FFA’s Dangerous DEI Agenda & Ban on Christian Farming Organization

With national convention just weeks away, FFA is at a crossroads. Scott Stump, National FFA CEO, has doubled down on keeping the Christian group, Fellowship of Christian Farmers (FCFI) out of the event while simultaneously leaning in when it comes to promoting FFA’s DEI (diversity, equity and inclusivity) agenda.

FFA currently boasts enrollment of over 1 million kids across America, Puerto Rico and the Virgin islands, my own daughters included. To say the organization plays a big role in shaping future leaders within American agriculture is an understatement. Because of that, it would be irresponsible to overlook the cultural shift happening within the organization.

CLICK HERE to listen to the interview with FCFI Executive Director, Dan Janzen or HERE to watch on YouTube

FFA’s DEI Agenda tied to Membership

In Illinois (our home state) students are required to sign a “C.A.R.E. document” in order to be a FFA member and participate in any contests or events. Most students enroll in FFA at school, but since we homeschool, I saw the document most parents are never told about. When it first came across my desk in 2024, I immediately knew what it was, DEI. Because we understand the ideological agenda hiding behind the DEI acronym, our household has declined to sign this document – every year.

Last week was the deadline for annual FFA enrollment. I spent several days, again, as I have the last three years: researching, contacting legislators and FFA organizational leadership to bring awareness to and fight back against the organization’s DEI agenda. After a day focused solidly on FFA and their push for “inclusivity,” I saw the letter Scott Stump sent to the Fellowship of Christian Farmers denying them a booth at the upcoming convention.

The letter from National FFA CEO, Scott Stump stated, “it is the National FFA policy to deny exhibition space for organizations with political or religious affiliations. There is no appeal process and we consider this decision to be final… The National FFA’s policy is to be neutral to all political or religious affiliations. The National FFA is proud of its purpose, which is to promote agricultural education and FFA in a manner that makes it accessible to all.”

The letter brought what I knew three years ago full circle and in writing. This is exactly why I have been going after the Illinois FFA’s “C.A.R.E. document.” FFA has an agenda and it’s not inclusivity. The organization’s leadership has co-opted terminology to conceal and push a specific agenda tied to race and sexuality. I immediately reached out to Dan Janzen, the Executive Director of Fellowship of Christian Farmers, addressed in the letter.

Fellowship of Christian Farmers

On Friday, October 2, I spoke to Dan Janzen. He has been with FCFI for two and a half years. Prior to being at FCFI he was a missionary in Sudan. According to Dan, FCFI was started in the 1980’s, a time when many farmers were experiencing extreme hardships with commodity prices, losing farms and committing suicide. Currently they share the gospel message, go on missions and provide disaster relief. For example, Dan said, they have “organized FFA groups to pick up debris after tornadoes.”

If you aren’t familiar with FFA National convention, it’s a big three day event currently held in Indianapolis, Indiana. The convention includes an Expo and Shopping Mall area with hundreds of vendors. This is what FCFI was denied: a booth in the expo center where attendees are free to engage or walk on by. Hundreds of exhibitors will be set up including colleges, boutiques, Ag businesses, the US Army, US Border Patrol and the Tribal Agriculture Fellowship.

Shut out since 2018

2026 isn’t actually the first time the Christian organization has been denied a space at National Convention. Dan said, FCFI has not been allowed to set up since 2018. They were though still widely accepted at State level FFA Conventions. Over the last several years they have been increasingly shut out. Illinois, Idaho, Minnesota, Ohio and most recently Texas have turned FCFI away. Ohio specifically will not respond or return any form of communication and Iowa allows the organization Since being denied a space at the Texas FFA State Convention, Dan said he decided they’d submit an application at the national level and try again this year.

The FFA you remember no longer exists.

Many commenters online are shook by the decision, others are lining up in agreement with Scott Stump and National FFA’s decision. Because, “FFA is about Agriculture and they shouldn’t push views or agenda.” These commenters are recalling the FFA they grew up with in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s. But, the FFA you remember no longer exists.

