Young professionals connect with Edge at broadcasters convention

The tables were full and the agricultural communication students sitting there were eager to hear from us.

The Young Professionals Speed Networking event at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) Convention in November in Kansas City was a wonderful opportunity for the Edge team to impart some wisdom on up-and-comers who will help shape the conversation about agriculture for years to come.

Jamie Mara, our director of public relations, and I spun around the room, giving each small group of students from various universities a glimpse of what we do on the communications front and a chance to ask questions.

We singled out two of the young ag communicators we met from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to get their thoughts on the value of the event, which Edge was proud to sponsor.

Catherine Jones, a senior who is studying agricultural and environmental sciences:

“Being an agricultural communicator means building relationships and facilitating constructive conversation around our food and environment. I attended the NAFB conference held in collaboration with the Agricultural Communicators Professional Development conference.

While at the conference, I was honored to have meet a few team members from Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative. They shared valuable advice about entering the agricultural communications industry. Their energy level and positive recommendations were encouraging and contagious. It is inspiring to see successful communicators working to strengthen the industry and provide producers the best possible resources.

As someone who will be entering the workforce soon, I’m encouraged that organizations with the values and energy like Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative exist.”

Rebel Sjeklocha, a freshman who is studying agricultural communications:

“I am constantly looking for new ways to develop as a professional and network within the agricultural and communications industries. The NAFB conference provided the perfect opportunity to cultivate conversations and relationships with communication professionals from across the country.

This conference opened my eyes to the multitude of careers in ag communications and how diverse the industry truly is. Speaking with staff from Edge was definitely one of the highlights of this experience. Conversing with Lauren Brey and Jamie Mara opened my eyes to how important transparency and strategic planning are when getting a message across.

I am incredibly grateful for my experience at NAFB and even more so for the chance to connect with the staff from Edge. Conferences and opportunities like this are vital for college students.”