just the right thing to do. An organization that’s focused on developing young people, it provides opportunities many people would not get, or will not get, without FFA.

 

“When I was growing up, FFA did so much for me. It gave me opportunities to develop my leadership skills and provided me a chance to get involved in things I probably would not have otherwise. I feel like now, as an adult, I want to seize the opportunity to return the favor.” -- The Context Network's Doug Griffin

 

 

AEM: How did you get involved in FFA, and how did those experiences shape your professional and personal development?

Smith: It took an ag teacher who had a lot of passion and energy to get me involved in FFA. It also helped that my brother, who isn’t all that much older than me, took an interest in FFA at the chapter level, and then it was a race to keep up with him. Those experiences taught me the importance of getting the word out to others about the value of involvement in the organization.

FFA also opened a lot of doors for me. Everything from being a younger junior high student and getting involved early at the chapter level. Then ultimately getting involved at the state level of the organization and becoming a State Officer, I became the state Vice President for New York a handful of years ago.

That led me to strive to do more within the organization. Everything from earning an FFA Chapter Degree, to a State FFA Degree and ultimately the American FFA Degree. And it was at the National FFA Convention where I accepted my American Degree and was able to meet and interact with so many folks in the industry. I credit my FFA experience as something that enabled me to be the type of person who was outgoing enough, knew enough about the industry and possessed the leadership skills to be able to go and stop in the major OEMs’ manufacturers booths and start having conversations. And quite frankly, how I got my start in the industry goes back to having a conversation that came about as a result my involvement in FFA at National FFA Convention & Career Expo.

AEM: In what ways to you try to participate in FFA these days and continue to contribute to its long-term success and longevity?

Griffin: My level of participation really happens in two or three different ways. The first is being a part of the FFA Sponsors Board on a couple of different occasions. The primary role of the Sponsors Board is to organize and coalesce the industry around fundraising for FFA. There is tremendous corporate support for the organization, and the Sponsors Board is the root of that corporate support. It’s also able provide feedback to FFA on marketing initiatives and strategy development.

Another fun way I participate is by attending FFA National Convention & Expo, where I’m involved in judging competitions and help facilitate some of the contests. We also promote FFA throughout our firm, the Context Network. We hold a lot of FFA-related events and promoting and supporting the organization is a significant priority for us.

Smith: I’m on the FFA Sponsors Board, representing Kubota Tractor Corporation. I’m also providing some of my time, insights and experience as we try to set up an Alumni and Supporters Chapter within Kubota. In addition, I’m a donor on an individual level, and I try to provide some time and resources back to different local chapter, primarily the one I’m originally from in upstate New York. In my free time, I also provide mentoring.

AEM: When it comes to young people these days in ag, everyone is looking for professional development and learn more about the opportunities available to them. With all that in mind, why do you feel it’s important for young people in ag to familiarize themselves and get involved with FFA?

Smith: FFA, over time, really has been rooted in agriculture. The organization has seen tremendous growth in its leadership capabilities and capacities. And really what that turns into is providing premier career success through not only by establishing itself as foundational pillar of agriculture education, but also youth leadership.

I think sometimes leadership is one of those things where a lot of emphasis is through different FFA contests at the national, state and local level. And really these career development experiences provide youth not only the opportunity to not learn, but also to gain experience.

Griffin: I’m a huge advocate for FFA for young people. It develops skills, even simple skills like public speaking or parliamentary procedure. You can always tell who’s been through FFA, because they know how to run meetings.

It’s not just learning more about agriculture, it’s learning leadership skills. I think any young person that has an opportunity to be in the organization should get involved.

 

“FFA, over time, really has been rooted in agriculture. The organization has seen tremendous growth in its leadership capabilities and capacities. And really what that turns into is providing premier career success through not only by establishing itself as foundational pillar of agriculture education, but also youth leadership.” -- Kubota Tractor Corporation's Ben Smith

 

 

AEM: What excites you most about FFA these days? What activities, priorities or initiatives stand out to you?

Griffin: I think what excites me the most about the future of FFA is the organization broadened its scope of the type of skills it develops and how it goes about wanting to develop them. It’s not just about how to raise better cows and grow better corn. It’s about being a better leader and being a stronger ag tech person. It’s about being involved in things that go beyond getting your hands dirty, and more about the ag industry as a whole.

Smith: One of the things that has caught my eye is the organization, from a member standpoint, has really grown. And it’s grown not just in numbers, but it’s grown in incorporating technology into the ents of an organization that’s now almost 100 years old. And when you look at agriculture, and you think about the production of food and fiber, it’s now more about incorporating technology to optimize output. And I think that’s exciting. One of the challenges agriculture faces is feeding the world’s growing population through doing more with less. And I look at technology as an opportunity for the organization to be able to live out or accomplish that challenge.

AEM: Once young people do get involved with FFA, what from your own experiences in particular have you determined to be the key to get the most out of that experience with FFA and really make the most of that opportunity?

Griffin: One of the neat things about FFA is you get some people who are all in with the organization. They’re going to National Convention, participating in every contest they can, and they get a lot out of it. But you don’t have to be all in to get something out of FFA. The one, two or three things people choose to participate in still benefits and develops them. It all has an impact, and it all makes a difference in ensuring a bright future for agriculture.

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