Most who find Scott Stump’s decision to be right have no idea that FFA as an organization has very much been working behind the scenes to push an agenda. That agenda is living behind the phrase: Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity. It’s been implemented slowly, in a shrouded way purposely in attempt to evade public scrutiny.

Evidence and Timeline

The FFA’s Federal charter was amended in 2019 among the many amendments made, DEI was added. In 2021, Scott Stump was posted as CEO of National FFA. Just one year later in 2022 National FFA partnered with Syngenta “to lay the foundation for a national equity, diversity and inclusion strategy. This strategy will impact members, Staff Leadership and directly influence the organization’s programs, services and events.” Scott Stump noted, “this partnership is part of a broader organizational transformation.”

DEI, Transformation and…. the CCP?

The FFA Creed is strongly worded and specific to American agriculture yet National FFA partnered with Syngenta, a Chinese company tied to the Chinese Communist Party specifically to “transform” the organization’s values and vision. When you zoom out, this partnership means the future leaders of American agriculture – our nation’s food supply – are having their ideas and ideals shaped by a foreign adversary.

In February of this year the House Ways and Means committee honed in on this connection sending CEO Scott Stump a letter demanding answers. The United States Federal Government wants answers because the National FFA program operates under a Federal Charter and branches off into state programs that do receive federal funding (your tax dollars). Did the committee ever receive a response? It looks like National FFA ignored the letter and pressed on with their China backed transformation.

Students signing DEI documents as a condition of membership, most parents have no idea.

The DEI agenda and “organizational transformation” has led to the state level “C.A.R.E documents” that my girls refuse to sign because our family knows what it means when it says Illinois FFA will “respect every individual’s culture, values and experience.” This doesn’t mean everyone is equally respected, it means elevating minority races and gender ideology. This means the organization will cater to everyone but Christians. We know what it means when it states “I am an FFA member. I will: Cultivate an environment that allows every individual to recognize and explore their differences.” It’s specific to the LGBTQ+ agenda… so, what exactly will members be “exploring?”

This isn’t a connection made without evidence. The C.A.R.E. document itself is housed within the Illinois FFA website on the page “mission and belonging.” On that webpage, you’ll find FFA Pride logos, documents highlighting “Cultivating Conversations rooms” held at previous State FFA Conventions where the Pride and FFA symbols were meshed together encouraging kids to “be the change” and a trans sensitive education video.

FFA can’t allow Christian organizations to have a booth at the expo where kids can choose to “cultivate a conversation” or just pass by but the organization encourages conversations around… sexuality?

Leading with DEI at National Convention.

The National FFA has a very similar worded “FFA Code of Conduct,” which delegates attending National Convention are required to sign. The document includes a Code of Ethics and Code of Behavior, but that’s not enough. Sandwiched in-between the two are, “FFA Value Statements.” These “Value Statements” were ratified five years ago, in 2021 at the 94th national convention, after Scott Stump took over as CEO.

The Value Statement section of the contract reads as follows: “promote a more inclusive, equitable organization for all FFA members. These four statements create a foundation to ensure we open doors and remove barriers for every individual in agricultural education to experience premier leadership, personal growth and career success through FFA.” These are the subsequently listed value statements: 1. We respect and embrace every individual’s culture and experiences. 2. We welcome every individual’s contribution to advance our communities and the industry of agriculture. 3. We cultivate an environment that allows every individual to recognize and explore their differences. 4. We create leadership opportunities for every individual to enhance their personal and professional endeavors.”

We listen, we affirm and we reflect everyone’s values…

Of course, these contractual documents alone are not the issue, it’s what the words and phrases within them mean and the limited groups they apply to. The 2024-25 National officer team made a video that sits at the top of the “Engagement and Belonging” webpage. In it Abigaile Jacobsen, the 2024-25 Western Region Vice president says, “we believe that every middle and high school student should feel invited to step into our chapters and see themselves (emphasis added) reflected in our values.” Jack Lingenfelter, Southern Region Vice President 2024-25 follows saying, “we listen, we affirm each other, we show up for one another.”

