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Class 21 of the Indiana Ag Leadership Program was in Washington, D.C. last week to meet with lawmakers and political influencers. The program began in 1983 and it provides individuals involved in ag and related industries with the opportunity to improve leadership skills and develop the expertise needed to provide leadership in public and private service for their businesses and communities.
“For me, it’s just a fantastic program,” says Doug Mathys, a Class 21 member who farms in northern Indiana’s St. Joe County. “I think it kind of came at the right time in my life. We’re kind of transitioning from my dad in his 70s to the next generation.”
The last two sessions, out in D.C. and at the Indiana Statehouse, have focused heavily on policy. Mathys says the program is encouraging him to get involved in leadership beyond the farm because decisions are made by the people that show up.
“I think we heard there at American Farm Bureau that a representative has 750,000 people and two thirds of them live in an urban setting. And I just think that that’s an interesting dynamic. And as a politician, are you going to listen to the 2/3 or the 1/3? But if the 1/3 is providing a very tangible good that the world needs and wants, you probably have to listen to that a little bit more.”
Mathys recommends the Ag Leadership Program to anyone in Indiana agriculture.
“If you want things to be better, you’ve got to go out and invest in yourself. That would be the same for your business, right? You want your business to be better, you want your farming operation to be better, you’re going to invest in it. So, this has been a great platform to have a personal investment in me.”
If you’re interested in learning more about ALP, AgrIInstitute will be hosting networking gatherings around the state throughout the month of March. The list of events is below. RSVPs are requested.