The 2025-26 Iowa FFA State Officer Team taps the gavel for the final time at the 97th Iowa FFA State Convention.

The Iowa FFA Association was founded in 1929, when delegates hailing from 23 different schools organized the inner workings of the association at Iowa State University. Originally, the organization had 576 active members, and has grown immensely since then. Currently, there are 20,500 active Iowa FFA members.

This significant growth comes from the positive impact leaders have had on past and present members. Specifically, the 2025-26 Iowa FFA State Officers are cultivating a pathway for future teams to continue to grow member involvement within the organization. With these new leaders using their skillset, Iowa FFA can grow unanimously within their year of service.

This officer team shared how FFA had impacted them as first-year members. Iowa FFA Secretary Adam McCrea said he had been part of a school where sports excellence was pushed, so he struggled to find where he fit in within an extracurricular activity. “FFA has given me a spot to be,” he says. “Even if members do not come from a predominant background in agriculture, there can be a place found for everyone.”

Northwest Vice President Nora Pickhinke adds that, “everyone can find a spot in FFA.”

The Iowa FFA 2025-26 State Officer Team includes back row, left to right: Southwest Vice President Laura Steinkamp, Northeast Vice President Lindsay Beyer, Northwest Vice President Nora Pickhinke, South Central Vice President Kelsey Greenslade and North Central Vice President Jagger Ferrie; front row, left to right: State President Chloe Zittergruen, State Secretary Adam McCrea, State Reporter Hannah Gross and Southeast Vice President Cooper VanderHeiden.

Since the rise in enrollment of FFA members within Iowa FFA, there has been an abundance of new members who have joined to share their unique stories. Southwest Vice President Laura Steinkamp says, “Everyone has different background experiences.”

That’s the ultimate beauty in the newfound growth of Iowa FFA: the association is seeing engagement from members in rural, sub-suburban and urban areas, which can cultivate the future leaders in agriculture. North Central Vice President Jagger Ferrie says, “We are able to keep Iowa FFA advancing,” which is an ultimate goal for the association.

As leaders themselves, the 2025-26 State Officer Team has had the opportunity to grow as members, too. Southeast Vice President Cooper VanderHeiden spoke about his experience in FFA and how it has prepared him for future opportunities. “I came a long way in professional development,” he says.

With the National FFA Organization’s deeply rooted values of promoting premier leadership, the organization prides itself on producing leaders ready to develop in their future careers. “It’s cool what FFA can do to a person,” Ferrie said.

Throughout their time in the organization, the state officers thoroughly reflected on what FFA has done for them and proceeded to think about where they foresee the organization going after hanging up their blue jackets. State President Chloe Zittergruen discussed how FFA members will continue to contribute to the organization, citing the positive impact that leaders have on them. “We plant seeds in gardens we never even walk through,” she says. Zittergruen advocates to members that it is their internal connection with one another that continues to grow the Iowa FFA.

In all, Iowa FFA has a bright future ahead. With positive leadership from the current state officers, they will cultivate the future of Iowa FFA.