Check Out 12 Inspiring Projects From Our Next Gen Ag Leaders
The Mississippi River Network (MRN) and Green Lands Blue Waters (GLBW) are delighted to congratulate twelve incredible mentees who completed the 2022-2023 “Equipping Next Generation Ag and Conservation Leaders” Mentorship Program in June.
Each of the twelve program participants were responsible for completing a unique communications project on a topic of their choice. What follows is the collection of blog posts, infographics, podcasts, policy experiences, and much more that this inaugural cohort of mentees completed in collaboration with their mentors and communications coaches. You can read more about the entire program at https://greenlandsbluewaters.org/next-gen-ag-leaders/
Aaryn Wilson, B.S. in Plant Science from University of Minnesota (MN) )
Originally from Minneapolis, Aaryn became interested in food as a teenager, and considered becoming a chef before deciding to study food and agriculture. Since graduating, Aaryn has been working on food waste reduction and organic recycling, organic lawn care, and with urban farmers as well as connecting youth to natural resource science. He sees the need for both climate and racial justice, and to remove the barriers black and brown people face in accessing wild and agricultural spaces. He hopes to turn his passion for working with African American and immigrant communities in our food system and his interest in agricultural science and environmental policy into a successful career.
Aaryn’s Final Communications Project: Aaryn Wilson will join fellow cohort members Guolong Liang, Gurparteet Singh, and Lia Carrillo to present at the 2023 Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) annual conference in Des Moines, Iowa on August 8, 2023 at 10:30am – 12:00pm CT.
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Daniel Hayden, Plant Pathology PhD at University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)
Daniel has always held working with and serving Indigenous people as a core value, and as a PhD student at UW Madison, he found a way to utilize his interest in plant science to serve the tribal community. Daniel’s research focuses on collaborating with tribal corn growers to help them optimize reduced-tillage practices. This work has highlighted the many challenges these farmers face, as well as the way in which their knowledge and values support equitable, dynamic, sustainable, and productive agricultural systems. Daniel’s goals are to farm Indigenous crops, support and teach tribal youth, and continue collaborating with tribal communities through research.
Daniel’s Final Communications Project: Daniel Hayden shared his PhD research in a blog series on the potential role of microbes in The Three Sisters traditional polyculture mound system.
George Odumbe Oganda, Crop Science Master’s student at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (IL)
George is interested in regenerative agriculture, including how it can improve soil health and reduce insect pest pressure in specialty crops. Ultimately, he would like to work at agricultural research stations, developing solutions to food security and environmental challenges and providing extension services to growers. He is acutely aware of capital limitations faced by small farmers, and wants to find ways to ensure that they can learn about and benefit from these practices. George has a global vision for making regenerative agriculture more accessible to small-scale farmers, from local farmers in the Midwest to vegetable growers in his home country of Kenya.
George’s Final Communications Project: George Odumbe Oganda completed a blog post titled “Why we should go the Regenerative Agriculture (RA) way to improve ecosystem health.”
Guolong Liang, Agriculture and Water Quality Program, UW-Madison Extension (WI)
After finishing his Master’s degree researching how horticultural crops respond to environmental stress in Wisconsin, Guolong joined UW Extension to work on the intersection of agriculture and water quality issues. During his studies and career, Guolong observed how structural racism and social injustice limit farmers (especially underrepresented farmers), and how the current agricultural system is rooted in land theft and colonialism. From conversations with small-scale farmers in Costa Rica to working side by side with local CSA farmers in southwest Wisconsin, he saw part of how the political system treats these populations differently. These experiences inspired him to include fighting injustice as an important career goal. Guolong envisions an agriculture industry that is just, collaborative, and transparent, one where farmers and other stakeholders communicate well and can earn a respectable living without destroying the ecosystem. Guolong is particularly interested in serving Asian farmers, beginning by listening and understanding their needs.
Guolong’s Final Communications Project: Guolong Liang will join fellow cohort members Aaryn Wilson, Gurparteet Singh, and Lia Carrillo to present at the 2023 Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) annual conference in Des Moines, Iowa on August 8, 2023 at 10:30am – 12:00pm CT.
