For Anita Vanderwert, agriculture has never been a phase or a profession—it has been a lifelong calling shaped by family, experience and service. Raised in Missouri’s cattle community, Vanderwert grew up learning the industry from the ground up, spending her formative years alongside her parents in barns, show rings and pastures across the Midwest.
Those early lessons laid the foundation for a career defined by leadership, communication and a commitment to advancing agriculture. Vanderwert’s youth was shaped by involvement in cattle shows, FFA and state-level leadership roles, experiences that strengthened her confidence and broadened her understanding of agriculture beyond production alone.
Her education continued at the University of Missouri, where she gained a deeper appreciation for the economic, scientific and policy forces shaping the livestock industry. That perspective expanded further through extensive international travel, studying agricultural systems in more than 30 countries and gaining firsthand insight into how producers across the world approach livestock production.
Throughout her career, Vanderwert has remained closely connected to agriculture through roles in breed associations, agricultural marketing, animal health, producer outreach and agricultural media. Her professional path has included work in association management, national commodity organizations, marketing agencies and agricultural news, all while remaining actively engaged in leadership and service within the industry.
Vanderwert is now stepping into a new role with Missouri Ag Leaders of Tomorrow (MO ALOT), a program designed to develop and strengthen agricultural leadership across the state.
“I will be the new executive director for the MO ALOT program,” Vanderwert says. “It is a program to educate, engage and inspire people to become more engaged in agriculture.”
The two-year leadership program includes sessions across Missouri, a visit to Washington, D.C., and culminates in an international experience.
“For some, it will be telling their farming story,” she says. “For others, it will be engaging in policy discussions that can help transform the current system, and for others it will be going back to their communities or businesses and sharing their knowledge to impact change.”
Alongside her new role, Vanderwert continues to be involved with NAFB, an organization she has been connected to for more than two decades, currently serving on the NAFB Properties Board.
“NAFB has been a part of my life for over 20 years,” she says. “Coming from a farm, I knew the impact farm broadcasters make on rural communities early in life.”
Vanderwert has served on the NAFB Board of Directors as marketing and promotions chair in recent years and remains a strong advocate for farm broadcasting.
“Farm broadcasters have been the trusted source of accurate and timely news for farmers for generations,” she says. “Other media can’t compete when it comes to reaching farmers daily with news they trust.”
As she begins this next chapter, Vanderwert’s lifelong connection to agriculture continues, now focused on developing leaders, strengthening communication and supporting the future of the industry she has served her entire life.
