This week on the FarmHouse, a podcast by Lancaster Farming, we're talking with Wendy Powers, dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Maryland.

Powers is the first woman to serve in the role, effective July 1.

She didn't grow up in agriculture, but her undergrad experience at Cornell University made her interested in the field.

Since then, Powers has studied and worked in agriculture at land grant universities, coming to Maryland from Washington State University.

"I am tremendously loyal to the land grant mission," Powers said. "When I look at the work we are doing in the land grant colleges, we are making a difference every day."

Powers has worked in ag education all throughout the U.S. She's spent her first few months in Maryland getting to know both the university's ag college and the state's ag industry as a whole.

"With agriculture being the largest economic driver for the state, it is highly diverse across the state," Powers said. "While the scale may be different than California and other states, the importance of agriculture and natural resources to the state of Maryland is really unparalleled compared to other states."

Maryland's fall semester began Sept. 2, and Powers said she is looking forward to welcoming the largest class in the College of Agriculture to date.

"The youth today are committed to solving some of the biggest problems," Powers said. "I'm just impressed every time I meet our students by how much they've accomplished, how much they've overcome, and where they want to be going forward."

One of her goals as dean is to help students find their way into the ag industry — whether that be animal science, aquaponics or even fermentation.

"I'm really committed to helping others who maybe didn't grow up in agriculture, don't have that background, figure out their path to an amazing career in agriculture and natural resources," Powers said.