The Ag Achiever of the Month is presented by the Rural Radio Network and the Nebraska Soybean Board.
What began as an internship with Nebraska Farm Bureau has led Addy Donelson to Washington, D.C., where she’s helping advocate for agriculture on a national level.
The Newman Grove native has been named the Rural Radio Network’s Ag Achiever of the Month for her commitment to agricultural policy and leadership. This summer, Donelson is serving as the government affairs intern for the American Farm Bureau Federation, building on more than two years of experience as a public policy intern with Nebraska Farm Bureau.
Donelson, an agricultural communications student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said her interest in policy wasn’t always part of the plan. That changed during her freshman year when she attended Nebraska Farm Bureau’s annual meeting as a student voting delegate and watched members shape the organization’s grassroots policy priorities.
“I always had the interest in policy in the back of my mind,” Donelson said. “It felt good to be a part of something bigger than myself, and the work that everybody does truly is bigger than themselves. That really drove my passion in policy.”
After spending two and a half years with Nebraska Farm Bureau, Donelson applied for the American Farm Bureau Federation internship, seeing it as a unique opportunity to spend a summer in the nation’s capital before beginning her career.
During her internship, she’s worked on issues including the farm bill, biofuels and E15, while gaining a broader perspective on how national policies affect farmers and ranchers across the country.
Although the scale is much larger in Washington, Donelson said her experience in Nebraska prepared her well for the role.
“I always tell people it’s crazy to be able to say that I’ve worked on a policy issue in Nebraska, but also now at the federal level,” she said. “It really solidifies the idea that what we’re doing truly does matter.”
Donelson said her time in Washington has reinforced how closely federal policy is tied to the everyday realities of farming and ranching.
“Making sure that the voices of farmers and ranchers are being heard on the federal level, and making sure that policymakers know that their vote truly does matter,” she said. “What they’re voting on affects the everyday decisions of farm and ranch families.”
As her internship comes to a close, Donelson said hearing directly from farmers and ranchers across the country has been one of the most meaningful parts of the experience.
“It really, truly has been extremely impactful to me to be able to, of course, have my own story, but it also means a lot more when you get to hear farmers and ranchers across the nation tell theirs.”
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