Progressive Publishing welcomes Lauren Wangsness as a summer editorial intern for Progressive Dairy. Wangsness will work on various video projects and support the editorial team throughout the summer.

Wangsness grew up in Oronoco, Minnesota, where she and her younger sister were first introduced to agriculture through the opportunity to show market goats in 4-H. From then on, she continued her involvement in 4-H and the National FFA Organization, showing goats and poultry at many county fairs and the Minnesota State Fair while holding various leadership positions. Through these experiences, she developed a strong appreciation for and interest in the agricultural industry.

Wangsness attended the University of Minnesota, where she studied agricultural communication and marketing. During this time, she participated in various marketing and communication internships, including working with WinField United, CHS Inc. and The Farmer publication. These experiences exposed her to many areas of agriculture and helped her identify her passion for producer-focused communication.

“I found I enjoyed working in roles where I could communicate with farmers,” Wangsness says. “These experiences have allowed me to learn so much about the agricultural industry from those that know it best.”

She also worked with the Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom program throughout the school year, contributing to communication projects such as social media planning and blog writing.

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In addition to her internship experiences, Wangsness was involved in many collegiate clubs and organizations. She served as senior yearbook editor for the Gopher Dairy Club and was a member of the 2025 National Agri-Marketing Association competition team.

Following her graduation from the University of Minnesota in 2025, Wangsness’ undergraduate experiences and desire to learn led her to graduate school. This fall, she will continue the final year of her master’s degree at Ohio State University, specializing in agricultural communication. She carries her passion through her graduate program, where her research focuses on policy communication for crop producers. She hopes to work in a producer-facing role after graduation next May and continue supporting producer resilience and success.

“I am very excited to be working with Progressive Publishing this summer,” Wangsness says. “I look forward to contributing to the meaningful work of Progressive Dairy, while also advancing my knowledge and skills within an industry I care deeply about.”

“We are thrilled to have Lauren join us as she finishes her master’s degree in agricultural communication,” says Progressive Dairy Managing Editor Karen Lee. “Her passion and background in different ways of communicating with producers will be an asset as she works across Progressive Publishing’s many platforms.”