MSU Freshman represents Michigan at the Grassfed Exchange
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EmailOne lucky freshman, Parker Holmes, Ag. Industries major, had the opportunity to attend the Grass-fed Exchange- all expenses paid- this past April in Santa Rosa, California.
One lucky freshman, Parker Holmes, Ag. Industries major, had the opportunity to attend the Grass-fed Exchange- all expenses paid- this past April in Santa Rosa, California.
Thanks to a scholarship put out by the Grass-fed Exchange, Holmes and 29 others were given the opportunity to mix and mingle with other professionals in the grass-fed world at a reduced cost. The conference was open to anyone, students and professionals alike, interested in regenerative agriculture as long as they were under the age of 36. Holmes was the only person from Michigan.
Holmes became interested in regenerative agriculture after working on a dairy farm for a few years before deciding to go back to school.
“I started eating paleo and getting involved in that really made me more aware of how my food was produced. So that in addition to getting married, kind of changed my whole outlook on farmers and ranchers because of the role they play in producing food for the world.” Holmes recalls, “Doing research, I found a group that I had liked about regenerative ag. Everything that they were doing just made sense to me. I thought maybe if I go to college, I would learn more about this.”
Holmes applied for the scholarship late last fall and found out in January that he was selected to be one of the conference participants attending completely free of charge. This opportunity allowed him to network with other producers and meet with people who could potentially be future employers someday.
“Diving right into ag classes didn’t give me the experience I had necessarily expected when I came back to school, but the whole conference helped me find people who think the same as I do.” Holmes said, “It was nice because it was a group of people that were committed to holistic management, regenerative farming practices, and things along those lines.”
Back in Michigan, Holmes has found Dr. Jason Roundtree, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Associate Professor. “He was on the committee for this Grass-fed Exchange, and it was great to find someone who thinks the same way as me. I have really connected with him.”
For more information about the Grassfed Exchange visit https://grassfedexchange.com.
