Forty years ago, the first New Mexico FFA Leadership Camp was held in the cool pines of Cloudcroft, in the southeastern part of the state. Although the four-day camp has undergone format and traditional changes over the decades, it has stood the test of time as a place for young, future leaders to come together, form lasting relationships, and positively grow from a passion for agriculture and FFA.
However, there is a growing fear that the camp’s future is in jeopardy.
During this year’s camp, concerning rumors emerged regarding its relevance to young people in agriculture and its financial sustainability. In response to those rumors, past state and national officers, former attendees, and camp staff have taken to social media and other platforms to unequivocally voice their support for continuing the camp.
For its part, the New Mexico FFA Association has pushed back on those rumors. Gary Aycock, Supervisor of Agricultural Education and State FFA Advisor at New Mexico State University, told AGDAILY in a phone call that the camp faces no risk of closure while affirming its financial feasibility.
Conversely, sources at the camp told AGDAILY that some of the rumors appear to have originated from conversations involving Aycock.
FFA summer camps in states nationwide bring members together for leadership and service growth. It’s well known that these camps require significant resources and commitment. The National FFA Camp, for instance, closed in the 1950s after struggling through World War II, later transforming into the National FFA Center from 1958 to 1997.
Despite these challenges, the summer FFA camps remain a cherished tradition for many across the country. For New Mexico FFA members, the state’s leadership camp is a proud tradition and a highly anticipated, life-changing event that attendees speak to even years later. It’s the main reason that the buzz about New Mexico’s potential camp closure is hitting people so hard.
“It’s an experience that utilizes a relaxed environment to help students build relationships, network with students from other parts of the state, develop confidence in their own abilities, and for some students, helps them to develop an identity within the walls of the FFA program,” Diego Dow, former state officer and former FFA advisor who attended 12 consecutive camps in multiple roles, said in an interview.
Collectively, the New Mexico FFA has 78 chapters and over 4,000 members. Even though the state isn’t known for having record membership numbers on the national level, New Mexico FFA members have made their mark as leaders in the National FFA Organization and beyond.
In the last few decades, New Mexico members have been elected as National Presidents (including Paul Moya and Ryan Best), National Western Region Vice Presidents (including Emily Gossett, Lyle Logemann, Caleb Gustin, and Shannon Norris), National Secretary (Bill Caraway), and more.
For many, the FFA camp in Cloudcroft is the first place that young members get to interact with leadership in the FFA organization, including state officers. And, it’s one of the rare places that students get to interact with their peers outside of classrooms and competitions.
“It was the first place for me personally that I got to interact with state officers and view them as peers as opposed to unattainable celebrities that were out of reach for a 14-year-old freshman,” Dow said.
In 1979, when New Mexico State President Jamie Widner came home from the State President’s Conference in Washington, D.C., he was inspired by the experiences his roommate, Randy Brian Park, had as Kansas president at his state’s FFA camp. In 1983, 12 former state officers met in the living room of a trailer house near New Mexico State University to discuss the camp’s feasibility.
Among those attending the initial planning meeting were Bub Graham, Rudy Tarpley, Randy Worley, Randy Meeks, Richard Gatewood, Rex Wilson, Betsy Peterson, Juanita Sanchez, Steve Dimitroff, Charles Townsend, Phillip Payne, and Widner.
A cheap campground was needed, and the Scott Abel Campground was secured. In the summer of 1984, the first FFA leadership camp in New Mexico was held. The former officers (and planning group) served as camp counselors and facilitated workshops under Danny Ware, the executive secretary’s leadership.
“It was a huge success,” said Widner, who has worked in public education for 34 years and currently serves as an FFA advisor in the town of House. “Almost every state officer for the last 40 years has come through FFA camp.”
The first camp cost attendees $50 and included a T-shirt and meals. Since then, the camp has moved to Aspendale Mountain Retreat Center and increased to $200. Advisors such as Widner have helped students to continue attending through fundraising efforts and auctioning items built by the students.
