Select members of the 2013 class of ASA DuPont Young Leaders met last week in Washington, D.C. and Wilmington, Del. to learn more about the process of developing legislation, increase awareness of how issues are identified and prioritized and gain a better understanding of DuPont.

Christopher Worsham (Fla./Ga.), Lynn Rohrscheib and Doug Kirk (Ill.), Howard and Sandy Reyburn (Mid-Atl.), Brian and Kim Fruechte (Minn.), Jeff Heimerl (Ohio), Hunter Grills (Tenn.) and Nick Moody (Va.) participated in ASA’s Legislative Education and Issues Forum and visits to Congressional offices on Capitol Hill before travelling to Wilmington for a tour of DuPont’s Experimental Station and Stine-Haskell Research Center. A tour of the Hagley Museum and Gardens completed the week.

“The ASA DuPont Young Leader Program has a legacy of developing strong leaders for the soybean industry and all of agriculture,” said Brian Buckallew of Pioneer. “It’s critical that we provide these “young” leaders with the tools they need to maintain a strong agricultural voice.”

ASA is currently seeking nominees for the 2014 Class of Young Leaders who will meet at Pioneer’s headquarters in Johnston, Iowa, Nov. 19-22, 2013 and continue their training Feb. 25-March 1, 2014 in San Antonio, in conjunction with the annual Commodity Classic.

Applications are being accepted online at https://soygrowers.com/learn/young-leader-program/. One grower or grower couple will be selected from each of ASA’s state affiliates.

A select group of the 2013 class of ASA/DuPont Young Leaders participated in Part 3, which took them to Wilmington, Del. for tours of DuPont facilities. (ASA photo by Chris Luelf)