OAK BROOK, Ill. — Farm Foundation, an accelerator of practical solutions for agriculture, has announced its latest cohort of Cultivators to present at an upcoming Round Table Event. Twice a year, Farm Foundation gathers professionals from across the food and agriculture value chain to promote discussion and interaction among thought leaders in government, academics, agribusiness, and other interest groups.
The Cultivators Program gives the next generation of agribusiness leaders a seat at the table. Cultivators, who may be undergraduate or graduate students, are selected from a competitive pool of applicants from accredited North American colleges or universities. Students are nominated by their college dean or department head.
Each Cultivator is connected with a Farm Foundation Round Table participant who acts as a mentor for the meeting, letting students know what to expect and making sure they are interacting with other attendees. Cultivators are expected to participate in all aspects of the meeting and present a poster representing a key aspect of their studies.
“We are thrilled to welcome another outstanding class of Cultivators and look forward to seeing them present at our January 2022 Round Table meeting in Florida,” said Martha King, Vice President of Programs and Projects at Farm Foundation. Cultivators selected for January 2022 are:
Adam Knoblock
Iowa State University
A sophomore studying Agricultural Business, Adam grew up on his family farm and is currently actively involved with the Iowa Corn Growers Collegiate Club and several other organizations. He has interned at AgriGold and will spend next summer interning at Poet as a grain merchandiser.
Justin Leslie
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
Justin served in the U.S. Army before studying Agribusiness and Food Industry Management at Carolina AT&T where he is now a senior. Witnessing the decline caused by people leaving Sparta, Georgia, where his grandfather has a farm, has motivated him to teach people about the relevance of agriculture in rural communities.
Kirsten Nickles
The Ohio State University
Kirsten graduated with a master’s degree in Animal Sciences from Ohio State where she is now a graduate research associate in cattle nutrition. She is motivated to produce high-impact research with outcomes that will help beef producers and advocate for the livestock industry.
Roberto Ortez
University of Florida
Roberto is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Management in Agriculture while also working full time as a Sugarcane Rotational Development Program Ag Supervisor at Florida Crystals.
Kantilata Thapa
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
After completing her undergraduate degree from Agriculture and Forestry University in Nepal, Kantilata moved to Nebraska where she is now a graduate student in the Biosystems Engineering department. She is passionate about learning from varied perspectives to develop solutions for sustainable and resilient agriculture.
Alyssa Vander Woude
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
Alyssa grew up on her family’s dairy farm, which sparked a lifelong passion for agriculture. She is currently in her second year at Cal Poly where she is working toward a Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness. She hopes to one day make an impact in Ag finance.
The Farm Foundation Round Table is an invitation-only group of thought leaders, policy makers, and influential figures from a broad cross-section of the food and agriculture value chain. The group, with invited guests, meets twice a year to discuss issues of importance to agribusiness, the food system, and rural communities. Round Table discussions also generate new ideas for Farm Foundation project work. By attending these events, student Cultivators have the unique opportunity to interact with leaders in today’s food and agriculture sector. Learn more at farmfoundation.org/cultivators.
About Farm Foundation®
Farm Foundation is an accelerator of practical solutions for agriculture. Our mission is to build trust and understanding at the intersections of agriculture and society. We accomplish this by leveraging non- partisan objective dialogue, information and training, catalyzing solutions and creating multi-stakeholder collaboration. Our vision is to build a future for farmers, our communities and our world. For more information, visit farmfoundation.org.
–Farm Foundation