The USDA recently announced the 30 students who will attend the 2023 Agricultural Outlook Forum as the winners of the USDA Future Leaders in Agriculture program.
These students all come from land-grant and non-land-grant colleges of agriculture and Hispanic-serving institutions, according to a Jan. 20 news release. They were awarded a weeklong trip to Washington, D.C. for the 99th annual forum, which serves as USDA's largest annual meeting.
“These young people are the next generation of agriculture, and it is important for USDA to support their training," Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said in the release. "Through the Future Leaders Program, USDA is expanding career opportunities in USDA-related fields and building an agriculture workforce that reflects the diversity of the American people.”
Other officials took to praising the work that is being done as well, according to the release.
“I am very pleased to see such a group of promising young students showing a strong interest in the agriculture sector and USDA’s work, and I am looking forward to meeting them in person at our annual Agricultural Outlook Forum next month," USDA Chief Economist Seth Meyer said in the release.
Furthermore, the USDA quoted the essay of Megan Cherry, an agricultural communications major at the University of Georgia, the release reported.
“Being a first-generation college student, I can faithfully say I would not be where I am today if it were not for agriculture and all the career agriculturalists who choose to invest in me," Cherry said in the release. "Agriculture as a career is a complex statement but ultimately, I could not imagine a more rewarding career path.”
