The Future of Agriculture is Bright (and Stylish) at MANRRS

For 40 years, MANRRS has been cultivating the agricultural workforce by empowering and affirming students engaged in natural resources and related sciences. Through training, mentorship, regional networking, and an annual national conference, MANRRS is preparing young adults for successful careers in agriculture.

In April, three AFT staff celebrated MANRRS’ 40^th year at their “Leadership to Legacy Annual Training Conference and Career Expo” in Dallas, Texas. AFT’s Anel Trujillo, Nicole Gwishiri, and Tasha Wei hosted hands-on trainings and a booth at the conference career expo, which was attended by conference founders and thousands of students from across the country.

Anel, Nicole, and Tasha all have their own family connections to farming. They each come from different geographies, climates, and cultures but share a love for agriculture, farmers, and food.

Anel shared: “I grew up on a small farm in Mexico where we grew corn and peanuts. When my father enrolled in the Bracero program, we came to the Central Valley of California.  My family raised and harvested crops such as peaches, oranges, nectarines and grapes raisins, any permanent crops my family used to work. That’s how  I got started in agriculture.”

Tasha, who grew up in Jamaica, reflected: “Everyone in Jamaica has some kind of garden or small farm. My family grew sugar cane as laborers for large companies. My grandfather also grew rice with his brothers and cousins. My grandmother had a garden. When I immigrated from Jamaica, growing and eating my cultural foods became a way for me to stay connected to the island. Food is such an important factor for folks who migrate from their homes. Often, food and language are some of the only pieces that we are able to carry with us.”

Nicole added, “I was born in Zimbabwe, where we have farmland. So, agriculture has always been in the back of my mind, but not actually growing food. I was a family consumer sciences student in 9th grade, and that’s how I got started in agriculture. I went to college for family and consumer sciences education, and I taught nutrition, apparel, and other topics that are included in ag but aren’t the first things you think of when traditional ag looks like sows, ploughs, and cows. I then got my master's degree in agriculture education to work with Cooperative Extension. I’ve been on a meandering path to help people access food, fiber, and agriculture.”

As they attended the Career Expo booth to greet students, Anel, Nicole, and Tasha brought these experiences and histories with them. They were met with enthusiasm, curiosity, and some well-polished resumes. Anel was struck by one student in particular:

They are all very inspirational,” Anel continued, “and I'm very happy to see that the new generation is excited to continue working in agriculture.”

In addition to participating in the Career Expo booth, the AFT team held two land access trainings. At 8:00 am on a Saturday morning, 15 students started their day with a session on land access options. At 9:00 a.m., 45 students attended the second hands-on lesson.

About these sessions, Tasha shared, “The hands-on component of our workshop felt special. It allowed for creativity, visioning, and dreaming that I really appreciated, and it felt important because the work of agriculture relies on using our hands and our creativity. I really wanted to honor that in our workshop, and it felt good that we could do that while also practicing team building and collaboration.”

Nicole said, “In the training, we created three different scenarios. One came from the perspective of a new or beginning farmer who had little access to capital but found a piece of property. The second was a mid-career farmer who was looking to expand but had to navigate an heirs property challenge. And then the third was a co-op model, figuring out how to structure their operation. The participants had to work together and with us to figure out how to pay for the property in the different scenarios. We also guided them to create their dream scenarios for their land access work.”

Nicole said the experience was very positive for the participants and the teachers. “It turned out better than I imagined. It was interesting to me that, even though we had examples for the first session, they were completely different than the second session. I was really impressed because all the students approached the scenarios in completely different ways. Their presentations were so different. The way that they thought about it was really different. I think that reflects the true nature of land access and of farm businesses, that there isn't one way to do something.”

After a full weekend of youthful energy and inspiration, the AFT team left with a more nuanced appreciation for the work MANRRS is doing and the importance of mentorship for young people entering the workforce.

“Through MANRRS, this conference is one place where they’re getting consistent affirmation, if not anywhere else,” Tasha remarked. “We can't underestimate how important that is for professional development. It’s special that all these students know how important their work is, know how impactful it is, and know how much their voices are needed. They have their chapter leaders and their advisors and the folks who are at this conference saying, ‘We value you.”

“That's the whole point, right?” Tasha continues. “Uplifting these young people.”

And importantly, Nicole noted - We need to step up our outfit game for the next conference. They (students) were all so coordinated and looked so good. AFT needs co-branded apparel that showcases our pride in supporting the next generation of agriculturalists!

AFT is proud to be a sponsor of this year’s MANRRS conference. We look forward to future partnerships with this amazing organization, all in an effort to support next-generation agriculturalists.