I am Kate Maertens, and I’m honored to have been chosen as one of the 30 Voices in this campaign. AFA has brought many opportunities and friends into my life. It’s hard to believe that it’s been 17 years since I was selected as an AFA community scholar, and I’ve been connected to AFA ever since.

I am fortunate to have grown up on my family's farm by Wabasso, MN. This, along with my involvement in the FFA, is where my passion first sparked for agriculture. I knew that no matter where I ended up in my career, I wanted to help others in the agriculture industry. I then went to college at the University of Minnesota and graduated in 2013 with a degree in Agriculture Education, with an emphasis in Leadership and Communications.

AFA is what initially helped me determine that I wanted to start my career in the supply chain sector of agriculture. While serving as an AFA Ambassador I was connected to a recruiter and the rest is history. I relocated to Kansas and started my career as a Farm Marketer trainee, buying grain from farmers into their local elevators. Since then, over the last 13 years I have grown through several supply chain roles across different companies.

Currently, I live in Golden Valley, MN. I have been working at RPMG since 2022, as a Merchandiser. I really love my job. I get to interact with farmers and ranchers across the Midwest, selling them dry and wet distillers for their animals.

Most importantly, my faith is what leads me through life. Personally and professionally, I value integrity, a strong work ethic, clear communication and relationship building. I have worked hard to create healthy boundaries between work and personal, with my faith at the forefront. And, through it all, I am always having as much fun as possible.

Describe your AFA experience as a student.

Upon high school graduation, I was selected as Redwood County’s Community Scholar for AFA. I could never have predicted what that would lead to. This scholarship required that I attend Track 1 at Leaders Conference in 2009. I remember feeling energized to meet and network with likeminded students who were excited about agriculture as much as I was. I left that first conference wanting more for myself and for the agriculture industry. Some of those students and professionals that I met that first year, I would still consider friends today. I went on to attend Tracks 2 and 3. Then, my senior year, I was grateful to have been chosen to be in the first group of students to experience Track 4 at Leaders Conference. Additionally, I was an AFA Campus Ambassador my senior year of college and I attended the Ag Policy Institute in Washington DC in 2013 before I graduated.

When I think about college, AFA is weaved through so many of my favorite memories and has led me to so many different types of people and opportunities from around the country. AFA provided me with the tools to grow in my soft skills as well as career fair opportunities. I was able to use these skills to explore different sectors of agriculture, as I had 3 separate internships over 3 summers in college.

AFA was truly a bright spot during all 4 years of college. I'm forever grateful to have had all of these experiences and opportunities.

What skill, mindset or lesson from AFA has been most useful in your professional life?

Through my involvement with AFA and professional life, I’ve been able to meet people from all walks of life. Some of these people have come from totally different environments than anything I’ve experienced in my upbringing and adult life. AFA provides a platform for agriculture professionals and students from all walks of life to gather, learn and network together.

Because of this, I’ve been encouraged to learn and keep an open mind when discussing hot topics in and outside of agriculture. I truly think that we are all trying to make the world a better place in our own way. It’s okay to disagree with people and their views, but it’s also okay to change your mind/views after learning something new. More importantly, through all of it, be kind. We live in a heartbreaking world, and people are dealing with a lot of different things. I’m learning, especially in my career, that I can be bold and strong in my convictions while also being kind and positive.

In what ways do you stay connected or involved with AFA in your professional life? Why is that important to you?

Over the years, I knew that by staying connected to AFA, it would keep that “spark” for agriculture alive throughout my day-to-day grind at work. I graduated college with the desire to give back to an organization that gave me so much more than “just a job”. So, I immediately became involved as an alumni by volunteering. I served on the National AFA Alliance Advisory Committee from 2013 through 2015. Then, years later I served again from 2020 through 2024. This experience has taught me A LOT about myself and helped me grow in unexpected ways. Also, it was exciting to play a part in connecting students to industry professionals. I often saw my younger self among the students that I interacted with. Additionally, last year I attended Destination Alliance. It was an incredible trip with new and old friends, traveling through Spain and Portugal.

On a more personal level, continuing my involvement as an alumni helps me stay connected to many friends across the United States. I’m lucky to have a solid group of friends in this organization to lean on as we all navigate all of the ups and downs of life!

Finish this sentence: Because of AFA, I…

I have great friends all across the country! Some friends have come and gone, but in 2017 I connected with a small group of women who have stuck around ever since (you know who you are). We live in different states, work for different companies, and are often in completely different phases of life. It’s rare for us to see each other in person, but I know that if I need advice, encouragement, celebration, or anything in between, they are there for me and I’ll be there for them in the same way. I would not have met them without AFA. It brings me so much joy to see their successes in work and in life. Having grown up in this industry alongside these amazing and strong and motivated women, I am given so much hope about the future of agriculture and AFA, and especially for young girls who want to be a part of this industry.