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Pat Calhoun, CEO of AgSouth Farm Credit, announced today that the Farm Credit Associations of Georgia have partnered with the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences and the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources to help fund the Advancing Georgia’s Leaders in Agriculture and Forestry (AGL) Program.
The Georgia Farm Credit Associations – comprised of AgGeorgia Farm Credit, AgSouth Farm Credit and Southwest Georgia Farm Credit – will invest $25,000 towards this program in the next five years.
AGL trains individuals who are looking for a career in agribusiness or forestry to “become more effective spokespeople for their industries, helping them understand complex social and political systems and giving them insight into their personal leadership preferences and behaviors.” As part of the curriculum, participants travel across the state and to Washington D.C. to meet with key leaders and engage in dialogue about important issues and trends.
“The Georgia Farm Credit Associations recognize that agriculture attracts many of our state’s best and brightest leaders, of which several are represented in the AGL program,” said AgGeorgia Farm Credit CEO Jack Drew. “We are particularly excited to help support these leaders in their own development and for the good of all involved with Georgia agriculture.”
Southwest Georgia Farm Credit CEO Paxton W. Poitevint adds that, “It’s vital to our country’s future that we educate upcoming generations about the necessity and intricacies of ag-related careers so that we can be assured America can and will continue to provide food, clothing and shelter not only for our country, but for the world in the decades to come.”
According to Dr. Lauren Ledbetter Griffith, University of Georgia Extension Leadership Specialist at the College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, “When agriculture is strong, the state of Georgia thrives. Investing in program leadership development in agriculture and forestry will provide meaningful returns for the health of our citizenry and the future of our industry. Each participant builds a network with their class members and over 100 expert speakers, conducts a leadership project, and travels to see innovations in everything from poultry to pine trees across the state of Georgia and to Washington D.C. The grant from the Farm Credit Associations of Georgia will ensure that our tuition rate remains reasonable for participants while we are able to still offer a high quality program for years to come.”
