Banner photo by Blake Van Der Kamp.
Last year, the National FFA Organization made headlines when it announced its national membership roster had reached an all-time high of 945,988 members. Yet William Barnum, 2023-24 Michigan State FFA president, wasn’t surprised by the growth.
“The more we can expand, the greater impact we can have on our members to help them grow as people and in their future careers and endeavors,” he says.
The National FFA Organization isn’t the only thing expanding; the Michigan FFA Association has also experienced significant growth, with a membership roster that has climbed to almost 9,000. Although this year’s state officer team didn’t set a specific goal to increase membership, Barnum believes it was a natural result of their commitment to offering outstanding programming.
For example, the association launched several impactful programs, including a creative partnership between Michigan State University, the Institute of Agricultural Technology and the Michigan FFA Association that allows members to earn college credits by completing certain FFA programs and activities.
“Our mantra as an officer team has been to facilitate these programs to the best of our ability,” Barnum says. “We want to do them so well that current members go back to their chapters and encourage friends to join.”
Space for Everyone
Amara Jackson, 2023-24 National FFA president and 2021-22 Michigan FFA state president, also credits the statewide commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion as a key reason for above-average FFA participation in Michigan. The state association created a committee to develop more inclusive environments for members, and because of their efforts, a sensory room was included at the 2023 and 2024 state conventions.
“Students have utilized that space as a chance to decompress if they felt overstimulated or just needed a break,” Jackson says.
Amara Jackson, 2023-24 National FFA president and 2021-22 Michigan FFA state president, has seen her state association evolve in recent years.
Diversified programming has also helped to grow membership. Michigan FFA leaders reinvigorated the state’s agriscience fair and emphasized career and technical education pathways in agriculture to create more valuable, engaging and interactive FFA experiences.
“Our members are becoming farmers, but they’re also becoming lawyers, teachers or scientists,” Jackson says. “Ultimately, what we want them to understand that when they wear the blue jacket, they’re representing the whole world because it runs on agriculture.”
Find Your Place in FFA
As National FFA membership continues to reach record-breaking numbers, learn about how to join FFA, locate a chapter or continue your involvement as an alumnus.
