Agriculture Policy Summit participants presented with Workforce Development Scholarship at NASDA Winter Policy Conference in the nation’s capital

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 15, 2022

Arlington, VA–The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Foundation and Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS) presented Agriculture Policy Summit participants with a Workforce Development Scholarship at the 2022 NASDA Winter Policy Conference. The scholarship is totaled to one thousand dollars per student. The goal of the Workforce Development scholarship is to aid students with the up-front costs that can arise with accepting an internship or job in the agriculture industry.

“Having these students join us as a part of the Winter Policy Conference prompts meaningful conversation that I am excited to witness. I am grateful that our teams are providing a scholarship through generous sponsorships given to the program to assist them in their pursuit of furthering their agriculture experience,” NASDA Foundation Executive Director Elizabeth Rowland said.

“We are thrilled to add this scholarship to the Agriculture Policy Summit after two years of the program’s existence,” MANRRS National President Dr. Olga Bolden-Tiller said. MANRRS students are talented, valuable and bring unique strengths to agriculture.

NASDA and the NASDA Foundation are committed to building a sustainable workforce to support a resilient agricultural and food supply chain. This partnership not only is working to increase minority college students’ exposure to employment, educational and business opportunities through state departments of agriculture, it also is committed to providing resources for students seeking to enter the agricultural workforce.

“We value this partnership and are thrilled to have the opportunity to recognize the talent that the MANRRS students bring to state departments of agriculture for the third year,” NASDA CEO Ted McKinney said.

Background:

The Agriculture Policy Summit is a partnership between MANRRS, the NASDA Foundation, and NASDA. The objective of the Agriculture Policy Summit is to expose minority students to opportunities at state departments of agriculture and the field of policy and governmental affairs as it relates to the food and agriculture industries. The Agriculture Policy Summit is held in conjunction with NASDA’s annual Winter Policy Conference.

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The NASDA Foundation is the only educational and research organization that directly serves the nation’s state departments of agriculture. NASDA Foundation’s mission is to advance agriculture to shape a changing world. The NASDA Foundation works with states to connect farmers to new markets, inspire change across the supply chain, and preserve the environment, while maintaining agricultural viability. To learn more about NASDA Foundation, please visit http://www.nasda.foundation.

MANRRS is a non-profit organization registered in the state of Michigan. MANRRS is a national society that welcomes membership of people of all racial and ethnic group participation in agricultural and related science careers. MANRRS attempts to provide networks to support professional development of minorities. It is a springboard for their entry into and advancement in careers where they otherwise could be lost in the sheer number and established connections of mainstream participants. For more information visit the national website www.manrrs.org

NASDA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit association which represents the elected and appointed commissioners, secretaries and directors of the departments of agriculture in all fifty states and four U.S. territories. NASDA grows and enhances American agriculture through policy, partnerships and public engagement. To learn more about NASDA, please visit www.nasda.org