LANSING, Mich. – Fall is the time for future ag leaders to make concrete plans for their next-step leadership development by applying for the 2027 Michigan Ag CORE (Communication, Organization, Relationships and Engagement) training series, now in its sixth year. A small elite corps of registrants will be accepted into the seven-session 2027 leadership series, which is organized by three influential ag commodity organizations.

The MI Ag CORE leadership program is aimed at helping Michigan farmers and ag professionals grow these core skills in a year-long professional development series. The program consists of four in-person and three online sessions. The application is open until Nov. 1 and can be found at miagcore.com.

Applicants will be notified by Dec. 1, 2026, if they have been accepted, with the first session taking place in person on Jan. 19-20, 2027, in the Lansing area.

MI Ag CORE was developed by the leaders of three Michigan commodity organizations: The Michigan Wheat Program, the Michigan Potato Industry Commission and the Michigan Soybean Committee.

Through their day-to-day work with farmers and agricultural professionals, they recognized a need for practical leadership development and the experiences necessary to succeed in management and leadership roles. MI Ag CORE was developed to help bridge that gap, equipping participants with the skills, knowledge and experiences to advance their careers and contribute to the future of Michigan agriculture.

“Not only do we cover diverse topics in the MI Ag CORE program, but we also provide resources to help participants right away in the workplace,” said Jody Pollok-Newsom, executive director of the Michigan Wheat Program. “Participants will walk out with the skills to guide future career decisions and better respond to new challenges in the future.”

Kelly Turner, executive director of the Michigan Potato Industry Commission, said, “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. “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.”

The 2027 program begins with a two-day DISC® talent/skill assessment course. That knowledge is applied throughout the year in subsequent sessions on communications, human resources and governance. The seven-session program concludes in November 2027 with in-person presentations.

“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.”