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K-State Today

February 16, 2021

College of Ag students selected for Kansas Food and Agricultural Policy Fellowship Program

Submitted by Susan Schiff

This year, three K-State College of Agriculture undergraduate students have been chosen for the Kansas Food and Agricultural Policy Fellowship Program, or Ag Fellows. This is a premier leadership opportunity for Kansas undergraduate or graduate students studying an agricultural field to better serve the state’s food and agricultural industry.

The Ag Fellows will complete two separate experiences: one at the state level and one at the federal level. They will gain a firsthand understanding of policy and regulatory challenges facing food and agriculture production, be challenged to develop strategic solutions to meet these challenges, and will participate in the policy process during the program. While this experience better prepares them to enter the workforce serving the Kansas food and agriculture industry, it also enhances their ability to advocate for laws and regulations that allow Kansas and the food and agriculture community to thrive and grow.

The three students:

Sanders Barbee, sophomore in agricultural economics with a specialty in pre-law. She will serve as the conservation fellow with Kansas Grain Sorghum. Barbee is a member of the K-State University Marching Band, secretary for Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources Related Sciences, or MANRRS, and works as a peer mentor in K-State’s Office of Diversity and Multicultural Student Affairs.

Michaela Forst is a junior in agricultural economics and global food systems leadership. Forst will work with the Dairy Farmers of America. She serves as a College of Agriculture Ambassador and as a member of the Student Advisory Leadership Team for the Food Security Scholars Program.

Abby Goins, junior in agricultural education with a secondary major in global food systems leadership. Goins will work with the Kansas Grain and Feed Association. She served as vice president for the Kansas FFA Association in 2019-2020 and is currently a College of Agriculture Ambassador.