Culpeper County FFA member Jilian Buell assists a Farm Tour attendee in decorating a pot as part of the Grass Head Planter activity.
Americans can rattle off the names of TikTok influencers, memorize viral trends and keep up with the latest fashions. However, how many can explain how their food reaches the grocery store, name a local farmer or say they have experienced agriculture firsthand? Less than 2% of Americans are directly involved in agriculture, yet the remaining 98% depend on it every single day. As the agriculture industry continues to shrink, this growing disconnect between consumers and producers is more concerning than ever.
A Local Response to a National Challenge
Recognizing this widening gap, communities across the country are searching for ways to reconnect the public with agriculture, and Culpeper County, Va., is no exception. With Culpeper ranking among the top 20 agricultural counties in the state, preserving agricultural awareness is essential to maintaining both its economy and its identity. In response, the Culpeper County Department of Economic Development has taken an active role in educating the public about local agriculture.
One of the county’s most impactful efforts has been the annual Harvest Days Farm Tour, held each fall since 1997. This free, self-guided tour invites residents and visitors to explore local farms and agricultural businesses throughout the county, offering a firsthand look at where local food and agricultural products originate. By opening their gates to the public, farmers provide transparency, education and connection through live demonstrations, walk-through tours and interactive activities — elements often missing from the modern food system.
The continued success of the event highlights the community’s interest in agriculture, and the potential for that interest to spread amongst others. In recent years, the Harvest Days Farm Tour has attracted more than 2,000 visitors over the course of the two-day event — nearly one-tenth of Culpeper County’s total population. As attendance has grown, so has the opportunity to involve youth organizations dedicated to agricultural education.
FFA Joins the Harvest Days Experience
In the past year, the four chapters in Culpeper — Culpeper County FFA, Eastern View FFA, Culpeper Middle FFA and Floyd T. Binns Middle FFA — joined the Farm Tour experience. In 2025, the chapters were invited to host an interactive booth at the Culpeper Agricultural Enterprise Center, the official starting point of the tour. This central location allowed FFA members to engage directly with the public while highlighting the role FFA plays in agricultural literacy, leadership development and community outreach.
Culpeper County FFA member Fatima Dasher assists an attendee in filling a planter with potting soil while explaining the importance of having healthy soil in agriculture.
In order to make impactful connections, members, officers and advisors collaborated to design hands-on activities that encouraged participation and conversation. The Culpeper County FFA Chapter intentionally geared its activities toward a younger audience by simplifying complex agricultural concepts to ensure visitors of all ages could engage. One popular activity allowed children to create Grass Head Planters by decorating a face on a pot, filling it with soil and planting grass seed. As they worked, FFA members explained how the process mirrors the steps farmers take to grow crops that eventually reach grocery store shelves.
Beyond the activity itself, the booth served as a space for curiosity and learning. Children were encouraged to ask questions, while members discussed topics such as plant growth and the importance of insects and pollinators in agriculture. These conversations helped to turn a simple craft into a broader learning experience, reinforcing agriculture’s relevance to everyday life.
Through their involvement in the Farm Tour, Culpeper County FFA and its fellow chapters served as ambassadors for both agriculture and FFA. Throughout the weekend, members engaged in conversations with visitors of all ages, explaining what FFA is and how it operates within local schools. Parents and community members asked questions about student involvement, agricultural courses and leadership opportunities, allowing members to share their own experiences and demonstrate the impact FFA has had on their education.
These interactions extended beyond simple explanations. Students made connections with outstanding members of the community, local producers and families who may not have otherwise been exposed to agricultural education programs. By combining hands-on activities with open dialogue, the chapters highlighted how FFA helps members develop practical skills, confidence and an understanding of agriculture’s role in everyday life.
Through events like Harvest Days Farm Tour, the FFA chapters of Culpeper County are not only educating the public, but also strengthening community relationships and inspiring future involvement in agriculture.
