Holscher, Kleine, Merritt Honored by Purdue Women in Ag
Three women have received the distinguished Purdue Extension Women in Agriculture award, presented annually at the Indiana State Fair. Those honored are deemed to be leaders in Indiana agriculture and they also advocate for women in agriculture.
Lisa Holscher received the Leadership Award for her contributions to Indiana’s conservation industry. She is the director of the Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative and the recognition made her “unbelievably uncomfortable, unbelievably humbled,” she said. “I really don’t want to talk about myself because I’ll just start crying. It’s not me, it’s all of us. I know I said it up there, but I’m just so lucky, so grateful to get to work with these wonderful individuals who are just so passionate about improving soil health across Indiana and just getting conservation on the ground.”
Sandy Kleine from St. Joseph County received the Achievement Award for her lifetime of work on the farm and in the community. The operation at one time included hogs and cattle.
“Now part of the family does cattle and basically ours is the grain,” she said. “We do soybeans and then corn and then we raise the seed corn for Pioneer.”
She is a 4-H volunteer and drives a bus for special needs students.
“My dad was a school bus driver, and I just decided one day that maybe I need to try that. That way I’m home with the kids and it kind of works for a farm family.”
This year’s Emerging Leader award winner is Alexandra Merritt from Miami County, who as an intern was helping prepare for these awards a year ago.
“Honestly, I am super humbled with it. To be able to be on the other side of this accepting it truly means the world to me. I’ve loved Indiana agriculture and I’ve always said that I’m here to just showcase Indiana agriculture and make it the best that it can be, so the fact that I’m being honored for my work, that is truly surreal and humbling.”
A Purdue senior now, Merritt has interned for the Indiana State Fair, Indiana State Department of Agriculture, and this year at Keystone Cooperative. She hopes to land a job with one of those upon graduation.
And she told HAT that family has been supportive of all her efforts so far.
“So important, can you not see them all around me right now! Yes, they truly just support me in everything I do and they’re there to pick me up when I need it the most and I just love them so much. I’ve been so blessed with the great family that I have.”
The awards were presented by Angie Abbott, interim director of Purdue Extension and associate dean in the College of Agriculture.