title
Adopt and present a resolution recognizing the 90th anniversary of the Future Farmers of America (Chair Vasquez)
body
Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
Chair Vasquez requests that the Board adopt and present a resolution recognizing the 90th anniversary of the Future Farmers of America.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
The California Association of the Future Farmers of America was formed on October 26, 1928 at the Hotel Claremont, in Oakland. Following the National FFA convention a month later, California received National Charter No. 4.
Since 1928, the Future Farmers of America has been at the center of agricultural education, bringing together teachers, students and the agricultural industry to provide leadership, personal growth and a career path for those with a passion for agriculture. Its roots lay in the passage of the Smith-Hughes Vocational Training Act of 1917 which provided federal funding for high school courses in vocational education.
There are more than 87,000 FFA members, ages 13-21 in 330 high schools across the state, making California one of the top five membership states along with Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma and Missouri. More than 761 FFA advisors and agriculture teachers provide an integrated model of agriculture education in urban schools in Los Angeles and the Bay Area to rural schools all across the state. In Solano County, local FFA chapters are present in Vacaville, Dixon, Rio Vista and Winters.
National Ag Week, March 18-24, 2018, presents an opportune time to celebrate the contributions our local farmers and ranchers make to the overall agricultural economy and to raise awareness of the need to cultivate the next generation of Ag innovators and leaders.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this resolution.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board could choose not to adopt this resolution. This is not recommended because this is an opportunity to raise public awareness of the need for a strong agricultural economy and to recognize the positive impact Ag education has had on generations of young people who share an interest in careers related to farming, ranching, animal and plant science, communications and more.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION