Dec 20, 2024

Applications open for Potato LEAF’s battlefield leadership program

Applications are now open for the Potato Leadership, Education, and Advancement Foundation (Potato LEAF)’s 2025 “Leadership in the Field: From Battlefield to Potato Field” program.

The program, set for June 9-12 at Gettysburg National Military Park in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in cooperation with the Gettysburg Foundation, teaches participants about the elements of battle as a case study of leadership.

Character, communication, team building, humility, flexibility, resilience, strategic or visionary thinking, problem-solving under pressure, and accountability are some lessons the experiential learning program provides, according to a news release.

Robby Bergh of Nutrien Ag Solutions participated in the 2024 program.

“It was by far the most relatable training experience I have ever received,” he said. “It was great to learn about history as well as leadership.”

Added Larry Alsum of Alsum Farms & Produce: “It brought history to life, and it was amazing to see how the leadership principles that work on the battlefield apply to our farms, our families and all of life.”

Applications, open to anyone in the U.S. potato industry, will be accepted through March 1. The fee is $2,000, which includes all programming, most meals and lodging at the Gettysburg Hotel.

Applications and more information are available online at https://pleaf.org/leadership-in-the-field.