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State Officer Update: We Drove, We Toured, We Lip-Synced
By Jaycee Salas, State FFA President
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This month was nothing short of fulfilling for our team as we explored the FRONTIERS of California! Each of us started back at home, giving us time to unwind with our families and get ready for the exciting month ahead.
After our time at home, we hit the road and started off with two amazing college tours at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and Fresno State University. We toured the campuses and met with their amazing College of Agriculture faculty. We rounded out the weekend by attending the South Coast Region Sectional Officer Leadership Conference (SOLC). At this conference, we embraced our inner superheroes and made meaningful connections with members through workshops and reflections.
From there, we jumped right back into chapter visits, exploring the Superior and San Joaquin Regions before heading back to Galt to host the California FFA State Executive Committee and State Advisory Committee. During this meeting, each region shared exciting updates about upcoming events, and ideas were shared to help shape another awesome year for FFA members! The next day, my team and I hosted the 36 delegates who will represent California FFA at the 99th National FFA Convention & Expo for delegate training.
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Nominations Open for the Golden Owl Award | |
Your ag teacher does more than teach. They help you build skills, discover new interests, and prepare for whatever comes next. Now’s your chance to recognize the teacher who has made a difference in your FFA experience.
The Golden Owl Award, presented by Nationwide, California Farm Bureau, and the California FFA Foundation, celebrates agricultural educators who go above and beyond for their students and programs.
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Nominate your ag teacher and share what makes them stand out. Regional finalists receive $500 and a plaque, and one California agricultural educator will be named Agricultural Educator of the Year and receive $3,000 and the Golden Owl Award trophy.
Nominations are open through December 15, 2026.
Know a teacher who deserves recognition? Nominate them today!
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National Convention Registration | |
Get ready for the 99th National FFA Convention & Expo, happening October 28–31, 2026, in Indianapolis! This is your chance to join FFA members from across the country for four days of competitions, sessions, workshops, awards, entertainment, and more.
Whether you're competing, receiving an award, serving as a delegate, or simply experiencing convention with your chapter, there’s plenty to look forward to in Indy!
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Harvest of Merit Award
Have an agriculture project you’re ready to take to the next level?
The Harvest of Merit Award, supported by the Golden State Agricultural Foundation, provides $750–$3,000 to California youth for projects in livestock, ag mechanics, plant science, food science, and more. Anyone up to age 21 can apply!
Whether you’re continuing an SAE project, starting an ag-based business, or exploring a new idea, this award can help you turn your plans into action.
The deadline is tomorrow, October 1, 2026.
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Put Rice in the Spotlight
The annual National Rice Month Scholarship Video Contest is back! Open to graduating high school students from Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Texas, this contest gives you the chance to create a video that highlights the importance of U.S.-grown rice and what makes it special to you, your community, or the world.
Three scholarship prizes will be awarded for a total of $10,000. Videos will be judged on creativity, quality, and how effectively they tell the story of U.S.-grown rice.
Ready to get started? Help put rice in the spotlight!
Submissions due: October 31, 2026
| | | Get Your Chapter in the Spotlight | |
What’s happening in your FFA chapter? We want to hear about it! Share a recent project, event, achievement, or experience that your members are proud of, and you could see your chapter featured in a California FFA newsletter or on social media.
Your story could also give other FFA members ideas for their own chapters. Take a few minutes to submit your chapter’s story today!
| | | 2027 Next Gen Conferences: Explore Careers in Agriculture | | Interested in a career in agriculture? Next Gen Conferences give you the chance to explore career pathways, connect with industry professionals, and get hands-on insight into plant systems, food processing, or environmental and natural resources. | |
Plant Systems: St. Louis, Mo. | March 9-12
Apply by Oct. 15, 2026
Food Products & Processing: Detroit, Mich. | June 22-25
Apply by March 17, 2027
Environmental & Natural Resources: Denver, Colo. | Sept. 14-17
Apply by April 15, 2027
Travel assistance grants are available.
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Wilco FFA Forever Grant Fall Cycle Opens | |
Have a big idea for your chapter? The Wilco FFA Forever Grant Program can provide up to $4,000 to help make it happen.
Funding can support chapter equipment, facility improvements, greenhouses, land labs, educational activities, service projects, and more.
The fall application cycle is open now through October 9. Chapters can apply twice per year, with one grant approved per chapter each school year.
Have an idea worth growing? Talk with your advisor and apply!
| | | Grange Co-op Grant Available to Northern California FFA Chapters | | |
Have a project your chapter wants to make happen? Grange Co-op is offering $5,000 in grant funding to support FFA chapter projects in the Superior Region and Humboldt-Del Norte Section.
Funding can help chapters support projects, improve facilities, purchase equipment, or create new opportunities for members.
Applications are open through October 16, with grant recipients announced in November. Talk with your advisor about your chapter’s project and see if it qualifies.
| | Photo Contest: Showcase Your Perspective on the Almond Industry | |
Show us California’s almond industry through your camera lens. The Almond Board of California FFA Photography Contest invites FFA members to submit photos featuring almonds, almond orchards, or the people and work behind the industry.
Submit your favorite almond-focused photo along with a short artist statement for a chance to win prizes and have your work featured at The Almond Conference.
Entries are due Friday, November 20.
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Chapter Update: San Luis Obispo FFA Members Take Their Leadership to Washington, D.C.
Submitted by Brooke Markowitz, Sectional Vice President and Chapter Parliamentarian
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FFA can take you places you never expected. For San Luis Obispo FFA members Brooke Markowitz, Collin Edwards, Maddi Holt, and Audrey Harris, that meant flying to Washington, D.C., to attend Session Two of the 2026 Washington Leadership Conference (WLC).
During the four-day conference, the students connected with FFA members from across the country while exploring their passions, beliefs, and ideas for serving their communities. Through large-group and small-group sessions, they learned what it means to be a changemaker and worked with their peers and conference facilitators to turn an issue they care about into a plan for action.
Their experience also took them throughout the nation’s capital. The group visited the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, World War II Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Iwo Jima Memorial, Library of Congress, Supreme Court, and Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. They also prepared and packaged meals for people experiencing homelessness in the Washington, D.C. community.
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For Brooke, connecting with FFA members from across the country helped her see the possibilities for using her passion for agriculture and community service.
“Being able to attend WLC made me realize how much of an impact I can make on my community and others by using my passion for agriculture and community service,” Brooke shared. “Working with members from other states opened me up to the needs across the country and has truly inspired me to work hard to make sure that the future is bright for everyone.”
After returning home, each student had a Living to Serve plan and a new perspective on how they can make a difference in their own community. WLC gave them the chance to travel, make connections, learn from other FFA members, and turn their ideas into action.
Interested in seeing where FFA could take you?
| | We Want to Share Your Chapter News! | | | | |
Is your FFA chapter making a difference?
Share your story! Gather your info and fill out the form online for a chance to be featured in the California FFA statewide newsletter or on our social media.
tinyurl.com/caffanews
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Follow California FFA on Social Media
#CaliforniaFFA
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California FFA News | news@californiaffa.org | | | | |
