Thousands of Oregon students attend FFA convention in Redmond
Spencer Sacks
REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Approximately 4,000 high school students from across the state gathered at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds in Redmond this weekend for the Oregon Future Farmers of America State Convention.
The annual event provides resources and training for the next generation of leaders in the agricultural industry.
The convention arrives as the number of farms in the United States has reached a near all time low. According to industry data, the number of U.S. farms decreased from 6.8 million in 1935 to 1.88 million currently, prompting the organization to focus on educating youth about food and fiber production.
Reynold Garner, an agriculture content specialist for the state of Oregon, emphasized the global need for new agricultural leadership during the event.
“The world right now needs trained, qualified individuals, to emerge into the leadership space both in food and fiber production, for for our planet,” Garner said.
Participants came from almost every county in the state to participate in the learning sessions. Dan McNary, an adviser for Crook County High School and the Central Oregon District, noted that only a small portion of the population currently produces food.
McNary stated that educating students at a young age is vital so they are “at least informed about agricultural issues,” regardless of whether they enter the production field. He explained that this knowledge is critical as the trade is passed to a new generation.
The convention features a variety of competitive events designed to build foundational knowledge of the industry. Oregon FFA CEO Kjer Kaiser described the importance of understanding the origins of resources.
“You’re going to learn about where food and fiber comes from,” Kaiser said. “And that’s foundational for, for our society.”
Beyond agricultural skills, the program includes training in professional development and real-world applications. Sessions held throughout the weekend include public speaking competitions, job interview training and a career fair. These activities are designed to provide resources for students to become leaders in the agricultural space.
Aubrey Leao, the 2025-26 Capital District secretary, highlighted the networking opportunities provided by the gathering of students.
“This convention is just such a good leadership opportunity,” Leao said. “There’s not a lot of opportunities in agriculture to kind of get out and meet a lot of people that, you relate to so closely. So it’s super cool to see everybody from across the state of Oregon.”
Other students focused on the social connections and peer interactions made during the four-day event. Silverton FFA Secretary Elise Gardner noted the high energy among the thousands of attendees.
“Everyone’s just so excited to be here and everyone’s so happy,” Gardner said. “And you get to see all your friends that you haven’t gotten to see yet, so it’s just really fun.”
National representation was also present through Jael Cruikshank, the Western Region vice president for the National FFA Organization. Cruikshank, who is a Bend native, previously spent nearly a decade participating in agricultural events at the fairgrounds.
“It’s super cool to be back here since this is actually where I showed all my pigs growing up,” Cruikshank said. “And so I have about 8 or 9 years of experience showing pigs on these grounds and just proud to be a Bendite.”
Redmond has become the yearly home for the convention.