| Influencer and industry mentors announced; program kicks off September 21
September 8, 2026 – The Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2026 College Aggies Online (CAO) program kicks off on September 21. Influencers Emily Schaapman, known online as @DairyGirlFitness, Brandi Buzzard (@BrandiBuzzard), and Jessica Peters (@SeeJessFarm) are among the list of 2026 student mentors. This year, $18,000 in scholarship awards are available to participants. Undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students, collegiate clubs, and classes are encouraged to sign up.
CAO connects college students who are interested in promoting agriculture and gives them the skills they need to effectively engage with key audiences online and on campus. Individual participants engage with their peers on social media by posting information about current and emerging issues facing farmers and ranchers and telling personal stories. Club participants are challenged to host events on their campus to talk about modern agriculture with their peers. Last year, students shared more than 1,660 social media posts online and reached over 8,000 people in person.
During the program, participants receive nine interactive and educational weeks of content to help them become confident and effective communicators for agriculture with guidance from industry and farmer mentors. 2026 mentors include:
“College Aggies Online has been such a great experience for me. It not only helped me grow my knowledge about agriculture, but it also gave me the confidence to share that passion with others,” said Maribeth Girard, 2025 participant. “Before this program, I was hesitant to post or speak out about ag advocacy, but through CAO I have gained the skills and encouragement I needed to do so. I’ve learned so much more about the industry, built connections with others who share the same passion, and discovered my voice as an advocate for agriculture.”
Throughout the program, students will compete for points and the opportunity to win $100 scholarship prizes each week. At the end of the nine weeks, the top five students and top three clubs with the most points receive overall scholarship prizes, including a $3,000 prize for the first-place individual and $1,500 for the first-place club. Top individuals and one representative from each of the top clubs will be invited to attend the Alliance’s 2027 Stakeholders Summit, set for May 5-7 in Arlington, Va, for national recognition.
Students interested in networking with industry professionals and learning from successful agriculture influencers while strengthening their communication skills are invited to sign up today.
The 2026 CAO program is sponsored by Dairy Management Inc., CHS Foundation, National Pork Board, Cooper Farms. Culver Franchising System, Farm Credit, Institute for Feed Education and Research, Lallemand, National Corn Growers Association, Marty Vanier, Dairy’s Foundation, National Chicken Council, and Ohio Poultry Association.
Organizations interested in sponsoring CAO can view the sponsorship opportunities or contact Nicki Hardy at nhardy@animalagalliance.org
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About the Alliance: The Alliance safeguards the future of animal agriculture and its value to society by bridging the communication gap between the farm and food communities. We connect key food industry stakeholders to arm them with responses to emerging issues. We engage food chain influencers and promote consumer choice by helping them better understand modern animal agriculture. We protect by exposing those who threaten our nation’s food security with damaging misinformation. |