Gurparteet Singh, Land and Atmospheric Science PhD at the University of Minnesota (MN)
Gurparteet has been interested in physical sciences since childhood, which lead him to an undergrad degree in Agricultural Engineering and the development of a UV radiation filtration system for disinfecting vegetable crop fertigation solution. He has also been deeply troubled by the iniquity in the agricultural system, including massive corporate profits at the expense of growers and agricultural workers. Gurparteet’s compassion and concern for the human impacts of industrial agriculture motivated him to work on a farmer suicide prevention project as a teenager in India. As a student at the U of M, Gurparteet studies the water quality benefits of intermediate wheatgrass, and is committed to developing sustainable solutions for the environment.
Gurparteet’s Final Communications Project: Gurparteet Singh joined the Mississippi River Network for their annual fly-in in Washington, DC in March where he participated in Congressional meetings to advocate for sustainable agricultural policies that support farmers and water quality.
Image: Mentee Gurparteet joins other Mississippi River Network members in a meeting with Congressional staff in Washington, DC in March 2023.
Gurparteet Singh will also join fellow cohort members Aaryn Wilson, Guolong Liang, and Lia Carrillo to present at the 2023 Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) annual conference in Des Moines, Iowa on August 8, 2023 at 10:30am – 12:00pm CT.
Heather Rose, Owner of Forever Healing Us LLC, MS in Health Promotion and Leadership (IL)
Heather is passionate about health and wellness, including utilizing alternative medicine and therapies to address mental illness and reduce trauma footprints with a self-love curriculum. A key pathway she sees to self and community sustainability are more BIPOC owned and led gardens. Heather aims to encourage diversity in farming and gardening by both becoming a farmer herself and empowering others to do so though a wellness farm center: a space to teach and guide the BIPOC community. She envisions a local agricultural system, diverse in both people and crops. To this end, reaching underserved farmers and community members is Heather’s top priority.
Heather’s Final Communications Project: Heather Rose created an informative and engaging PowerPoint presentation on the power of healthy eating and detoxing for her community.
Korede Olugbenle, Agronomy PhD at University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)
Korede grew up in the city in Nigeria and got interested in agriculture because he wanted to help improve Nigeria’s agriculture sector after it deteriorated. During graduate school, he developed an interest in research, and currently plans to pursue a research career helping developing farmers around the world, especially working with perennial crops in Africa. Korede envisions a future that includes independent farms, drastically reduced pollution, management practices that improve the land for the next generation, and a better public understanding of and relationship with farmers.
Korede’s Final Communications Project: Korede Olugbenle is providing agronomic and outreach expertise for GLBW’s “Continuous Living Cover (CLC) 101” Curriculum presentation that is funded through Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. Stay tuned to updates from GLBW for more information.
Kyla Muhammad, Master Naturalist (IL)
Kyla has always been a nature lover, but an edible plants class sparked a deeper curiosity about ecological systems, native species, and land stewardship, and the realization that caring for people, wildlife, and the land aren’t mutually exclusive. In fact, teaching others about how to grow food for themselves or their communities in regenerative and sustainable ways can be one of the first steps toward building more resilient, self-sufficient communities. Currently, Kyla is working on overcoming systemic hurdles to develop training and land access programs for BIPOC farmers. Long-term, she envisions a diverse, regenerative, decentralized agricultural system that offers fair compensation and equal opportunities – “an agricultural future worth fighting for.”
Kyla’s Final Communications Project: Kyla Muhammad created an engaging infographic to educate about agroecology and regenerative farming. See the infographic below.
Lia Carrillo, Iowa State University (IA)
Lia has had a lifelong passion for conservation and wildlife, which motivated her to pursue a degree in Animal Ecology and Wildlife at Iowa State University. In 2021-2022 she worked with Practical Farmers of Iowa through the Green Iowa AmeriCorps program, becoming interested in agriculture as well. Despite not coming from a farming background, she has a deep connection to the topic: hearing stories from her father, originally from Mexico, about working on the land and growing food are close to her heart, especially as she has learned more about the challenges of farming. Lia is especially motivated to work with Spanish-speaking and beginning farmers, as she has seen how underserved those groups are. Lia hopes to continue deepening her knowledge of agriculture and conservation so that she can support an agricultural future with more regenerative practices to support healthy soil, wildlife, and people.
