Lauren Riensche, Farmer and Ag Advocate
“I can honestly say that I’ve never met a farmer who didn’t take pride in their operation and who didn’t wish to pass it down to the next generation. If there’s anyone who is concerned about what goes on and what comes off of the land, it’s the people who make their livelihoods off it. Trust a farmer. I say this not to call for an end of constructive debate concerning evolving agricultural methods, but to draw attention to the dehumanization of the members of the agricultural industry.” The 23-year-old is a sixth-generation farmer from Jesup, Iowa, who graduated from the University of Chicago last year, and now works in advertising with the plan to eventually return to run her family’s business, the Blue Diamond Farming Company.