At the 98th National FFA Convention & Expo, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins delivered an urgent call to action to young leaders in agriculture — a keynote that blended faith, freedom, and a renewed sense of purpose for rural America.
Speaking before thousands of FFA members, Rollins issued both a challenge and an invitation: to lead with conviction, to serve with humility, and to restore the enduring values that built America’s agricultural greatness.
“You are the future of agriculture, with a faith born not of words but of deeds,” Rollins declared.
Faith, Freedom, and the Foundation of Rural Life
In a speech laced with moral clarity and patriotic urgency, Rollins reminded the audience that agriculture is more than an industry — it is a way of life grounded in truth and divine order.
“The key to success,” she said, “is working with the pre-existing order that God has sown into creation, not fighting against it.”
Affirmative Opportunity, NOT Divisive Action.
We are a country of opportunity, not a country of divisive action and categorization based on what name you have or where you are from
A Call to Defend America’s Heartland
Rollins’ address was also a warning — that America’s future depends on preserving its small towns, small farms, and rural way of life.
“And if we want this nation to last another 250 years by God’s good grace, we must make sure that American agriculture — our small towns, our small communities, and our rural way of life — survives and thrives.”
She criticized cultural and bureaucratic forces that she said have undermined those values and urged young agriculturalists to reject the trends that divide and weaken their communities.
“It’s time for FFA to once again stand up for the values of rural America, for commonsense, merit, freedom, and truth.”
Empowerment Through Service
Rollins connected this year’s FFA convention theme — empower — to the servant leadership model exemplified by Christ and embodied by generations of American farmers.
“To all the FFA members out there, I encourage you to live up to the FFA creed we all know so well — its call to cherish the joys and even the discomforts of this way of life… to serve your own — and more importantly — the public interest.”
She announced a new partnership between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Education, establishing a USDA representative on the National FFA Board of Directors — a move aimed at deepening federal collaboration in agricultural education and youth leadership.
A Rising Sun for a New Generation
Closing her address, Rollins struck a hopeful tone that echoed the symbolism of the FFA emblem itself:
“A new day is dawning on our farms and in our classrooms, and as we all know, the rising sun is the token of a new era in agriculture. Mark my words, the best is yet to come.”
With that, she left the crowd with a renewed sense of mission — to carry forward the light of rural America, grounded in faith, purpose, and truth.