Agirite

Today, I paused and reflected on how Cultivate ACCESS Nebraska became part of my journey long before I ever imagined working alongside it at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. In 2021, while I was a student at Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture, Dr. Jennifer Keshwani introduced us to Cultivate ACCESS Nebraska, and I joined the first cohort of its ambassadors in 🇷🇼 . At the time, I saw it as an inspiring community creating opportunities for young people in agriculture, natural resources, leadership, and STEM. I never imagined that a few years later, life would bring me to Nebraska itself. In 2025, Dr. Jennifer Keshwani and Dr. Deepak Keshwani and the whole team gave me an opportunity to work as a Graduate Research Assistant under Cultivate ACCESS Nebraska while pursuing my master’s degree in Agricultural Systems Technology in UNL Biological Systems Engineering. I never imagined that a few years later, life would bring me to Nebraska itself. Then, in July 2025, I came to the United States 🇺🇸 for the first time. The rest is history. Sometimes life connects moments in ways we only understand later. Through the 2025–2026 cohort, I got an opportunity to work alongside ambassadors, mentors, researchers, faculty, and staff who are deeply committed to mentorship, communication, leadership, and creating meaningful opportunities for students across Nebraska. Most of my experience centered around weekly activities, conversations, planning discussions, celebrations, and many moments that quietly happened behind the scenes. Those experiences reminded me that impactful programs are not only built through events, but through relationships, consistency, collaboration, and people who genuinely care about others. One thing I appreciated most was the opportunity to learn from and work alongside people including Dr. Mike Hayes,Dr. Leah Sandall, Dr. Erin Blankenship, Dr. Heather Akin, Dr. Troy Gilmore , Erin Ingram, PhD , Julie Obermeyer, Karisma Yumnam, ambassadors, mentors, and many others whose work continues to create meaningful experiences across Nebraska. Coming from Rwanda and now studying and working in Nebraska, I continue to realize that young people everywhere are searching for opportunity, guidance, belonging, and people who believe in their potential. That is what I believe Cultivate ACCESS Nebraska continues to create. I am deeply grateful to Dr. Jennifer Keshwani, Dr. Deepak Keshwani and all colleagues for trusting me with this opportunity and allowing me to continue growing through this community. Looking forward to the 2026–2027 cohort and the continued impact of Cultivate ACCESS Nebraska. Follow our pages to stay updated. Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Engineering Nebraska College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources CHS Inc. Nebraska Agronomy & Horticulture. #CultivateACCESS #STEM #Agriculture #Leadership #Nebraska #UNL #Mentorship

Did you know some of the strongest voices in agricultural policy begin on farms, not in government offices? That was one of my biggest takeaways from yesterday’s session on Addressing Policy Makers led by Judith De Vor, a dairy farmer from the Netherlands🇳🇱 , Global Farmer Network member, policy advisor, and advocate for regenerative agriculture and farmer empowerment. What made the session powerful was hearing policy engagement through the lens of a farmer. Not theory. Practice. Judith brought that perspective clearly. Drawing from her experience as a fifth-generation farmer, speaker, and policy leader, she challenged us to think about advocacy not as something separate from farming, but as part of agricultural leadership. That resonated deeply. We covered how farmers can engage policymakers with clear and disciplined messages. How to move from identifying a challenge to communicating a solution. How to connect lived experience with evidence. And how staying on message can often matter more than saying more. Simple lessons. Powerful ones. One idea that stayed with me was that farmers carry credibility rooted in experience. That matters in policy spaces. Because too often decisions affecting agriculture are discussed without enough farmer perspectives at the table. Judith challenged that. She reminded us farmers can help shape policy, not simply respond to it. That was powerful. I also appreciated how she connected advocacy with empowerment. Especially the idea that leadership includes helping others find their voice. That struck me. As someone working at the intersection of agriculture, communication, and human-centered AI, I kept thinking how relevant this is for emerging technologies too. Questions around innovation, adoption, access, and trust are not only technical. They are policy questions too. And farmer voices belong in those conversations. Coming from Rwanda, I found myself reflecting on what stronger engagement between farmers and policymakers could mean for smallholders, youth, and women across food systems. That conversation felt very relevant. One lesson I am carrying from Judith’s session is this: Advocacy starts with voice. Voice grows through confidence. And confidence grows when farmers recognize their experience has value. That may be one of the most important policy lessons of all. I am learning a lot through this Global Farmer Network experience, and I am grateful for the generosity of people like Judith de Vor who are sharing both knowledge and lived experience. Thank you Judith De Vor, and thank you Global Farmer Network , for creating spaces where farmers can learn, grow, and strengthen their voices together. 🌱🌍

