Robyn Stewart
Did you know that your student can be a member of both 4-H and FFA at the same time? Lincoln County is blessed to be represented by a multitude of clubs, sports, and other organizations—all designed to promote the development of essential life skills in youth. 4-H and FFA are two of the most widely recognized programs focused on developing youth and promoting agriculture. These programs are open to all students regardless of whether they come from an agricultural background or whether they’ve never set foot on a farm in their life. While the goals and missions of 4-H and FFA are similar, there are several difference to be noted between the two.
In 1902, A.B. Graham developed a youth program in Ohio to focus on agriculture after-school clubs and agricultural education. By 1912, Graham’s club, and other similar organizations, became known as 4-H clubs. In 1916, the Smith Lever Act determined that the 4-H organization would be a part of the Cooperative Extension Service under the leadership of land grant universities. 4-H operates as an informal education network that relies on volunteers and the support of a local county extension agent. Each 4-H chapter has a multitude of programs, called clubs, that focus on an area of interest, such as horses, shooting sports, sewing, gardening, STEM, and more. 4-H is open to any youth from the age of 8 to 19. There are approximately 7 million children enrolled in 4-H nationwide, spanning 90,000 clubs. Lincoln County 4-H currently runs two major programs, a poultry judging team and district project achievement (DPA). With the addition of our new extension agent, Lincoln County can expect to see more 4-H programs in development over the next year.
National Future Farmers of America, FFA, was established in 1928 at the National Livestock Judging Contest. FFA was originally designed to promote agriculture and leadership training for young boys in rural America. The United States Department of Education administers the FFA and Agricultural Education Programs. Since the Department of Education oversees the FFA, each chapter is tied to a high school agricultural program. The program has an advisor responsible for formal instruction in the classroom as well as on-farm, placement, and exploratory project advisement. These advisors are employed by the local school district. Programs are tracked and evaluated by state and national coordinators that monitor program success in each chapter. FFA chapters are open to students from 9-12th grade, typically aged 14-19 years old. FFA membership consists of 543,000 participants, with 7489 chapters across the US. Lincoln County FFA is advised by Chase McGill at the Lincoln County High School.
Some important things to note are:
- Students can be active in both 4-H and FFA simultaneously, however, students must choose which organization to represent when they compete in competitive events such as livestock shows or judging contests.
- 4-H starts at a significantly younger age than FFA does (8 vs 14)
- 4-H and FFA are not strictly agriculture/livestock clubs! There are opportunities in a wide variety of topics including STEM, nutrition, physical fitness, and more.
- Both 4-H and FFA offer opportunity to compete at a local, state, and national platform in a variety of areas.
- Both 4-H and FFA provide scholarship and financial support opportunities to participants.
Lincoln County is fortunate to have active 4-H and FFA chapters for the development of our youth. If you have any questions on how to get your student involved, or if there is a program or club you are interested in organizing, please reach out to the Lincoln County Extension Office at uge3181@uga.edu or 706-359-3233.
