In agriculture, we talk often about leadership and mentorship. We understand the value of someone taking time to answer questions, opening doors for others, making an introduction, or giving a younger person the confidence to keep going. So much of this industry is built on people who have learned from someone else and then turned around to help the next person find their footing.
That same spirit applies when we talk about LGBTQ+ visibility and allyship in agriculture.
In an earlier Q&A on Pride In Agriculture, Tyler McGee shared how much support has come through professors and mentors who helped guide him forward and show him there was a path ahead. That is such a familiar idea in agriculture. We do not always know what someone needs to hear in order to keep going, but sometimes a little recognition can make a big difference.
Allyship does not always have to be complicated. Sometimes it looks like noticing good work. Sometimes it looks like speaking up when someone is overlooked. Sometimes it is simply helping someone see that they belong in the room and have something valuable to contribute.
How are you applying this during Pride Month? Where do we have opportunity to encourage each other, support the next person, and help build the kind of agriculture community we want to be part of?
I’d encourage you to go back and read Tyler’s Q&A, especially if you are thinking about what it means to be an ally, a mentor, or someone who helps bring out the best in others.
Where have you seen mentorship and allyship overlap in agriculture?
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