Ag Issues Forum: From Local Concern to Public Presentation — The Leadership Arc
Deep Dives on Specific FFA Contests and What They Teach
An Agricultural Issues Forum entry starts as a question someone cares about and ends as a presentation to an audience that did not ask for it. The distance between those two points is the leadership arc: choosing, researching, organizing, rehearsing and answering. FFA describes the event in terms of that process. This article walks through the steps as the event page and FFA coverage describe them, then offers a timeline. A companion article, on researching both sides, covers the credibility angle.
- Key takeaway: the event rewards the whole process, from topic choice to Q&A, not just stage presence.
- Scope: issues can be local, state, national or international.
Step 1: Choose an Issue
FFA’s event page says participants investigate local, state, national and international agricultural issues. Starting local often helps because the team can talk to affected people and see the issue in person. That advice is this site’s observation; FFA’s page lists all four scopes without ranking them.
Step 2: Research and Build a Portfolio
Participants demonstrate understanding through portfolios, presentations and questioning, per the event page. The portfolio is where research is organized: sources, key facts, the arguments on each side and what remains unsettled. FFA’s 2025 coverage says teams present both sides of the issue, so the research has to cover both.
Step 3: Design the Presentation
The page says teams present creatively, using props and technology, and are judged on content, creativity and respect for diverse cultures. A team of three to seven has room to divide the work, for example:
- A researcher or two to own the evidence.
- A designer for visuals and props.
- Presenters for each side.
- A timekeeper and Q&A lead.
These roles are this site’s suggestions, not event requirements.
Step 4: Rehearse and Take Questions
Questioning is part of the event, so rehearse it. Have outsiders who did not help research ask hard questions, and note which ones stumped the team.
Step 5: Present to the Public
The page says the event involves public audiences. In FFA’s 2025 coverage of the national event, FFA Members Find Their Voice in the Agricultural Issues Forum, superintendent Stacy Vincent calls it a good opportunity to practice educating adults in their communities about important issues. Vincent adds that one chapter even spoke directly with their governor, influencing policy through its research. An advisor in the story says the event helps young people have a voice and know they can make a difference.
A Ten-Week Timeline
| Weeks | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1 | Brainstorm issues; interview an affected person; choose a topic |
| 2–4 | Research both sides; build portfolio |
| 5 | Outline the presentation; assign roles |
| 6–7 | Build visuals and props; first full run-through |
| 8 | Mock Q&A with outside questioners |
| 9 | Present to a real audience, such as a civic club or school board |
| 10 | Debrief; revise for the next level of competition |
The timeline is a suggestion from this site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the team supposed to take a side?
FFA’s 2025 coverage says the event challenges teams to present both sides of the issue, and the superintendent says students provide facts and let stakeholders decide. An advisor in the story adds that the event exercises reasoning skills precisely because the teams do not reach a conclusion for the audience.
How big is a team?
Three to seven students, per the event page.
Where was the 2025 national event held?
FFA’s report places it at the Westin Hotel during the 98th National FFA Convention & Expo on October 30, 2025.
What does the audience see?
Creative presentations that use props and technology, according to the event page. Teams therefore need a plan for setting up and breaking down within the time allowed, which should be confirmed in the handbook.
What are judges looking at?
Content, creativity and respect for diverse cultures, per the page.
Honest Limits
The governor example is one reported case and should not be read as a typical outcome. The event page describes format and goals, not the specific scoring rubric or time limits, which should be taken from the current handbook. And a presentation to the public is not the same as advocacy; the event description emphasizes providing facts on both sides.
Past presidents on this site who worked in policy or industry leadership include Corey Rosenbusch, who leads The Fertilizer Institute; Riley Pagett, who worked on Capitol Hill and in federal policy; and Zach Kinne, who worked in agricultural policy in Washington. Their bios do not say they competed in this event.