Do we really believe kids should see themselves reflected in the organizations values? (Use your imagination, I don’t think it’s necessary for me to enumerate the potential for problems). We affirm? Statements like these hollow out the FFA organization entirely. If an organization is shaping itself around each member’s different values, whatever they may be, the organization itself has no values. It simply becomes an ever changing mirror that reflects its members and whatever current cultural moment we find ourselves in. If the organization asks its members to affirm whatever another member believes even if it contradicts a belief of their own, everyone is forfeiting their personal beliefs. This is moral relativism.

If FFA is inclusive, how is any person, idea or organization excluded?

The documents themselves are self defeating. Right after telling students they must all recognize, embrace and affirm each other’s differences, the “Code of Behavior” requires students, to “promise that their attitude, conduct and appearance will be such to reflect credit on their local chapter.” If every member is affirming whatever the other believes and the chapter is supposed to “reflect the member’s values” who decides what appearance and attitude actually reflect credit on the chapter? FFA should view every action, attitude and external appearance as equally acceptable, if they are operating under the terms of their own document.

Scott Stump, excluding the FCFI on the terms of religion is in an of itself a breach of the FFA Code of Conduct. How can FFA exclude anyone if they truly seek to be inclusive to all? How can FFA deny a group on the basis of Christianity or anything else at all, if they are simply affirming every member? If you “see something,” National FFA wants you to “say something” and one of the reportable behaviors listed is bias. Shouldn’t Scott Stump, the CEO of National FFA himself be reported if we are holding him to his own standards?

Drafting, engaging with and implementing these types of documents requires a special level of stupidity… or malevolence. In this case, it might be a bit of both. Remember, FFA specifically partnered with a company owned by our political adversary, China, to implement the DEI framework. With that partnership front of mind, shaping the next generation into a bunch of “yes” men and women who don’t have enough philosophical wherewithal to understand objective truth and teaching them to willingly forsake their own value systems – the values that built America – might be in the best interests of China but not America.

Don’t be fooled by the ambiguous doublespeak

It’s easy to laugh this off and think I’m spinning the very benign language in these documents into a bigger issue than it actually is. I’m not. FFA is specifically using shrouded language to push an agenda that they know can’t be disclosed outright.

Keeping DEI under the radar

According to an article published by Friends of the Rising Sun, at the National Association of Agriculture Educators Convention in December of 2025, Dr. Alisha Hyslop of ACTE, the web program that members enroll through and maintain records of their SAE (supervised agricultural experience), remarked that the federal environment is “chaotic and uncertain.” She went on to express concern over the administration’s “continued anti-DEI focus” and asked educators directly: “How can you frame activities in new ways and accomplish similar goals?” The report mentions Dr. Hyslop suggesting the use of different terminology and program structures to continue advancing FFA’s DEI agenda with less public scrutiny.

What are the actual goals of National FFA? With so much doublespeak it’s easy brush over the verbiage and not connect any dots. But, the FFA’s own creed states, “I believe in the future of agriculture with a faith born not of words but of deeds.” While their language is purposely vague, the actions FFA as an organization has taken over the last several years speak loud and clear.

Here is the evidence we have to work with:

