Awards and Recognition
Agriculture Influencer Award
The Agriculture Influencer Awards honors great agriculture companies and organizations who are committed to impacting the agriculture industry through intentional diversity and inclusion efforts and for their support of LGBTQ+ agriculturists. The Agriculture Influencer Award recognizes those who support the Cultivating Change Foundation and Summit through sponsorship, engagement, and promotion of the Cultivating Change Foundation.
2019 Recipient
2018 recipients
2017 Recipient
Cultivator of Change Award
The Cultivator of Change Award recognizes an individual who has played a pivotal role in championing visibility and voice for the LGBT community within the agriculture industry, has shown a commitment to LGBT agriculturists, and will use their talents to further the cause of celebrating agriculture and celebrating people.
2019 Recipient
Mark Poeschl
Chief Executive Officer at National FFA Organization
2018 Recipient
Ellen Thompson
National Teach Ag Campaign Director for the National Association of Agricultural Educators
2017 Recipient
Secretary Karen Ross
California Department of Food and Agriculture
VIP Student Scholarship Recipient
The VIP Student Scholarships of the Cultivating Change Summit are awarded to collegiate students, majoring in an agriculture-related field. VIP Scholars are provided an All-Access Pass to the Summit experience with specific opportunities to network with VIP stakeholders.
2019 Recipient
Kurtis Miller
Penn State University
2018 recipient
Coleman Simpson
North Carolina State University
Cultivating Change Ally Award
The Ally Award recognizes an ally of the LGBTQ+ community who works to advance the perceptions of LGBTQ+ individuals in agriculture. Recipients of this award have been nominated by an individual(s) in the community who see the value, drive, and hard work of the individual’s efforts in their everyday life.
Allies are not just someone who accepts LGBTQ+ people, but supports equal civil rights, gender equality, LGBT social movements, and challenges homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia. The selected individual utilizes their position of leadership to contribute and strengthen the LGBTQ+ community.
2019 Recipient
Director of Communications & Marketing at Agricultural Retailers Association
2018 recipients
Stacy Bushgen
Executive Assistant, Rice Growers Association
Tino Rossi
Strategic Political Consulting & Public Affairs
Katherine Soule
Director of UC Cooperative Extension & Youth, Families, & Communities Advisor in San Luis Obispo & Santa Barbara Counties
Meghan Walter
State Hydraulic Engineer for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)