Thoughts from the Tractor Seat: Why FFA Still Matters — Right Here in Our County
By Ken Polehn
The Dalles, Ore., Dec. 19, 2025 — For many people, FFA is easy to misunderstand. Some still think it’s just about farming or kids who plan to stay in agriculture. That view misses the point — especially here in our county, where we see firsthand what FFA really does.
FFA is a leadership and life-skills organization. It teaches students how to take responsibility, work with others, speak in public, manage projects, and follow through. Those skills matter whether a student becomes a farmer, a mechanic, a nurse, a teacher, or a business owner.
Our county is proud to have an FFA chapter at Dufur School, serving students from across the area. These students don’t just learn from textbooks — they learn by doing. Through supervised agricultural experiences, students take ownership of real projects, keep records, solve problems, and learn from both success and failure. Across Oregon, FFA students log more than 600,000 hours each year in these hands-on projects. The lessons last far beyond high school.
Leadership in FFA is earned, not handed out. Students run meetings, organize events, work as a team, and speak in front of peers and adults. Many young people who start out quiet or unsure find their confidence through FFA — not because expectations are lowered, but because they are challenged and supported at the same time.
FFA also builds something our rural communities depend on: connection. Students work alongside classmates, teachers, local farms, and businesses. They learn that their work matters and that they are part of something bigger than themselves. In rural counties like ours, those connections help keep young people engaged and invested in where they live.
Today, more than 15,000 students across Oregon participate in FFA, with participation growing by over 50 percent in the past six years. That growth tells us something important: students and families are hungry for programs that are real, practical, and meaningful.
As Oregon lawmakers debate budget priorities, we should remember what programs like FFA deliver every day in counties like ours. These aren’t abstract line items. They are classrooms, mentors, and opportunities that help shape capable, confident young adults.
If you value leadership, responsibility, and real-world education for our kids, now is the time to speak up. I encourage readers to let their legislators know that Oregon FFA, agricultural education, and career pathways matter — and that they are worth protecting.
FFA doesn’t just prepare students for careers. It prepares them for life — and that makes it worth protecting.
How You Can Help Protect Oregon FFA
Oregon lawmakers are reviewing budget proposals that could reduce funding for Oregon FFA, Summer Agricultural Education Grants, and Career & Technical Education (CTE) Pathway Grants.
These programs support more than 15,000 students statewide, including students right here in our county.
You can make a difference:
Contact members of the Joint Ways and Means Committee
Tell them you support continued funding for:
Oregon FFA
Agricultural education
Career & Technical Education pathways
Add your name here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfzDdpArklJtalRzpuaQ8-3QHbevo5q_lrIzU8VjjEfF7MfWQ/viewform
About the author.
I was born in 1961 into a second-generation farm family in The Dalles. I grew up on a tractor seat, moving irrigation pipe with my sisters before school, and spent my summers picking cherries alongside the children of migrant families who returned year after year. My wife, children, and parents have all worked the same land. I’ve served as county Farm Bureau president, sat on the county fair board, and continue to support 4-H and FFA. I’ve seen firsthand what happens when farmers are squeezed out—not just of business, but of the conversation.
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