Attending the New York Youth Agriculture Leadership Conference in November taught Avery Dueppengiesser an important lesson - agriculture can bring people together. The PCS junior made the connection after hearing the experiences that students from New York City had with rooftop farming.
“It helped open my eyes to how people all over New York state are dabbling in agriculture,” she said.
Avery and fellow Perry FFA Officers Noelle Milhollen, Logan Church and Gio Muolo, along with advisor Molly Huttar, attended the first-ever conference on November 13-14 in Albany. The goal was to bring together youth agriculture leaders from organizations like FFA, 4-H, and MANRRS (Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences) to learn from industry leaders and collaborate with one another.
“The conference showed us that it’s not just our FFA chapter that cares. There are other groups around the state that are similar to us,” said Avery.
At the first session of the conference, students were introduced to a panel of state leaders, including Richard Ball, New York Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets, John King, State University of New York Chancellor, Julie Suarez, Associate Dean for Land-Grant Affairs at Cornell University, and Jason Harmon with the New York State Education Department. The panel discussed topics like college and career opportunities, farm to school programs, food insecurity, changing climate, and more. Leaders put a strong emphasis on the impact that youth have on the agriculture industry.
During the two days, students attended breakout sessions on a variety of topics, like “Improving Food Security through Local Food Systems” and “Cultivating Your Leadership Skills.” The first day also included Career Mentor Round Tables, which connected students with individuals in agriculture-related professions. To their surprise, Perry students met Bethany (Klein) Bzduch, a PCS alum and the Executive Director for the New York State Soil and Water Conservation Committee. In fact, Bzduch joined Avery’s table during dinner, where the two continued to chat.
“It was so cool because she was where I am now,” said Avery.
Noelle found the experience extremely beneficial, especially being able to network with other students. A majority of the MANRRS members are in college, and it showed the younger participants that agriculture leadership doesn’t end with their high school FFA chapters.
“The experience really brought us new ideas from people from around the state. We could see how other leadership organizations operate,” said Noelle.
The second day of the conference provided more breakout sessions and a small college fair. The Perry group had the opportunity to visit SUNY Cobleskill on the way home, touring the school’s new agriculture facilities.