Every fall, ag teachers start mapping out the drive to the National FFA Convention. If your chapter is fundraising for the trip anyway, the drive itself is worth building into the experience. The stops are half the fun, and covering the cost doesn’t have to be complicated.
Make the Food Part of the Trip
One rule that’s worked well on our trips: when in Rome, eat like the Romans. That means pulling off for food you can’t get at home, even if it takes a little convincing.
White Castle is non-negotiable for me. My kids disagree, and they’re wrong.
Skyline Chili is the other local test. Chili over spaghetti with a pile of cheese sounds like an odd combination on paper, but it wins people over more often than not.
Both are quick, affordable stops that can turn a forgettable travel-day lunch into something kids actually remember.
Break Up the Week
A straight shot to Indianapolis can be a long one, so it helps to build in a few worthwhile stops along the way or once you arrive.
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Indianapolis Zoo — One of the better zoos we’ve visited and an easy half-day stop if you arrive early.
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Kelsay Farms (Johnson County) — A working dairy farm with real hands-on learning. Our kids picked up more here than I expected. If you can fit it into the schedule, this is a definite must.
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Birdies Indy — Mini golf and solid food, making it a good evening stop when the group needs to burn off some energy.
If your route takes you through Missouri on I-44, the Uranus Fudge Factory is certainly memorable. The billboards are cheeky, and the branding leans even further into the joke once you get there. It can get pretty mature, so this is one I’d strongly recommend previewing before putting it on a student itinerary.
We stopped there, I didn’t get fired, and the kids thought it was hilarious. I was a little more squeamish.
Save Real Time for the Expo
Whatever else makes the itinerary, block out unhurried time for the National FFA Expo.
It’s easy to treat the Expo as something you walk through between sessions, but chapters that give it a full afternoon tend to get much more out of it. Between career booths, hands-on demonstrations, conversations with industry representatives, and plenty of giveaways, there’s a lot there for students to explore.
Don’t rush it.
Fund the Trip First
Of course, none of this works if the trip isn’t paid for.
A flat-rate fundraiser is one of the simplest ways to get a chapter’s travel budget in place early. There’s no per-item math, no guessing what you’ll actually net, and no wondering whether the fundraiser will cover the trip. You have one clear number to plan around for the season.
If you’re mapping out National FFA Convention travel this year, see how TradeCraft’s fundraising program works at TradeCraftFundraising.com and get the budget question settled before the food stops become the fun part of the planning.
