On August 2, I’ll have the privilege to participate in the 2021 Mini Land Grant Conference North Central Region. University and organizational leaders from across the region will come together virtually for speeches, panels, discussions and a keynote address from Iowa State University President, Wendy Wintersteen, as we focus on “Leading Change, Creating the Future.

At the University of Missouri, I see us leading change and creating the future every day through our commitment to our land grant mission and the work of MU Extension. For example, this summer Travis Harper, a field specialist in agronomy in Warrensburg, showed veterans and their families the ins-and-outs of beekeeping through the Heroes to Hives program.

And in MU’s on-going mission to serve all Missouri residents from all backgrounds, Monica Haaf, a nutrition program associate in Kansas City, and Estrella Carmona, a county engagement specialist in nutrition and health education in Ste. Genevieve County, adapted the popular Cooking Matters healthy eating class into Spanish. The five virtual sessions were so successful that they’re going to continue the series this fall. Other Extension initiatives support women in agriculture, farmers with disabilities, farmers markets in urban areas and producers from Amish communities.

The work our university does in service of our land grant mission remains one of the most important ways we translate the incredible efforts of our students, faculty and staff into the impact that builds a stronger Missouri, a thriving Midwest and a better world.

— Mun