FFA New Horizons magazine celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2022. Launched in 1952 as National Future Farmer, the magazine has documented the growth of FFA and the industry of agriculture for the past seven decades. To celebrate the magazine’s storied history, take a trip down memory lane and discover the evolution of this well-loved publication.
Want to explore more past issues of FFA New Horizons? Check out the magazine archive at FFA.org/News.
The first issue of The National Future Farmer magazine featured a photo of Howard Miller Jr., a former Arizona FFA member who was serving in the U.S. Navy at the time of publication. Pictured with Miller was Miss America 1949, Jacque Mercer.
At that time, the subscription price was 25¢ per year or $1 for five years. Readers could purchase a single issue for 10¢.
The 1964-65 National FFA Officers were shown with President Lyndon B. Johnson. The meeting between the two parties was held to endorse the nationwide beautification program. While in Washington, D.C., the national officers were given a red carpet tour of the U.S. Capitol and attended a special luncheon hosted by Congressman Don Fuqua, a former FFA member from Florida.
Vice President Hubert Humphrey later spoke at the 40th National FFA Convention in October 1965 as a result of the meeting.
FFA member Stewart Lasiloo of Zuni, N.M., held a lamb he raised using skills learned in FFA. In 1976, Zuni had a thriving FFA chapter of 84 members, 90% of whom were members of the Native American Pueblo from the American Southwest. In the distance was Sacred Mountain, a significant landmark for the Zuni people.
FFA members participating in the 1981 State Presidents’ Conference were honored when President Ronald Reagan stepped away from the Oval Office to greet them at the White House Rose Garden.
The internet was a relatively new resource for most households in the mid-1990s. The cover story from the May-June 1996 issue took readers on a guided tour of the internet and introduced them to some of the hottest ag-related home pages on the World Wide Web. While many students did not have Internet access at home in the ’90s, many could surf the web at school computer labs.
As computers and technology became more intertwined with agriculture in the early 2000s, this cover story from 2001 explored eight agricultural careers that involved working with computers. Today, nearly every occupation in agriculture relies on computers and technology to some degree.
FFA New Horizons recognized the 50th anniversary of the merger of New Farmers of America (NFA) and FFA with a collage of historical photos. In 1965, the two organizations merged after the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, requiring the desegregation of schools and, in turn, school-based organizations such as FFA.
