Cultivating Change Foundation Announces Annual Award Recipients
The Cultivating Change Foundation announced the recipients of its annual awards at the 2022 Cultivating Change Summit, which was held in October in Washington, D.C. Through its annual awards program, the Foundation recognizes individuals and organizations that help to advance its mission to value and elevate LGBTQ+ agriculturists through advocacy, education, and community.
Award recipients included:
· Agriculture Influencer: Oregon Department of Agriculture
· Cultivator of Change: Colby Gregg, Ph.D. Candidate, The Ohio State University, and John Boyes, FSA Farm Program Specialist
· Cultivating Change Ally: David Nothmann, Chief Operating Officer, Unfold Bio Inc.
· Student Scholars: Luke Badertscher, Murray State University, and Arwen Kaleshefski, Virginia Tech
Read more about the inspiring work of each award recipient below.
Agriculture Influencer
The Agriculture Influencer Award honors great agriculture companies and organizations that 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 through sponsorship, engagement, and promotion of the Foundation and its mission.
Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA)
ODA emerged as one of the earliest supporters of the Cultivating Change Foundation under the leadership of former ODA Director, Alexis Taylor. When the Foundation hosted its first regional reception in Oregon, Director Taylor enthusiastically accepted an invitation to co-host the event. Director Taylor continued to co-host these annual events throughout her time as ODA Director, and she encouraged ODA employees, Board of Agriculture members, and producers to attend these receptions.
ODA invited the Cultivating Change Foundation to attend a Board of Agriculture meeting and highlight the Foundation’s mission and its importance to the Oregon agriculture industry. This opportunity sent a message of inclusion to LGBTQ+ agriculturists across the state.
ODA formed a diversity, equity, and inclusion committee to support employees and ensure that ODA’s services are available to diverse stakeholders. The committee focuses on improving the experience for employees and stakeholders from all underrepresented groups.
ODA has also allowed employees to attend the Cultivating Change Summit. This benefits other Summit participants by bringing the perspective of a state department of agriculture, while at the same time allowing ODA employees to return to Oregon with new ideas and perspectives.
Kirk Maag, Foundation Chair, observed that “ODA has been a steadfast supporter of the Foundation’s work to value and elevate LGBTQ+ agriculturists. We value this relationship that dates back to the Foundation’s earliest days, and we look forward to continued collaboration with ODA in the years ahead!”
Cultivator of Change
The Cultivator of Change award recognizes individuals who have played a pivotal role in championing visibility and voice for the LGBTQ+ community within the agriculture industry, has shown a commitment to LGBTQ+ agriculturists, and will use their talents to further the cause of celebrating agriculture and celebrating people.
Colby Gregg
Colby is a former high school agriculture teacher and current Ph.D. Candidate in Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership at The Ohio State University. Colby’s research, teaching, and service showcase his dedication to representing LGBTQ+ agriculturalists, especially those within agricultural education.
Colby’s research spans the tenets of advocacy and education by utilizing feminist and queer research methodologies, bucking the norms of the system, refusing to maintain a passive voice regarding “normality,” and sharing the experiences of LGBTQ+ agriculturalists. The findings of his research are of great interest to those in agricultural education seeking to facilitate an inclusive environment by highlighting barriers and recommendations for increased support of underrepresented groups in agriculture, including the LGBTQ+ community.
Colby’s nomination notes that he has “advocated for LGBTQ+ agriculturalists on a local, regional, and national level.” An OSU professor who nominated Colby for this award said that she has “seen first-hand the important work Colby is doing by sharing his experiences to open the eyes of future agriculture teachers to the ways they can support LGBTQ+ students in their classrooms and the importance of acceptance and inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community in the agricultural sphere.”
John Boyes
John’s role in agriculture spans multiple facets. Coming from a ranching family, he knows first-hand the importance of the industry to all Americans and people worldwide. John grew up on his family’s cattle operation where they raise seed stock Red Angus and Charolais cattle in Northern California, no doubt where his love and passion for farming and ranching began.
John is a dedicated public servant, who works tirelessly to improve the lives of every Oregonian in agriculture. John currently works for USDA’s Oregon Farm Service Agency (FSA). He serves not only as an FSA Farm Program Specialist, but also as both the State Communications Coordinator and State Outreach Coordinator. John has also served on a national task force, developing and delivering the much-anticipated USDA Emergency Relief Program that was delivered nationwide.
As part of John’s work with FSA, he implements agency-wide outreach activities to farmers, ranchers, and other stakeholders who can benefit from the Agency’s programs and services with the goal of increasing the participation of stakeholders who have been historically underserved, including communities of color, the LGBTQ+ community, women, youth, and those with physical impairments. In this role, John connects with farmers and ranchers who have not participated in or have received limited benefits from FSA programs that many improve their quality of life, their community, and their environment.
Gail Greenman, State Director for Oregon FSA noted: “John is steadfastly committed to administering all of USDA’s programs with equity and fairness, and serving those in need with the highest dignity. A key step in advancing these principles is rooting out discrimination in any form, including discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.”
Cultivating Change Ally
The Cultivating Change Ally Award recognizes an ally of the LGBTQ+ community who works to advance the perceptions of LGBTQ+ individuals in agriculture. An ally is not just someone who accepts LGBTQ+ people, but advocates for issues that serve to value and elevate LGBTQ+ individuals. An ally utilizes their privilege or position of leadership to benefit the LGBTQ+ community.
David Nothmann
David lives the values of diversity and inclusion throughout his personal and professional experiences. He currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer of Unfold Bio Inc., an ag tech startup and has held senior leadership roles in other ag companies, including Terramera and Valent. He consistently challenges his peers to set high standards for inclusion, including the formation of scholarships, mentorship programs, and similar concrete efforts to diversify and strengthen his companies’ missions. He takes a similar approach with his longtime work with Agriculture Future of America, pushing the organization to advance support and inclusion of young LGBTQ+ leaders in agriculture.
His efforts and leadership extend beyond the corporate offices and board rooms. David personally invests hours of time mentoring many diverse young leaders and students to help them achieve their goals. He has also offered his skills and talents to lift up the work of Cultivating Change Foundation. His commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion and a vision for a more diverse and inclusive society flows from his family to his community to his professional life.
Student Scholars
The Student Scholars Award recognizes students who work to advance the mission of the Cultivating Change Foundation in a collegiate setting or in the community. The recipients of this award will receive an all-access pass to the 2023 Cultivating Change Summit.
Luke Badertscher
Luke helped start and build the fifth Students for Cultivating Change chapter, and he currently serves as the chapter president. Luke grew up in rural Kentucky and is a passionate advocate for both agriculture and the LGBTQ+ community. A fellow student who nominated Luke for the award describes him as someone who “makes friends everywhere he goes and has made many students question their beliefs on the LGBTQ+ community.”
Arwen Kaleschefski
Arwen is the President of the Virginia Tech chapter of Students for Cultivating Change. A member of the chapter’s leadership team for several years, Arwen has helped develop a strong and meaningful community on Virginia Tech’s campus. Arwen’s nominator described her as “a friendly presence and a steady leader who cares about her community and industry.”