Lia’s Final Communications Project: Lia Carrillo hosted a podcast episode as part of her mentor Dr. Akilah Martin’s podcast series with Orrin Williams called “Roots Watering Hole.” Listen to Lia’s podcast episode where she interviews farmer Drake Larsen about his farm and all the ways he’s incorporating perennials and other living cover.
Lia Carrillo will also join fellow cohort members Aaryn Wilson, Guolong Liang, and Gurparteet Singh to present at the 2023 Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) annual conference in Des Moines, Iowa on August 8, 2023 at 10:30am – 12:00pm CT.
Milcah Kigoni, Crop Science and Agronomy PhD from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (IL)
Milcah brings a background in biochemistry and over three years experience working in crop genomics research, proteomics, machine-learning, computational biology, big data analytics, system development and programming. At international CGIAR crop research institutes, she supported practical integration of genomics in plant breeding for research programs based in Africa, South East Asia and South America. In her PhD program, she is studying plant breeding methods that complement intercropping. Milcah is passionate about translational crop research aimed at breaking down the complexities of cutting-edge research, to formulate practical solutions for crop improvement. Growing up in rural Kenya surrounded by small-scale, resource-limited farms, Milcah was inspired to develop livestock and crop production solutions for small to midsize farms and drive economic and social empowerment through agriculture. She is particularly interested in using her plant breeding and research skills to serve resource-limited and underrepresented farmer communities in Kenya and globally.
Milcah’s Communications Project: Milcah Kigoni worked with Green Lands Blue Waters to hone her proposal-writing skills for a Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program grant opportunity.
Nurfadila Khairunnisa, Applied Economics Master’s student at University of Minnesota (MN)
Nurfadila completed her second year in the Applied Econ program and works on projects looking at the effect of fresh fruit and vegetable consumption among an ethnic community in rural MN and creating financial benchmarking reports for organic farms in the upper Midwest. Nurfadila’s primary interest is in work that supports low-income and underserved communities along the supply chain, including underserved Somali grocery stores in rural Minnesota. Originally from Indonesia but raised in Minneapolis, she brings a deep understanding of the value of culturally appropriate food availability and the importance of including underrepresented groups in the food supply narrative. She envisions an agricultural system that feeds everyone, but that is also truly accessible to everyone.
Nurfadila’s Final Communications Project: Nurfadila Khairunnisa created two infographics to complement a short blog post about the the economics of sustainable growing practices.
Sami Maldonado, Minnesota Farmer’s Union (MN)
Sami has been interested in agricultural, justice, and environmental issues for a long time. Seeing both stunning biodiversity and environmental degradation on her first visit to Ecuador, her father’s home country, inspired her to take action. As an undergraduate, she studied Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems, attended conferences, mentored youth through an urban agriculture non-profit, and served as her university’s Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS) Chapter President. As the Operations Coordinator for Minnesota Farmers Union, Sami is actively working towards equity for farmers, climate resilient farming, and a thriving food system. Sami believes that farming should be an option open to everyone, and she is motivated to understand and address challenges by working with a diverse array of Minnesotan farmers.
Sami’s Final Communications Project: Sami Maldonado’s write-up of an interview with Fairhaven Farm was published the Minnesota Farmer’s Union magazine.
A re-post of Sami’s write up and photographs is published here
Thank you for checking out these twelve important and inspiring projects and joining us in congratulating the twelve incredible mentees who completed the 2022-2023 “Equipping Next Generation Ag and Conservation Leaders” Mentorship Program hosted by the Mississippi River Network and Green Lands Blue Waters. You can read more about the entire program at https://greenlandsbluewaters.org/next-gen-ag-leaders/
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