Celebrate the abundance that agriculture supplies us every day by declaring March 19-23 National Agriculture Week in your chapter and community. Throughout the week National FFA Literacy and Advocacy Platform encourages programs and activities to bring awareness to agriculture across the nation. Check out each day’s activities below and remember to check out FFA Literacy and Advocacy for ways on how to advocate for agriculture year-round!
Monday: Thank a Farmer Day
- Watch the #SpeakAg Dialogue: What is the biggest challenge young farmers will face in their first five years on the farm? To celebrate the next generation of farming and post on social media about your reaction using #SpeakAg
- Check out the video and accompanying lesson plan
- Watch a documentary and write a short response or blog post to post on social media using #SpeakAg Check out
- Visit Discovering Farmland for some viewing options.
- Host a farmer’s market
- Write a Thank You Note to A Farmer
- Sample Letter for middle school and high school students
- Elementary classrooms: Have students write, draw, or create thank you letters or cards to America’s farmers.
- Students may sign the cards, but please do not include last names
- Send your classroom thank you notes to:
American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture
600 Maryland Ave. SW Suite 1000 W
Washington, DC 20024
- Sample Letter for middle school and high school students
For more information check out American Farm Bureau Foundation.
Tuesday: National Agriculture Day
March 20th marks National Agriculture Day, a time when producers, agricultural associations, corporations, universities, government agencies and countless others across America gather to recognize and celebrate the abundance provided by agriculture.
- Complete a current event lesson from My Journey
- Contact Congress about Agriculture and the FFA
- Find your Senators
- Find your Representatives
- Sample Letter
- Send a Tweet to your Legislators using #NextGenAg and #AgDay
- Sample Tweets
- Keep in mind that you may not receive a response from an elected official from a tweet, many offices will track how often issues or responses are brought to their attention.
- Call your State Legislators
- Visit your Local and State Legislators.
- For tips on planning the visit and talking points use the FFA Advocacy Legislative Handbook
- Fill out a Pocket Card and take it along
- Invite local and state legislators to visit local farms and ranches
- Invite local and state legislators to visit your chapter
- Invite agricultural advisors/lobbyists to speak in your classroom
- Watch “#SpeakAg Dialogue: How should America Prioritize its farmland?” to hear from experts about how the change in farmland will impact the future of agriculture.
- Check out the video and accompanying lesson plan at ffa.org/literacy-and-advocacy
- For more ideas, check out AgDay.org
Wednesday: School Day
- Bring your favorite fruit or vegetable to class along with facts about where it was grown and how many producers we have in the US
- Host a classroom field trip to a local farm or ranch or to a university’s agricultural research farm
- Post #SpeakAg facts around your school
- Write a paper for one of your classes (outside of an agricultural education class) on an agricultural topic
- Share what your SAE is with peers during lunch
- Teach an agricultural lesson to an elementary class
- Check out USDA.gov for lesson plans
- Invite a farmer to speak to a non-agricultural education class
Thursday: Community Day
- Host a “#SpeakAg Dialogue: What holds the most potential for the future of American food production?” watch party open to the community. Grab some popcorn and have some discussions with your community about what agriculture looks like to them.
- Check out the video and accompanying lesson plan at ffa.org/literacy-and-advocacy
- Post #SpeakAg facts around the Community
- Volunteer at a local soup kitchen or food pantry while wearing your favorite FFA or agriculture T-shirt
- Distribute information about agriculture or other information through local stores (Get permission first!)
- Host an Ag Day Breakfast for local government and business leaders
- Donate agriculture books to your public library. View some recommended publications.
Friday: Share Your #SpeakAg Story Day
- Post pictures from your National Ag Week on social media and share your experience with #SpeakAg and #NextGenAg
- Share your #SpeakAg Story with a friend or family member and ask them about their experiences with agriculture.
- Send us your experiences here and add to our Advocacy Action Map
