Purdue University honored three Indiana women for their contributions to agriculture at the Celebration of Agriculture ceremony at the Indiana State Fair.
• Kassidy Oliger, a senior at Purdue University, received the Emerging Women in Agriculture Leadership Award. Oliger is studying agribusiness management and is involved in multiple student organizations, including Purdue Dairy Club, Sigma Alpha professional agricultural sorority and Purdue Agricultural Council. She was also a 10-year 4-H member and a six-year FFA member, earning her Hoosier Degree in 2019.
• Katrina Hall, Indiana Farm Bureau senior director of policy strategy and advocacy, was honored with the Purdue Women in Agriculture Leadership Award. Hall has extensively shaped Indiana agricultural policy, including by being a driving force behind large and small tax changes that support Indiana farms. She spearheaded the effort to create the Indiana Broadband Strategic Partnership to help bring broadband to underserved communities and continues to help farmers and landowners gain control in local decision-making to reduce extraterritorial jurisdiction and involuntary annexation.
• Bethany Gremel, Beck’s Hybrids director of culture and brand experience and a member of the Beck’s leadership team, is the 2023 Women in Agriculture Achievement Award winner. Gremel remains active in her parents’ farming operation in Howard County by assisting with strategy, operations and finances. She is the seventh generation to be involved in farming on the Kingseed side of her family and the third generation on the Cates side. Gremel recounts learning to shuck sweet corn and riding tractors from a young age, with her farm responsibilities only growing from there.
The Purdue Women in Agriculture awards committee was co-chaired by Beth Vansickle, an Extension educator in Madison County, and Bec Wicker of Rushville, Ind. The Purdue Women in Agriculture Team provides educational opportunities and resources for women in the agriculture industry and coordinates the Ag Women Engage Conference.
The awards ceremony was held on August 5, 2023, at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. The event was attended by over 100 people, including agriculture leaders, policymakers, and advocates.
The Purdue Women in Agriculture Team is committed to celebrating the achievements of women in agriculture and providing opportunities for women to grow and develop in the industry. The team is also dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion in the agriculture industry.
Photo Credit: Indiana State Fair
Categories: Indiana, Rural Lifestyle