The American Soybean Association (ASA) and DuPont are seeking applicants for the 2016-17 ASA DuPont Young Leader Program, which works to identify and develop grower leaders who continue to shape the future of agriculture.

“The ASA DuPont Young Leader Program has had a tremendous impact on the soybean industry and many of our current grower leaders at the national and state level are program alumni,” said ASA President Richard Wilkens, a farmer from Greenwood, Del. “The program provides industry-leading training that develops the participant’s leadership potential while fostering collaboration among farmers throughout the U.S. and Canada. Young Leader participants gain experience while building life-long friendships. The program continues to be ground-breaking, encouraging diversity and recognizing the important role women and young farmers play in agriculture as it has since its inception in 1984. We can’t thank DuPont Pioneer and DuPont Crop Protection enough for their longstanding support of the program.”

The ASA DuPont Young Leader program is a two-part training program, with phase I of the training held at the DuPont Pioneer headquarters in Johnston, Iowa, Nov. 29 – Dec. 2, 2016. The second phase of the program continues Feb. 28 – March 4, 2017 in San Antonio, Texas, and is held in conjunction with the annual Commodity Classic Convention and Trade Show.

“Every year we continue to be amazed by the passion and enthusiasm of each class of young soybean leaders,” said Tim Glenn, President, DuPont Crop Protection. “DuPont values the long-standing partnership with The American Soybean Association in support of the DuPont Young Leader program as it strives to shape the future of agriculture.”

The program focuses on leadership and communication, agricultural information and the development of a strong peer network. ASA and its 26 state affiliates, including the Grain Farmers of Ontario and DuPont, will work together to identify the top producers to represent their state as part of this program.

“We had no idea what an impact the ASA DuPont Young Leader Program would have on us. We have sharpened our communication and leadership skills, gained confidence in our ability to advocate, and made lifelong friendships with other farmers across the country. So many new opportunities have opened up to us in the past year, and it all started with the Young Leader Program,” said Young Leader alumni Adam and Lindsey Hendricks, of Kentucky.

Applications are being accepted online now. Online application materials, as well as more information on the program, can be found here.