The New Mexico FFA Association also assists with fundraising efforts, aiding chapters in funding their trip to FFA Camp with the Alumni Auction held during the State FFA Convention. This year, five Leadership Scholarships were also awarded to FFA members who wanted to attend camp.
Rob Atchley, a former state FFA officer, has been a steadfast supporter of the camp since its inception, donating the annual camp T-shirts every year since 1989. Initially, Atchley and Ware designed the T-shirts. Over time, the responsibility of creating the designs was passed to state officers, who now come up with new designs each year for the camp.
“I do it because I want each one of those kids to have something to take home,” Atchley said. “My FFA jacket always made me feel smarter, taller, and stronger, and I want those kids to have something to remember their time at camp. It’s too bad we don’t have a camp like this for every kid. They gain lifelong relationships, and I believe the great leaders of this country will emerge from the FFA.”
Although the camp has inevitably changed over the past decades, attendees share similar stories of their experiences attending camp and emerging motivated, invocated, and with newfound connections and leadership experiences.
“It’s the only place where I really learned leadership,” said Ashley Bachmeier, who is a former New Mexico state officer and now a chair on the North Dakota FFA Camp planning committee, where she works as an ag teacher. “Camp was where I first gave a speech and had the courage to write and recite one. Before camp, I never thought I was smart enough to write a speech.
The speech may have been on aggressive squirrels, but I will never forget it,” she added jovially.
Currently, the FFA camp is organized so that when campers arrive, they are strategically divided into groups of 12 to 14, each led by a state officer throughout the week. These groups intentionally combine members from different chapters, fostering new connections and relationships. They rotate through workshops, chores, flag ceremonies, and reflection sessions.
A long-standing camp tradition is the mailbox that each team builds. Throughout the camp, members exchange inspirational, motivational, and positive letters with other groups, along with friendly notes, which are dropped off and opened daily by the students.
“Camp is honestly one of my favorite FFA events because it is more personal; we get to know the members on a better level,” said a recent camp attendee and student leader who requested to remain anonymous. “I have seen many kids come out of FFA camp more out of their shell and make lifelong connections. FFA camp has taught me the importance of patience when working with a group of individuals from different backgrounds and perspectives, helping them work together. Seeing the lives of members change through FFA camp and maybe even playing a role in helping them find their place in this organization, their passions, or goals, has really made me see the value of service.”
The format works, noted Jackie Duplantis, a former state officer who now teaches special education.
“I was extremely shy at one time,” she said. “Camp was a safe place for me to participate in leadership activities, be silly during the talent show, and develop lasting friendships. Students might possibly need this now more than ever. If it hadn’t been for FFA camp, I probably would have never had the courage to become a state officer.”
During the camp, new state officers are presented with their official jackets, a proud moment for FFA members who have chosen to serve their state.
“As an officer, camp helped me realize that my role was one of service, with the opportunity to provide the same impact to others,” said Dow. “Over the years, I witnessed countless members leave the camp with a completely different level of confidence in themselves.”
In the past 40 years, both the times and the FFA members have changed significantly. One former state officer noted, “Friends are one ‘snap’ away as well as instant entertainment. Relying on the old ways with a new type of kid is obviously getting more challenging.”
With the rise of social media and digital distractions, engaging today’s youth requires new strategies. Traditional methods of leadership training and community building must adapt to remain relevant and impactful for the next generation of FFA members.
Additionally, the financial feasibility of continuing the camp is a growing concern, with costs increasing to between $25,000 and $27,000 each year. As costs increase, finding sustainable ways to fund the camp while keeping it affordable for all participants is crucial.
To address these challenges and ensure the camp remains a viable and engaging option for future members, stakeholders plan to gather for an online meeting this week to share ideas and brainstorm innovative approaches. The goal is to blend the camp’s cherished traditions with modern techniques that resonate with today’s youth while also exploring funding strategies that secure the camp’s future. This collaborative effort aims to ensure the camp continues to foster leadership, community, and personal growth for decades to come.
