Despite the sweltering 100-degree temperatures, Fort Worth will be awash in a sea of iconic blue corduroy jackets until Friday of this week as members of the Future Farmers of America (FFA) flock to the city for the 94th Annual Texas FFA Convention.
Students from all over Texas began convening in Cowtown on Monday to compete in contests such as the agriculture science fair, rodeo, and speaking events, with the chance to earn money for college.
“We’re gonna be filling the streets of Cowtown with blue corduroy jackets. We’ll have about 15,000 students directly in Fort Worth,” Ryan Hess told NBC DFW as they arrived. Hess is a Stephenville native who attends Texas Tech and is an area vice president for the FFA.
While it is hard to believe anyone would want to wear a corduroy jacket outside in the middle of summer in Texas, thousands are happy to do so.
“Whenever you see those blue corduroy jackets in groups, it’s just the most impressive thing to know that you’re there with other people with similar beliefs and love for agriculture and the agriculture industry. It’s really like a family thing. You’re reunited with your family,” said Hess.
The blue corduroy jacket is synonymous with FFA. The accessory was adopted in 1933 and is described as an “article of faith, honor, and pride.”
In the past eight years, the National FFA Foundation has given away more than 14,000 jackets through the Give the Gift of Blue program, which provides jackets to members who cannot afford to purchase one for themselves.
The jacket’s purpose is to remind each FFA member that they are part of something bigger than themselves. As the FFA members descend across Fort Worth this week, they will be spreading the message of service by participating in 13 beautification projects and bringing backpacks full of school supplies to donate to Tarrant County students ahead of the coming school year.