Let's Talk About Agriculture
Three first-year students in the Department of Agricultural Economics traveled to College Station, TX, to attend the Ag Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT) Conference on the Texas A&M campus January 15–18, 2026. All three are dual majors in Agricultural Communication.
Garrett Bolin (Agricultural Economics; Morgantown, IN) shared, “I thoroughly enjoyed the AI in Agricultural Communications session, as it was a great way to bolster my understanding of AI in not only agricultural communications but also in agriculture as a whole. I also really enjoyed the breaks we had throughout the schedule, as they helped me grow closer to those in ACT from Purdue, and I also gained friendships with individuals from all over the country. I believe that this conference will help me in the future by deepening my understanding of the field and opening my eyes to other areas that I had never thought about.”
Breanna Stratton (Agribusiness; Brownsburg, IN) stated, “Going to Texas impacted me tremendously because I was able to learn about areas of agriculture that I have always been interested in. One of my favorite sessions was on Crisis and Risk Communication with Erin Robinson, the Director of Communications for Texas Animal Health. Going into Crisis Communication for an agri-food company is my career goal, so it was great to hear about her daily schedule, learn about the framework models that Texas Animal Health uses, and hear how she uses different mediums to communicate with audiences. Because I was able to hear from someone who has a career like my goal, the experience will help me in the future to have a connection and be prepared when learning about the roles I will take on.”
Stratton added, “Another impactful experience on the trip was hearing from Kodye Neel-Martinez, the founder of Wandering Maverick Boutique (WMB), about product marketing. I have always loved the creativity that comes with designing apparel and merchandise, so it was great to see how WMB came to life. She spoke about her business’s mission and how it has expanded in response to the advocacy needs of the agricultural industry. I also learned tips for starting a business and using social media, including creating shareable content alongside sellable products and being mindful of staying authentic during trend movements.”
Ellie Taylor (Sales and Marketing; Fortville, IN) concluded, “This experience gave me genuine connections and firsthand knowledge of the agriculture communication industry. I absolutely loved this conference because I was able to expand my ag comm knowledge in social media, AI, crisis comm and policy. I also got to form great friendships with members in ACT chapters across the country and met inspiring industry professionals. I now have deeper ag comm knowledge and will be able to apply the industry and leadership skills I learned in my internship to future career endeavors. My favorite parts of the schedule were the opening session, where we learned about the Texas A&M traditions and met Reveille, the A&M dog. I also really enjoyed the session on product marketing from the Wandering Maverick Boutique owner and the concert on Saturday night.”