With the food and agricultural field professionally prepped for a diversified workforce, Cultivating Change moves into a new season as Open Fields Alliance.
Leaders of the 10-year-old LGBTQ+ organization opened their annual conference Oct. 4 by announcing the new name and broader programs for expanding workforce inclusion in the food and agriculture industry.
“What is possible when you stand at the side of the open field?” asked Derek Mulhern, the organization’s executive director, as the conference got underway in Minneapolis.
The answer: everything. The idea is that “an open field is defined by everything that’s given a chance to grow,” according to the organization’s brand statement. And the leaders of Open Fields Alliance are intent on stewarding that growth to benefit not only their community but also the broader food and agriculture industry.
Creating change across industry
When Cultivating Change started 10 years ago, the sole focus was on supporting LGBTQ+ people who work in food and agriculture. As of today, that mission expands to include increasing development opportunities for their core community and helping companies and organizations expand their cultural base with the lofty goal of an open and inclusive environment across the industry.
“Our community needs us now more than ever to show up and be bold about who we are,” said Tanner Kersey-Lopez, who chairs Open Fields. “We want to be clear about what we do for the people we serve.”
Mulhern and Kersey-Lopez see this refocus as a natural progression. Next steps include:
- creating employee resource group leadership programs
- seeking partnerships with other nonprofits
- expanding professional development for its members beyond the annual conference
“We want to help shift the conversation in a way that makes the agricultural sector be a more open and accepting place,” Mulhern said.
Help for young professionals
The board also plans to build a collegiate presence to help young LGBTQ+ professionals move into food and agriculture and work with producers and farmers through existing trade groups.
“We’re meeting people where they are more often,” Mulhern said. “It’s about being present and letting people see that we’re here, that anybody who is LGBTQ in the ag sector knows there is a community for them and they can thrive professionally.”
The ultimate goal for the alliance is to broaden the culture of the food and ag sector to ensure LGBTQ people have a professional path that also serves them personally.
“I think some of the best work we do is going to be quiet,” Mulhern said. “We want to slowly help to change the tide so every LGBTQ person in food or ag never has to question who they are or whether they’ll be accepted.”
To learn more or participate in the Open Fields Alliance, visit openfieldsalliance.org.