What the Iowa FFA Leadership Conference Is
The Iowa FFA Leadership Conference is the state FFA convention, held each spring at Iowa State University's Hilton Coliseum in Ames. The 98th edition ran Sunday through Tuesday, April 19-21, 2026. It is described as one of the largest FFA conventions in the country and centers on leadership and career development, with contests, recognition of the past year's achievements, motivational speakers and networking with college and business professionals.
Scale
About 5,000 Iowa FFA members attended in 2026. The Iowa FFA Association has more than 20,500 student members in 273 local chapters. The incoming officer team will coordinate the 99th conference, which is expected to draw more than 7,000 members, advisors, parents and guests.
What Happens at the Conference
- Competitions. About 40, covering public speaking, job interviews, biotechnology, farm business management and more. Results in 2026 included a Job Interview state champion and gold, silver and bronze ratings in events such as Poultry Evaluation, Team Ag Sales and Farm Business Management.
- Workshops. Led by industry partners and by state officers from other states on Monday and Tuesday.
- Sessions and speakers. Retiring state officers give addresses. In 2026, Kevin Wanzer gave the keynote, and speakers included Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig and National FFA Eastern Region Vice President Joey Nowotny.
- Career and college fair and campus tours. Students toured the ISU Digital Agriculture building in 2026.
- Service project. More than 1,200 members from over 80 chapters packaged about 220,000 meals with Meals from the Heartland; chapters may keep some for local food banks. Iowa FFA members have packaged nearly three million meals through the partnership.
- Business session. Delegates vote on the next state officer team. The 2026 team elected was president Nora Pickhinke (Ridge View), secretary Erica Driscoll (Williamsburg), reporter Karlee Vander Hamm (West Sioux) and six regional vice presidents.
Degrees and Awards
The Iowa FFA Degree is the highest degree the association awards. Other recognition includes Greenhand tests for first-year high school members, Discovery tests for middle school members, agriscience divisions and chapter ratings, such as the National Chapter Award program.
Who Takes Part
Iowa FFA members attend with their chapters, and each chapter sends voting delegates to the business session. Middle school members have their own workshops and tests, and some chapters send members to serve on the courtesy corps, which helps members get to competitions.
Where
Hilton Coliseum, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.
Questions
When is the conference?
It is held in the spring. The 2026 edition was April 19-21 (Sunday through Tuesday).
Who votes on state officers?
Chapter delegates vote in the business session.
Official Links
- Radio Iowa: Thousands of Iowa ag-ed students head for big FFA event in Ames
- Algona FFA: State FFA Convention 2026
- New Iowa FFA officer team elected
- La Porte-Dysart FFA at the 98th conference
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Listing checked Nov. 11, 2026 against this source. Details can change; confirm with the organizer.