DOVER, Del. (December 12, 2023) – Following an extensive application and interview process, LEADelaware has seated 12 fellows representing Delaware’s agriculture industry, who will begin a 2-year journey to develop leadership skills within the food, fiber, and natural resources industries.

“With 21 applicants, we had the second-largest pool of applicants in the program’s history, and these 12 fellows really rose to the top throughout the selection process for Class VII. This class will gain a unique perspective with five fellows actively farming in the state,” said LEADelaware Co-Director Chris Brosch. “The class represents all three counties, and we have a wide representation, including educators, growers and producers of poultry, specialty crops, grain, individuals involved in food access, and agency employees.”

The LEADelaware Fellows for 2024-2026 include Justin Blessing, Mule Run Farms; Kyle Brolis, Food Bank of Delaware; Nate Bruce, Delaware Cooperative Extension; Logan Field, Growmark FS; Nichole Krambeck, Insight Crop Scouting, LLC; Ash Kunder, Pint Family Farms / DNREC; Ashley Tabibian, DNREC; Lisa Porter, L & L Farms; Jill Pollock, Delaware Cooperative Extension; Melissa Tracy, Odyssey Charter School; Brooke Walls, Delaware Department of Agriculture; and Rebecca Schaller, Delaware Department of Agriculture.

“Chris and I are very pleased with the exceptional pool of applicants to Class VII. We are excited to get the program back up and running after a two-year hiatus, which allowed us to take time to assess what was working well with the program and what modifications were necessary,” said LEADelaware Co-Director Jennifer Volk. “With this cohort, we plan to not only discuss leadership and experience Delaware’s agriculture and natural resources but also focus on how we can all contribute to addressing the issues that challenge the sustainability of agriculture.”

The program offers unique learning opportunities where fellows will do site visits, attend seminars and expert panels, and participate in team activities and workshops. At the end of the program, the cohort will go on an international agriculture study trip to be determined in 2025. The trip will last roughly ten days, exhibit a country or region’s diversity of agriculture, and offer a behind-the-scenes look into an industry that is very different but likely has surprising similarities.

According to Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Michael T. Scuse, “Agriculture is Delaware’s number one industry, providing more than 69,000 jobs and nearly $10.3 billion of economic activity. While Delaware farmers produce various agricultural products on 530,000 acres of farmland, many Delawareans do not understand the importance of protecting our land from development. The LEADelaware graduates play an integral role in communicating and promoting the importance of agriculture to the communities and industries throughout our state.”

LEADelaware Alumni from Classes I – VI are invited to gather on January 9 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Delaware Ag Week to meet the newest members of Class VII and learn what is planned for their cohort. Alumni Amber Bataille, Lindsay Lancaster, and Patti Web will share about their recent travels to Wyoming for the International Leadership Alumni Conference and discuss opportunities for additional alumni engagement going forward. Alumni must register before January 3, 2024, by contacting Karen Adams at adams@udel.edu or calling 302-831-3328 to ensure an accurate count for food.

LEADelaware is a partnership between the University of Delaware’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Delaware Department of Agriculture to build the next generation of leaders in agriculture, natural resources, and sustainability. For more information on the program, visit http://sites.udel.edu/leadelaware.

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