Two ICGA Members Awarded AgGrad’s 30 Under 30

A Prestigious Recognition for 30 Young Professionals in Agriculture

AgGrad announced winners of the first ever AgGrad 30 Under 30 Awards, a program created to celebrate the young professionals shaping the future of agriculture. Fourteen judges selected winners from peer and self nominations based on contributions in their career, community, and the industry at large. Elizabeth Burns-Thompson and Andrew Lauver both active members of the Iowa Corn Growers Association® were among the winners.

"I feel incredibly honored to be recognized alongside amazing young leaders in agriculture from across the country,” said Elizabeth Burns-Thompson. “Farming is in my blood, and I have been so fortunate to have the opportunity to translate that passion into a career. I owe a great deal of thanks to the numerous farmer-leaders and industry-mentors for their continued support, guidance, and faith in me."

Recipients of this award find the recognition both personally and professionally rewarding. AgGrad 30 Under 30 is bringing together the brightest minds and future leaders of agriculture together to collaborate and advance the industry.

“The leadership development provided by Iowa Corn through the Collegiate Advisory Team (CAT) and I-LEAD has been instrumental in building confidence to speak out on behalf of agriculture,” stated Andrew Lauver. “The exposure to issues and opportunities affecting corn growers early in my career has taken me places I would’ve never imagined as a 5th generation farm kid. I’m thankful for all Iowa Corn has done to enhance the quality of life on our family farm."

"We are very excited to recognize our first class of AgGrad 30 Under 30 winners,” says Tim Hammerich, Founder of AgGrad. “These 30 individuals are at the forefront of agriculture and will one day be the leaders in agribusiness, innovation and technology, education and advocacy, entrepreneurship, and production.”

AgGrad was established in 2015 with the mission of “helping young professionals find their place in modern agriculture.” The company accomplishes this mission by providing a job board, blog posts, career profiles, “AgGrad Live” (a Facebook Live show), daily snapchat stories, and a weekly podcast called the “Future of Agriculture.” All is provided at zero cost to students and young professionals and supported by participating agribusinesses.

For more information about AgGrad 30 Under 30, please visit the website: 30under30.ag.

For More Information:

Brandi Snyder, Public Relations Manager, bsnyder@iowacorn.org, 515-225-9242