Alaska FFA Celebrates Fifty Years During FFA Week
The 50th Alaska State Convention will take place from April 14-17.
Alaska, nicknamed the Last Frontier, is home to some of the most unique FFA chapters in the country.
The Effie Kokrine FFA Chapter in Fairbanks stands as the northernmost FFA chapter nationwide. Members manage school, projects, and travel during the winter, when temperatures drop to minus 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
Far to the south, the Ninilchik Chapter sits along the Kenai Peninsula coast. The Cook Inlet keeps winter weather warmer, and a longer growing season supports coastal and marine-based agriculture and fisheries.
Between these two chapters lies 550 miles, with close to nine hours of travel by road. Despite sharp differences in climate, access and daily experience, both chapters — along with seventeen others statewide — move toward the same goal. All are prepared to recognize 50 years of Alaska FFA during National FFA Week and the annual state convention.
At the Mat-Su Career Tech Chapter in Wasilla, Alaska, members will celebrate the week with activities in their school. Throughout the week, small farm animal figurines will be placed around the building, each holding one of the letters F, F, or A. When a student finds all three letters to spell FFA, they can give the set to one of the three advisors and get a candy bar. Each morning, Tiger TV, the school’s news station, will share daily FFA facts and short videos with interviews from chapter officers. These segments will highlight agricultural education and student leadership for everyone at the school. On Friday, the chapter will end the celebration with its annual hot dog lunch, a tradition that began last year.
Mat-Su Career Tech’s FFA Chapter celebrating at their end of year party, 2025
Alaska FFA existed long before receiving official recognition. Leaders submitted a state charter application in 1937, 12 years before statehood. At the time, vocational education in the territory lacked a consistent structure and support, which led to the application being denied. Even without formal status, agriculture programs and FFA involvement continued. In 1959, the year Alaska became a state, Alaska FFA members attended the National FFA Convention. Billy McKinley of Palmer represented the association and the state’s oldest chapter.
Photo from the 1959 FFA Convention proceedings. Hawaiian Representatives surround Bill McKinley of Palmer, Alaska, in the middle.
On Nov. 11, 1976, Alaska received its official charter as the 51st State FFA Association at the National FFA Convention. This recognition reflected decades of effort by students, advisors, and communities who believed agricultural education belonged in Alaska despite distance, weather, and limited infrastructure. After chartering, chapters expanded across interior towns, coastal communities, and regional hubs.
For years, Alaska FFA records were stored in a barn in Palmer. These documents listed past state officers, original charter information, degree recipients, and early association details. In the early 2000s, a fire destroyed the barn and all the records inside. This loss erased much of the association’s documented history and removed direct access to many early accounts and names.
Nearly 50 years after chartering, Alaska FFA continues working to reconnect with its past. The 2025 to 2026 state theme, Forget Me Not, reflects the state flower and a focus on remembrance. The theme highlights respect for former members, chapters, advisors, and milestones while preparing current members for leadership and service. State officers have woven this focus into events, ceremonies, and statewide activities.
1961 Yearbook of the Palmer High School
During FFA Week, Alaska FFA has designated Feb. 23 as Alumni Forget Me Nots Day. This day centers on learning and recognition. Current members hear firsthand accounts from alumni, while former members gain space to share experiences from earlier periods of the organization. Many alumni participated despite limited resources, high travel demands, and minimal statewide coordination. Their stories explain how the association developed over time.
The Alaska FFA State Convention continues this effort with a designated FFA Day focused on alumni involvement. Alumni will have the chance to interact directly with members, share personal experiences, and discuss how FFA shaped careers, leadership skills, and community involvement.
Through FFA Week and the state convention, Alaska FFA works to restore connections and preserve stories lost to time. As Alaska FFA marks 50 years as a chartered association, the mission stays consistent: respect the past, learn from those who built the foundation, and pass those lessons forward to future generations of members across the state.
