AG Advocacy
A bit about AG Advocacy
The theme for our FFA chapter is “Sprouting Advocates for Agriculture.” We believe that advocacy plays a role in developing leadership skills and communication skills. Furthermore in today’s society learning true advocacy skills is a career skill that sets up our members for success regardless of the career they choose. Agriculture faces many challenges and what better way to live up to the FFA Motto of
” Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve.”
We serve agriculture by advocating for our industry in the following formats.
Legislative Symposium- in Jan. 2026 we spoke with Sen. Rozenboom and Sen. Dickey about the importance of needing Ag teachers
Local Farm Bureau Meetings
Agricultural Promotional Projects within our curriculum and our school
County Fair
Trivia Challenge during National FFA Week
**New for 2026** Agriculture Scavenger Hunt with students in the high school
2025-2026
Advocacy from Oskaloosa FFA
New Beinings of Advocacy
One of the most meaningful changes to our chapter in the 2025–2026 year has been welcoming our new agriculture teacher, Mr. Swope. He stepped forward at a moment when we truly needed someone, filling a position we had struggled for months to secure. As a former FFA member from Eddyville, he brings firsthand experience, genuine passion, and a deep understanding of what this organization can offer its students. Even in his first year of teaching, his enthusiasm to help our chapter grow is already making a noticeable impact. We are incredibly grateful for his willingness to take on this role and for the dedication he has shown to our members and our program.
This year, our FFA chapter reached out to the community for donations for our annual Harvester Lunch. Thanks to the generosity of our seven sponsors, we were able to feed everyone who stopped by DFS. In addition, we would like to give a special thank‑you to Kelderman Manufacturing for their continued support and generous donations throughout the year. They have been a major sponsor, helping our students attend the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis and even making it possible for the team to enjoy a Top Golf bonding activity while there.
Legislative Symposium Discussion Topic
On January 21st, 2026, the officer team traveled to the state capitol with a clear purpose: to advocate for the growing need for agricultural educators. This concern stemmed partly from their own challenges in securing an ag teacher for the 2025–2026 school year. They arrived prepared with a full page of information outlining the statewide loss of teachers and the struggles facing agricultural programs in Iowa. The officers were able to share these materials with Senators Rozenboom and Dickey, informing them about an issue that too often goes unnoticed.