Last week, Cultivate ACCESS Nebraska celebrated the conclusion of the 2025–2026 cohort of high school students, teachers, and undergraduate mentors from across Nebraska. What an incredible day of celebrating learning, leadership, and community. High school scholars, teachers, ambassadors, faculty, and staff gathered at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s East Campus for an end-of-year celebration reflecting what Cultivate ACCESS Nebraska is all about: engaging youth, empowering change agents, and preparing the next generation of leaders in agriculture, natural resources, and STEM. The day began with campus exploration, followed by a welcome from Dr. Tom Burkey , Dean of the Nebraska College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, whose remarks highlighted opening pathways for young people to see themselves in agriculture and STEM. Reflections from Dr. Mike Hayes and Leah Sandall recognized the growth of this year’s cohort and the shared mission moving Cultivate ACCESS Nebraska forward. Scholars visited the Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation Lab, where they were introduced to research supporting biodiversity and conservation. Students also participated in a plant propagation demonstration, exploring how innovation and agricultural practice connect through hands-on learning. A meaningful part of the celebration was recognition of high school scholars, participating teachers, and undergraduate mentors, honoring their commitment throughout the year. A major highlight was recognition of three award-winning Community Action Projects, with awards presented by Erin Ingram, PhD and Leah Sandall. Honored for creativity, research, and impact, the projects reflected thoughtful problem-solving and strong communication. The celebration was enriched by the presence of faculty and contributors, including Dr. Erin Blankenship, Dr. Heather Akin , Dr. Troy Gilmore , graduate student Karisma Yumnam , and Jean Claude NIYOMUGABO, who works with Cultivate ACCESS Nebraska. What stood out most was how these young scholars did not simply identify problems, but thought critically about solutions and how to communicate them. The celebration also honored ambassadors, teachers, faculty, and staff whose mentorship continues to shape meaningful experiences for scholars across Nebraska. The day included awards, reflection, conversation, and moments of joy. And yes, the ice cream at the end may have been a crowd favorite. Cultivate ACCESS Nebraska is more than a program. It is a community preparing young people to lead a data-driven, resilient future for food and farming. We are grateful to everyone who made this year possible and proud of what this cohort accomplished. Follow Cultivate ACCESS Nebraska to stay updated on our work, student stories, and how we are helping prepare the next generation of leaders in agriculture, natural resources, and STEM.

Our new cohort roundtables are happening this week in Brazil! Follow along for more updates and a look behind the scenes. #GFNmobilizing

Today I joined a remarkable Global Farmer Network panel, A Snapshot of Brazilian Agriculture — From Yesterday to Today. Some sessions give you ideas. Some give you numbers that stay with you. This one gave both. One figure stopped me. Brazil’s soybean production has grown from roughly 13 million tons in 1980 to well over 170 million tons today. That is not growth. That is transformation. And it did not happen by accident. It was built through research. Through farmers. Through innovation. Through long-term systems thinking. I was fascinated by the discussion on 42 million hectares under no-till, making Brazil one of the global references in conservation agriculture. As someone interested in AI and emerging technologies in agriculture, I was especially drawn to how innovation was discussed not only through machinery and scale, but through smarter systems. Precision agriculture. Research. Data-driven decisions. Technologies that help farmers produce more efficiently while conserving resources. That caught my attention. Then came a phrase from former Agriculture Minister of Brazil 🇧🇷, Antonio Cabrera that captured the entire discussion. “Produce and conserve.” Three words. A whole philosophy. And suddenly many of the panel themes connected. No-till. Crop rotation. Biofuels. Precision technologies. Stewardship. Not separate stories. One story. Another insight that stayed with me was scale. Brazil exports agricultural products to more than 100 countries. It is the world’s leading soybean exporter. The leading cotton exporter. And a major force in food and energy systems. Soy for food and feed. Sugarcane for ethanol. Agriculture feeding people and fueling economies. That is powerful. I also appreciated the discussion that innovation is not only about big machines or big farms. It is about systems that fit. That work. That endure. One note I underlined in my notebook. “It is not the size of the farmer. It is the fit of the system.” That may have been one of my biggest takeaways. And perhaps what impressed me most was that this Global Farmer Network dialogue was not celebrating production alone. It was asking harder questions. How do we scale while conserving? How do we use emerging technologies wisely? How do we produce more, with better decisions? That is a global question. And today Brazil offered some powerful lessons. I came in expecting a panel. I left thinking about transformation. Mary Boote Jane Schroeder Gina Gutierrez #GFNMobilizing

Few hours ago, we officially began the 2026 Global Farmer Network Roundtable and Communication Training in São Paulo, Brazil. One phrase has stayed with me all day. “One Voice.” I learned today this network started with just five farmers. Five. And today it brings together farmer voices from across the world. That stayed with me. Mary Boote , Chief Executive Officer of Global Farmer Network, said, “Every farmer carries a unique story.” I wrote that down. Because it felt true. We often talk about agriculture through yields, markets, and technologies. But today reminded me agriculture is also about people. About stories. About voice. About who gets heard. Mary also challenged us not only to represent ourselves, but to learn from each other. I liked that. A room full of farmers from different countries. Different systems. Different experiences. Yet so much shared purpose. The conversations were not centered on problems. They were centered on possibilities. That felt refreshing. Then Paul Temple, Chair of the Global Farmer Network Board, said something else that stayed with me. “Agriculture needs a positive message in challenging times.” Simple. But powerful. Because agriculture often gets talked about only when something is broken. Today the conversation felt different. It was about resilience. Innovation. Stewardship. And leadership. Paul spoke about farmers not just as producers, but as advocates. That resonated. Because farmer voices matter. Not only in fields. But in shaping the future of food. One thought I keep coming back to from today is this. Trust may still be one of the most important technologies agriculture has. A few hours in, and I am leaving with many notes. And even more questions. But also with a sense of optimism. Grateful for the conversations. Grateful for the people in the room. And grateful this is only the beginning. What would change if farmer voices were more central in global conversations about food and agriculture?