Each July, an elite group of FFA alumni between the ages of 18 and 24 attend the New Century Farmer Conference, a five-day event held in Des Moines, Iowa.
In addition to growing their leadership and career development skills, particularly in the production agriculture sector, attendees have the opportunity to meet industry experts and get a glimpse behind the scenes of major ag businesses.
“The New Century Farmer Conference is ideal for anyone looking to expand their network,” says Emma Mendez, program manager for alumni and supporters for the National FFA Organization. “Participants get to tour the facilities of industry-leading companies like John Deere and Corteva Agriscience, and they often have the opportunity to connect one-on-one with guest speakers who are experts in their field. As a result, these young people leave more inspired, more educated and better prepared to become leaders in agriculture.”
For Cooper Brown, a 2022 New Century Farmer Conference attendee, the experience introduced him to new and innovative ways to improve production on his fifth-generation family farm, Brown’s Bottom Farm — both from industry professionals and his peers.
“Being able to talk to other agriculturalists from across the country and learn how they do things on their farms was eye-opening,” says Brown, a former South Carolina state FFA president and current Clemson University student. “I still keep in touch with many of the incredible people I met; we chat about planting techniques, our equipment, seed varieties and the weather conditions we’re facing, and we support one another.”
While many of the conference attendees plan to pursue or continue careers in production agriculture, others are aspiring ag education teachers aiming to grow their knowledge base so they can better serve their future students.
That was the case for Linah Darden, who also attended the 2022 conference. Although she wasn’t entirely new to production ag, she realized she had gaps in her knowledge that the conference helped her fill.
“I’ve volunteered on a dairy farm and completed a supervised agricultural experience (SAE) project raising rabbits, but I knew I needed to broaden my horizons,” says Darden, a University of Arizona student who plans to become an FFA advisor. “Attending this conference allowed me to see, hear and experience production ag in an entirely new way, and I have no doubt that will help me make a bigger impact in the classroom someday.”
Learn more about the New Century Farmer Conference, and submit your application to attend this year’s event. The deadline is Feb. 15.
