Community Spotlight: Marcus Jansen (He/Him)
Marcus Jansen (He/Him)
Product Manager – PanAmerican Seed
Ball Horticultural Company
Can you introduce yourself and share a bit about your connection to food and agriculture?
Marcus Jansen (He/Him) here, and among my titles, I identify as a Midwest rural-raised kid, an Iowa State alum, a horticulturist and certified plant nerd, an uncle, a singer, and a gay man. I grew up in a farm family near Quincy, Illinois, along the Mississippi River and built a foundational understanding and respect for agriculture through the youth organizations of 4-H and FFA. While I grew up in a strong production region for corn, soy, pork, and beef in Western Illinois, I found my own future in agriculture through the specialty of horticulture. I studied horticulture at Iowa State University and gravitated toward ornamental and landscape horticulture. I currently live in Batavia, Illinois, outside of Chicago, and have started a career as a Product Manager for PanAmerican Seed, a division of Ball Horticultural Company, where we develop new garden plant varieties for gardeners and growers all over the world.
How has your identity as an LGBTQ+ person shaped your experience in this field?
I think it’s no secret that the agriculture industry, particularly production agriculture and rural communities, can be a particularly challenging and isolating place for LGBTQ+ folks. I don’t think I made these decisions consciously, but perhaps my gut led me to a path and a career that felt more inclusive for me as a gay man.
Firstly, horticulture in general seems to be more open to LGBTQ+ folks compared to other disciplines in agriculture. We could have an entire lecture on the connection between LGBTQ+ people and plants and gardening, but I’ll save that for another time. Secondly, I live in the Chicagoland area, which is relatively inclusive and in a state like Illinois that has worked to support me. Lastly, I’ve landed at a company that empowers me as a gay man and has given me role models, other LGBTQ+ individuals with successful careers in horticulture.
While I can code-switch with the best of them, I’m glad that, for the most part, I don’t have to hide who I am and can be my full, authentic self at work.
What impact has CCF had on your personal or professional journey?
I first connected with the Cultivating Change Foundation when I had the opportunity to attend the national summit in Des Moines, Iowa, as a graduate student at Iowa State University. I always identified with agriculture and was finding my identity with the LGBTQ+ community, but this was the first place where those two identities overlapped. This was the first time I met others who lived in this Venn diagram intersection. It was special. It was emotional. It was powerful.
It made me hungry for more, so once I had started my career as an industry professional, I was able to return to the national summit in Washington, D.C., with a member from our human resources team at Ball. The sessions, conversations, and inspiration from that summit catalyzed a new direction in diversity, equity, and inclusion at our company and encouraged me to establish the LGBTQ+ employee resource group Planting Pride at Ball.
Beyond this very tangible outcome, I’ve met some incredible people and continue to build bridges with those I’ve connected with through the Cultivating Change Foundation.
What does visibility for LGBTQ+ people in food and ag mean to you?
I think visibility for LGBTQ+ people in agriculture can take many forms. Historically, I felt there were spaces where I could be queer and spaces where I could be agricultural. I think visibility is when I can be outwardly queer and agricultural.
I hope that when I’m with my peers in agriculture, they know, respect, and value the fact that I’m gay, even if they don’t support gay people. I also hope that when I’m with my LGBTQ+ peers, they know, respect, and value that I grew up in and work in agriculture, even if they don’t support what happens in agriculture.
What would you tell your younger self or another LGBTQ+ person just entering our sector?
I would tell them to keep going. I would affirm that they are needed, they are valued, and they are not alone. While we could dwell on some of the challenging realities of working as an LGBTQ+ person in this industry, I would hope that they leave our conversation with evidence that it can be done, and with the enthusiasm to go make it happen.
What’s one moment you felt proud to be your full, authentic self in your work?
As we were just starting to get our Planting Pride employee resource group up and running, a couple of us had the opportunity to highlight the new group and speak on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community to hundreds of people at a companywide meeting. While I hadn’t hidden my sexuality at work, this was the first time I formally shared my identity, my true, authentic, vulnerable self, in front of the entire company.
I think it was the first time I’d even said the word gay into a microphone. It was daunting, but also liberating and empowering. Beyond the presentation itself, I was truly moved by the affirming messages of support I received from colleagues afterward, and I’m proud of what we’ve been able to achieve with the Planting Pride group so far.
What does Pride mean to you this year?
Pride to me this year is a reminder that while the fight for acceptance may never end, we should continue to celebrate how far we’ve come. I think it’s safe to say that in the rollercoaster of progress for the community, we’re at a low point, with increased efforts working against the people we love and flagrant negative sentiment toward LGBTQ+ folks, especially our trans community.
We know that this community has persevered through lows before. That perseverance is what we celebrate. That perseverance is what makes us proud. As a horticulturist, I spend most of June, Pride Month, in gardens and among plants. It’s a treat to see both the LGBTQ+ community and the plant world blooming and flourishing in tandem.
What gives you hope for the future of LGBTQ+ people in food and ag?
The agriculture industry is evolving and adapting to a changing world, and with that change I see a future where LGBTQ+ folks continue to play a major role in the industry—and can do so out and proud as their full, authentic selves.
The future of agriculture cannot survive without queer people. Every year, I have the pleasure of recruiting interns at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences career fair at my alma mater. It’s one of my favorite days of the year because I get to interact with so many impressive students and get inspired by their potential. In those students, I see a generation that is more accepting and values the LGBTQ+ community.
How can allies better support LGBTQ+ professionals in this industry?
I think we can continue to make progress in agriculture by simply talking about the LGBTQ+ community and breaking down the long-standing cultural attitudes toward queerness in the industry. I find that there’s such a “hush-hush” approach to queer people in agriculture, because it’s historically been taboo and folks in ag don’t like to ruffle feathers.
Say “gay.” Say “trans.” Talk about your bisexual colleague who’s incredible at their job. Find an opportunity to ask and learn from the LGBTQ+ folks and allies in your life. It’s uncomfortable, and that’s why we need to do it.
While I’ll challenge folks to vote, advocate, and fight for what they believe in, we can also make steady, tangible progress by simply using LGBTQ+ language in our agricultural spaces.