The 2018 "Fuel Up to Play 60" Student Ambassador Summit winds up on July 19 in Atlanta. The program, launched by the National Dairy Council and the NFL in collaboration with the USDA, encourages youths to lead healthier lives.

This year’s summit, which began on July 16, is bringing together approximately 215 students and 92 educators from 46 states to exchange ideas and participate in workshops and activities, the organizers said. The event provides students and educators with leadership and communications training opportunities to enhance their program engagement in the upcoming school year. Additionally, customized activities will deepen participants’ knowledge of agriculture, specifically dairy farming and where their food comes from.

On July 17, dairy farmers Marilyn Hershey (Pennsylvania), Michelle Schilter (Washington) and Brad Scott (California), plus former NFL player (and current farmer) Jason Brown, participated in a panel discussion moderated by Fuel Up to Play 60 students on the topic of “Nourishing Communities: The Role of Farmers In Feeding The World,” organizers noted.

The speakers provided their perspectives and insights on the important role farmers play in communities and in feeding the planet. Hershey, Schilter Scott and Brown described their farms, their motivations and misperceptions about farmers/farming.

The full panel discussion can be heard here.