The original idea for the organization of FFA developed after courses in vocational agriculture were established by the Smith- Hughes National Vocational Education Act in 1917. In the early 1920s, Virginia formed a Future Farmers club for boys in agriculture classes. This innovation caught fire across the country, and the national organization was established in 1928 at the Baltimore Hotel in Kansas City, Mo. National dues to the Future Farmers of America were set at 10 cents per member.