MI Ag CORE Leadership Program Opens Registration for 2026!

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The MI Ag CORE leadership program is aimed at helping Michigan farmers and agricultural professionals grow their leadership experience and skills through a year-long professional development series. The program consists of seven total sessions, four in-person and three online. The application is open until November 1, 2025 and can be found at miagcore.com. Applicants will be notified by December 1, 2025 if they have been accepted into the program.

"We realize how busy farmers and ag professionals are and what it's like during those busy times of the year, so we developed a program that takes that into account by offering a hybrid of in-person and virtual sessions," said Ben Steyer, CEO of the Michigan Soybean Committee. "By releasing our full schedule now, participants can plan out their calendar to attend all sessions."

The MI Ag CORE leadership program was developed by the leaders of three Michigan commodity organizations: The Michigan Potato Industry Commission; the Michigan Wheat Program; and the Michigan Soybean Committee. The idea for MI Ag CORE came from the lessons learned by the three leaders working in agricultural "trenches" on a day-to-day basis and seeing their growers and other professionals struggle from not having certain experiences that are key to success.

"I saw that agriculture was missing a well-rounded program for those looking to move directly into management or those who were heading in that direction," said Kelly Turner, executive director, Michigan Potato Industry Commission. "MI Ag CORE came together as a collection of skills that the three of us thought would have been beneficial to us, as we grew into our positions."

MI Ag CORE participants begin in January 2026 with a two-part "DISC" talent/skill assessment course. They apply that knowledge throughout the year as they also work in the areas of communications, human resources, and governance. The seven-session program concludes in November 2026 with in-person presentations.

"Not only do we cover diverse topics, but we also provide resources to help participants right away in the workplace, and also to give them information for the future as they advance their careers and face new challenges," added Jody Pollok-Newsom, executive director of the Michigan Wheat Program.

MI Ag CORE tuition is made more affordable thanks to generous industry sponsorships. This year's sponsors include TriEst Ag Group, Walther Farms, Greenstone FCS, Midwest Water Stewards, Morgan Composting, and Star of the West Milling. If you would like to be included in our list of supporters, please check out the website: MIAGCORE.com/sponsors /.

The MI Ag CORE program was developed with financial and staff resources support from the Michigan Potato Industry Commission, the Michigan Soybean Committee, and the Michigan Wheat Program. Each of these organizations are nonprofit grower-funded commodity check-off organizations with a strong interest in an even better future for Michigan agriculture.

About the Michigan Wheat Program

The Michigan Wheat Program is a state-check off program voted in by the state's wheat farmers to assess each bushel of wheat grown and sold. The funds from the program are utilized to further the wheat industry in the state benefitting the state's nearly 8,000 wheat farmers who grow about 450,000 acres of wheat annually producing about a 40 million bushel crop.

Contact Us

P.O. Box 25065
Lansing, MI 48909
1-888-943-2801