LEADelaware is an agricultural and natural resource leadership program LEADelaware is a agricultural and natural resource leadership program designed to help build the next generation of leaders within the food and fiber industries that influences our food system,

LEADelaware fellows - Class of 2011-2012

our economy, and our environment. Leadership is a critical component for any industry to respond to the political social and economic issues it faces on a day‐to‐day basis. Agriculture and related industries need experienced and trained advocates to
provide a voice and a direction for the future. The business of agriculture has grown in new areas with new technology and production strategies. The need to translate the needs of this industry to the public and policy makers is critical
Producers face greater risk, changing markets, a global economy, new technologies and pressures from development. Producers also find themselves stewards of their own environmental resources as well as those surrounding their operations. The
need for leadership within the agricultural sector is essential. The philosophy of LEADelaware is to build leadership capacity in agriculture and natural resources
in Delaware by investing in a class of emerging leaders. In our framework, leaders are not born nor can we simply make someone a leader by teaching them a set of skills. However, we can invest in emerging leaders by imparting knowledge, skills, and opportunities to lead.

The LEADelaware Program will seek to recruit a class of 10 – 15 leaders in Delaware and take them through a two-year program that will:

• Provide an atmosphere of individual and group learning and growth
• Build leadership capacity of the participants
• Build leadership skills of the participants
• Provide opportunities for participants to practice these skills within the program
• Facilitate this learning in the context of current issues and problems facing the state, agriculture, and natural resource issues