Join the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative's Director of Communications, Mary Belle Zook, for a discussion around best practices for highlighting Tribal food and agriculture. With her background as an award-winning reporter, agricultural communicator, and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Mary Belle will provide methods to best incorporate Native perspectives into coverage of our country's vibrant and important food and agricultural industries. Mary Belle Zook serves as the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative's director of communications and is a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. Agriculture has always been an important part of Mary Belle’s life. She grew up on a farm outside of Waynoka, Oklahoma, where her family continues to operate a small cow-calf operation. She participated in 4-H and FFA in her youth, and graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in agricultural communications. Before coming to IFAI, Mary Belle raised funds for Oklahoma City-area nonprofits at the United Way of Central Oklahoma, and later assisted with her Tribe's communications efforts within CPN’s Public Information Office. This included Tribal enterprise marketing and e-commerce, event planning and management, as well as writing and editing content for her Tribe's award-winning monthly publication, the Hownikan. During her time at CPN, she won numerous state and national-based journalism awards and was named to NextGen 30 Under 30 in 2019. Mary Belle has led the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative's communications efforts since 2021. She appreciates the chance her role provides to merge two of her passions: agricultural communications and serving Indian Country, helping create a bright future for her daughter and generations to come. About IFAI The Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative at the University of Arkansas School of Law has served as Indian Country's trusted agricultural policy and legal research expert since IFAI's formation in 2013. IFAI helps Tribes establish robust food and agricultural systems, support rural economic development, and increase food access. IFAI's work invests in the next generation of Tribal agriculturalists, helps enhance Tribal food safety, supports Native-specific curriculum and education development, as well as provides legal and policy research related to Tribal food and agriculture. IFAI also serves as the official research partner to the Native Farm Bill Coalition, which formed ahead of the 2018 Farm Bill and seeks to provide a strong, united voice for Indian Country priorities in the Farm Bill.