In 2018, after 25 years of attendance, FCFI a Farmer specific Christian organization is banned from National Convention, citing the Christian group does not meet FFA’s standards for Diversity Equity and Inclusivity.
National FFA added DEI to the Federal Charter in 2019
2020 National FFA makes a statement about George Floyd, a former National officer makes social media post in support of Black Lives Matter, Lyle Logemann (a 2020 national officer) commented on her post in opposition. Xavier Morgan a black FFA member from Chicago found FFA’s statement to be “equivocating” and found Logemann’s comment “painful.”
Lyle Logemann is promptly removed from his National Officer role. National FFA issues an apology, offers counseling and sensitivity training to those affected and promises to more adequately vet their officers.
As a result of the above events, FFA is ‘investigated’ by FERN (Food and Environment Reporting Network). In their opinion FFA was found to be failing at diversity.
National FFA partnered with Syngenta in 2022 – a company with ties to the Chinese Communist Party to implement DEI and be part of a “broader organizational transformation.”
National FFA’s current website houses videos, posters and branding that declare FFA to be inclusive and “affirming.”
National FFA requires delegates attending National Convention to sign a Code of Conduct including DEI “Value Statements.”
The State of Illinois requires students to sign a DEI contract, called the C.A.R.E. document upon enrollment. Parents are not notified of the DEI documents, most students are signing them at school or at convention with no parent notification.
The Illinois FFA has banned FCFI from their state convention.
Illinois FFA has had rooms dedicated to “Cultivating Conversations” where posters with Pride symbols are hung and Pride stickers are available as souvenirs. The website houses a Trans education video.
FCFI is banned from multiple states including IL, ID, MN, OH and most recently TX.
At the National Association of Agriculture Educators Convention, Dr. Alisha Hyslop of ACTE encouraged educators to participate in continued but less obvious promotion of the DEI agenda and goals to avoid public scrutiny.
Scott Stump doubles down on not allowing the Christian group at National Convention, this year, 2026.

A hollowed out creed

The FFA has a Creed, Mission, Motto and a Brotherhood pledge. These documented statements usually communicate the principles upon which organizations are built. The FFA Creed, by E.M. Tiffany, is passionately worded describing belief in a better future for American agriculture. My daughter was State Runner-Up this year in the Illinois Creed Speaking event. Because of the hours she spent rehearsing, I have it nearly memorized again. The creed unites FFA members around ideas like valuing hard work, earning an honest living, leadership, and respect — all through their common interest in American agriculture. It also emphasizes the positive influence an FFA member can have in their home and community.

The Brotherhood Pledge reads, “to practice brotherhood, honor agricultural opportunities and responsibilities, and develop those qualities of leadership which an FFA member should possess.” This pledge is repeated in unison by all members at the start of every meeting including every session at state and national conventions.

These are the original, timeless values statements. These are the standards FFA members were at one time held to. When did they lose their value? Why are they no longer enough? Practicing brotherhood, being a leader, respecting one another and uniting around Agriculture; apparently, no longer fully and adequately speak to the purpose of FFA. If the FFA Creed, Motto and Brotherhood Pledge aren’t comprehensive explanations of the goals of FFA, members and parents deserve to know: What are the goals?

Blue Jackets and a Broken Foundation

The FFA Creed my daughter articulated so beautifully this spring meant something at one time. Now it seems to be more of a historical document hollowed out by an organization that has purposely broken away from its foundation in order to look like everyone else.

It’s not the blue jacket that set FFA members apart. The jacket has always been the external representation, uniting FFA members visually around the values and goals stated in the longstanding organizational documents. Will American Agriculture hold true to the best traditions of our national life? There are many of us who put on that blue jacket in the past and remember what it meant. It’s up to us to stand up, before the organization that gave us so much is swallowed up by the woke agenda, like so many others.

FFA invites in what they seek to keep out

I have been asked, “so, what will your daughters do if they encounter someone who considers themselves trans at one of these events?” Here’s my answer, the same thing we did at Target last week, smile and speak with the same kindness and respect we would anyone else. We actually believe in the basic premise of making others feel included and valued. We actually personally know and care about people who are living differently than us in many various ways and we recognize every person as made in the image of God. We recognize every person as valuable.

My daughters (and son) are being raised in a Christian home and it is because of our Christian faith that they know the expectation is to treat every person with love. We oppose the claim that gender is fluid. We believe it is a perverse and corrupt movement. But, it is not the job of our children to explain this to people they meet at an FFA event, it would not be effective and that is not the purpose of FFA. However, if FFA pushes to “cultivate conversations” around gender and sexuality, it is the FFA organization itself that pushes for our family’s viewpoint to be expressed in these conversations. It is the DEI agenda FFA leadership has set that actually shifts the focus away from uniting us around what we share in common and toward differences that divide.