[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 31 (Friday, February 26, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E238]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               IN HONOR OF FUTURE FARMERS OF AMERICA WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, February 26, 2016

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, this week my home state of Texas 
joined the rest of the country in celebration of Future Farmers of 
America's annual National FFA Week: recognizing the importance of and 
advocating for agricultural education and FFA. The tradition was 
started back in 1947 when the National FFA Board of Directors 
designated the week of George Washington's birthday as National FFA 
Week in recognition of his legacy as an agriculturalist and farmer. 
Today, thousands of chapters around the country and hundreds of 
thousands of members celebrate National FFA Week and advocate for 
increased agricultural education and FFA membership.
  The Future Farmers of America organization is a staple of our 
countries agricultural education; it cultivates young men and women 
into competent leaders who possess an intimate knowledge of 
agriculture. The organization is rich in history with its foundation 
dating back to 1928 when 33 students from 18 states congregated in 
Kansas City, Missouri and constructed the organization. Today, the 
organization is 629,367 members strong with 7,757 chapters, at least 
one in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Although 
FFA membership nationwide is something to celebrate, I want to 
highlight the state with the largest FFA membership in the country: my 
home state of Texas.
  Currently, Texas leads the country in FFA membership with 1021 
chapters and 103,379 members. Texas FFA serves as a shining example to 
the rest of the country as to what membership and participation in FFA 
should be. Texans understand the great importance of agricultural 
education and cultivating the next generation into competent leaders; 
no organization does that better than FFA and no state does FFA better 
than Texas.
  And that's just the way it is.

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