The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) hosted a group of Agriculture Future of America (AFA) student delegates in the Washington D.C. office as part of AFA’s Policy Institute. NCGA staff provided a tour and overview of the work the organization does and led discussions around how the national and state associations work collaboratively across the country to increase opportunities for America’s corn farmers.
NCGA staff were able to engage with the student delegates through different workshop and roundtable opportunities including an office tour followed by an “NCGA 101” to help provide students with some visibility of all of the different opportunities and skillsets needed within a trade association. Brooke Appleton, NCGA Vice President of Public Policy, participated in AFA’s ‘Careers in Policy’ roundtable, Angus Kelly, Director of Public Policy, Trade and Biotechnology, was a panelist for the ‘Foreign & Domestic Affairs’ discussion, and Michael Granché, Market Development Manager, facilitated the ‘Leadership Competency Connection’ session on Tuesday.
“AFA does incredible work, helping equip the next generation of agriculturalists with the tools and networking experience they’ll need to have successful careers and impact positive change,” said Granché. “I was fortunate enough to be one of the first Hokies from Virginia Tech to get involved with AFA during my time on campus and it strongly impacted my career trajectory! I went from wanting to be a livestock veterinarian to knowing I belonged working for farmers and helping advance the industry through association work. AFA gives students not just refinement for their soft skills but also the confidence to walk up to a stranger and tell their ag story.”
Through the Membership and Consumer Engagement Action Team (MCEAT), NCGA will also be a sponsor of AFA’s Leaders Conference in November held in Kansas City, Missouri where students across the country will have a chance to network with experts from the agriculture and food industry.
