Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., ranking member on the committee, on Tuesday announced the creation of the bipartisan Senate FFA Caucus.

“We need strong advocates for producers and rural communities in classrooms, boardrooms, and in the halls of Congress. FFA prepares our youth to be leaders both on and off the farm, and I am glad we can come together on a bipartisan basis to support the next generation of agriculture leaders,” said Stabenow. FFA was formerly called the Future Farmers of America.

“FFA teaches leadership skills, instills a sense of service and puts young Americans on the right path toward a successful future. In Arkansas, FFA has 229 chapters with close to 16,000 members who are gaining lifelong benefits from their involvement in this program. Across the nation, FFA is actively fostering the next generation of leaders, and Chairwoman Stabenow and I are eager to share that story. The creation of this caucus will help our colleagues highlight the participants and alumni who are making a difference in their states, share those success stories with a larger audience and encourage more involvement from our nation’s youth,” said Boozman.

“FFA plays a key role in educating our youth and developing the next generation of leaders. With the development of this caucus comes the opportunity to share the message of the importance of agriculture to others,” said Scott Stump, CEO of the National FFA Organization. “We know FFA members are not only our future leaders, but they are the ones who will continue to fill the talent pipeline in the industry of agriculture. It is exciting to be able to share this message with a broader audience through this Senate caucus.”