MANNRS features WANDA CEO at Ag Policy Summit

Last Month, at the Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS)’s annual agriculture policy summit in Washington, D.C., WANDA CEO Tambra Raye Stevenson keynoted the Summit with a fireside chat by sharing the power of mentorship, shifting the narrative and investing in the next generation in Crystal City, VA as part of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture's Agriculture Policy Summit.

“We must become the storytellers of our lives,” Stevenson said on Tuesday. “When we control our narrative, we can recreate a new chapter. It’s now how the story begins, but how we choose to end it.” That’s what she has done with founding WANDA, changing the narrative of how Black women and girls see themselves in the food system. This message resonated with the student scholars, especially women in the audience, who face another level of societal pressures and intersectional identities while navigating their education and career ahead.

The Summit is an opportunity to help guide and be advocates for the future of federal agricultural policy and industry relations. At the Summit, the students heard from government, industry, and advocates sharing their knowledge and expertise in the farm bill, agriculture law, animal health policy, and professional development. Students engaged in agricultural policy networks with industry and government partners.

“The Agriculture Policy Summit allows minority college students to learn about agricultural policy and careers in public service as well as opportunities in the federal and industry sectors of agriculture,” Ebony McKinney said. “If we invest in building foundations for students to be successful in the workforce, specifically within agricultural policy, we will ensure the future of agriculture will continue to be resilient.”

Representing more than 17 college students who are MANNRS members, with $1000 scholarships for internships awarded from the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture and NASDA Foundation. The Agriculture Policy Summit was part of the 2022 Winter Policy Conference.