The afternoon of National Ag Day was spent at the
National Press Club. United States Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Stephen
Censky kicked off the afternoon with remarks detailing USDA’s launch of their
new Youth and Agriculture website (www.usda.gov/youth) to connect young people and youth-serving organizations
with Department-wide resources that engage, empower, and educate the next
generation of agricultural leaders.
You can listen to his remarks HERE.
Newsmaker Hour: Focus on Trade
This year’s press club event featured a newsmaker hour. The Current State and Future of US Ag Trade: Challenges and Opportunities was moderated by Isabella Chism, AFBF, 2019 Ag Day Chair.
Listen to the panel and audience questions HERE.
Featured Panelists:
Ted McKinney, Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs
David Salmonsen, Senior Director of Congressional Relations, American Farm Bureau Federation
Maria Zieba, Director of International Affairs, National Pork Producers Council
Hanna Abou-El-Seoud, Government Affairs Representative, ASA
Youth Panel at the Press Club
The Press Club event continued with a panel moderated by Deputy Secretary Censky. The panel, titled “Observations from the Next Generation of America’s Agriculturists,” featured student panelists from college and high school.
Listen to the panel HERE.
Panelists:
Ridge Hughbanks, National FFA Central Region Vice President
Zach Jacobs, AFA
Irene Lewis, MANRRS Region IV Undergraduate Vice President
Grace Brose, 2019 Essay Contest Winner
Outstanding Young Farmers Honored
In attendance at the press club were some of the John Deere Outstanding Young Farmers. The first Outstanding Young Farmer National Congress was held under John Deere’s sponsorship in 1977 in Bismarck, ND. From the registrations received each year, the top 25 candidates are reviewed by judges and from that group the top ten are chosen for an expense paid trip to the OYF Awards Congress each year. From the top ten – 4 are chosen as National Outstanding Young Farmers. In attendance at Ag Day festivities were some of the winners from the OYF Class of 2018. There are 1500 plus members in the Outstanding Farmer fraternity and several hundred of them return each year to attend the Congress and renew friendships from years past.
Val Plagge from Franklin County, Iowa spoke on behalf of the group. Val is a 5th generation farmer raising corn, soybeans, pigs and four kids with her husband Ian. She has a passion for farming and food and her blog, Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids,” shares all of her life’s passions. Through her blog, she has had a chance to work with groups such as CommonGround, the Iowa Food & Family Project, Monsanto’s Rooted in Conversation and the Iowa Farm Bureau’s F.A.R.M. team.
Essay Contest Winner Grace Brose Awarded $1,000 Scholarship
Grace Brose from Box Elder, South Dakota, won the 2019 Ag Day National Written Essay Contest for her essay titled “Agriculture: Food for Life How Does Our Nation Lead the Way?” She received her $1,000 scholarship prize in Washington, D.C. at an event at the National Press Club. Read Grace’s winning essay HERE.
Listen to Grace reading her winning essay HERE.
Video Essay Contest Winner Jacob Kandell Awarded $1,000 Prize
The video essay winner for 2019 is Jacob Kandell from Mason, Ohio. You can view the winning video essay HERE.
