This week, Green Lands Blue Waters announced that Land and Atmospheric Science graduate student Gurparteet (GP) Singh is part of the inaugural cohort of the Equipping Next Gen Ag and Conservation Professionals Mentorship Program. The cohort consists of twelve recent graduates, current students, and early career young professionals of color interested in careers in agricultural conservation and committed to reaching underserved farmers.
As a PhD student, Gurparteet studies the effects of intermediate wheatgrass (Kernza) on water quality and soil water dynamics, and he is committed to developing sustainable solutions for the environment. “Environmental sustainability and social justice are the future of agriculture. Regenerative agricultural systems can be strengthened by involving diverse agricultural landscapes and farming communities,” said Singh.
Interested in physical sciences since childhood, Singh pursued an undergraduate degree in agricultural engineering and the development of a UV radiation filtration system for disinfecting vegetable crop fertigation solution. He completed a master’s degree in Land and Atmospheric Science last year on the impact of irrigation management on maize grain production, subsurface nitrate leaching and soil water dynamics.
Singh is deeply troubled by the iniquity in the agricultural system, such as massive corporate profits at the expense of growers and agricultural workers. Gurparteet’s compassion and concern for the human impacts of industrial agriculture motivated him to work on a farmer suicide prevention project as a teenager in India.
According to Green Lands Blue Waters, “this mentorship program focuses on an outstanding cohort of students of color connecting with incredible mentors, farmers, and trainers, representing diverse ag communities across the Upper Midwest.” The Mentorship Program is hosted by Green Lands Blue Waters and the Mississippi River Network and is funded by a 2022 USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Equity Conservation Agreement.