IALF: Developing Policy and Decision Makers for the Agricultural Industry

Though agriculture has always been a vital sector of the U.S. economy, the pandemic we’ve experienced since the start of 2020 has reinforced just how essential its workforce is to each of our lives – from putting dinner on our tables to fueling sustainable innovations for our future. Advocacy for the agriculture industry is critically important – now more than ever.

This month I learned that I was selected as one of 24 fellows of the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation (IALF) Class of 2022. This valuable opportunity will enable me to build on my experience in agriculture marketing and communication and develop policy and decision-making skills that will benefit the agriculture industry. I am honored and excited to help meet such a vital need.

What does this mean for Marketing to Farmers? Beginning August 2020, I will participate in 15 seminars over 19 months to learn about issues related to global and local food security and sustainability. I’m confident my conversations with other fellows, who represent a broad spectrum of food and agricultural interests and diverse agricultural experiences, will bring a new lens to how I view marketing to farmers.

Over the coming months, check in here for updates and insights as I share what I’ve learned about agricultural communication, policy, global challenges, business decision making, and more, and apply these insights to how we, as marketers, communicate with farmers.

To learn more about the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation, visit: agleadership.org.