USDA Names 2023 Agricultural Outlook Forum Future Leaders in Agriculture Program Winners

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2023 ─ The U.S. Division of Agriculture (USDA) has chosen 30 college college students who will attend USDA’s 2023 Agricultural Outlook Discussion board (AOF) as winners of the USDA Future Leaders in Agriculture program. These undergraduate and graduate college students from land-grant, non-land-grant schools of agriculture and Hispanic-serving establishments will obtain a weeklong journey to Washington, D.C., and attend the 99th annual Agricultural Outlook Discussion board, USDA’s largest annual assembly. This 12 months’s discussion board convenes on February 23-24, 2023 on the Crystal Gateway Marriott Lodge in Arlington, Virginia.

“These younger individuals are the following era of agriculture, and it’s important for USDA to help their coaching,” stated Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “By means of the Future Leaders Program, USDA is increasing profession alternatives in USDA-related fields and constructing an agriculture workforce that displays the range of the American folks.”

Now in its sixteenth 12 months, the USDA Future Leaders in Agriculture Program introduces undergraduate and graduate college students to the work of USDA and associate organizations. This system additionally offers real-world studying alternatives in up to date agribusiness, scientific analysis, and agricultural coverage to 21 undergraduates and 9 graduate college students who’re majoring in agriculture-related topics, together with enterprise, economics, communications, vitamin, meals science and veterinary research. Candidates submit essays on agricultural careers and challenges. Throughout their go to to Washington, D.C., college students will take part in a USDA briefing and talk about profession improvement with agriculture leaders in academia, authorities, and business. They are going to tour the nation’s capital and attend the discussion board, the place Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will current their awards.

“I’m very happy to see such a bunch of promising younger college students exhibiting a powerful curiosity within the agriculture sector and USDA’s work, and I’m trying ahead to assembly them in individual at our annual Agricultural Outlook Discussion board subsequent month,” stated USDA Chief Economist Seth Meyer.

Among the many winners, Megan Cherry is an Agricultural Communications main on the College of Georgia. In her essay on “Agriculture as a Profession,” she wrote “Being a first-generation faculty pupil, I can faithfully say I might not be the place I’m right this moment if it weren’t for agriculture and all of the profession agriculturalists who select to spend money on me. Agriculture as a profession is a fancy assertion however finally, I couldn’t think about a extra rewarding profession path.”

Undergraduate Winners

Graduate Winners

*Non-Land-Grant Faculty of Agriculture

The Future Leaders in Agriculture Program is supported by tutorial establishments, firms, and authorities establishments devoted to selling the training of the following era of agriculturalists. This 12 months’s sponsoring organizations embody the College of Maryland Japanese Shore and Farm Credit score. USDA sponsors embody the Agricultural Analysis Service, Animal and Plant Well being Inspection Service, Financial Analysis Service, Overseas Agricultural Service, Nationwide Agricultural Statistics Service, Pure Sources Conservation Service, Workplace of the Chief Economist, and the Workplace of Partnerships and Public Engagement.

The Agricultural Outlook Forum is the USDA’s largest annual assembly, attracting as many as 2,000 attendees from the U.S. and overseas. The discussion board highlights key points and subjects throughout the agricultural group, providing a platform for dialog amongst producers, processors, policymakers, authorities officers, and non-governmental organizations, each overseas and home. Observe the dialog at #AgOutlook23 on USDA’s Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

USDA touches the lives of all People every day in so many constructive methods. Within the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is reworking America’s meals system with a better concentrate on extra resilient native and regional meals manufacturing, fairer markets for all producers, making certain entry to secure, wholesome and nutritious meals in all communities, constructing new markets and streams of revenue for farmers and producers utilizing local weather sensible meals and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clear vitality capabilities in rural America, and committing to fairness throughout the Division by eradicating systemic obstacles and constructing a workforce extra consultant of America. To study extra, go to www.usda.gov.

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