CHESTER, ILL. — Gilster-Mary Lee has partnered with Louisiana State University to launch the LSU Food Beyond the Farm Graduate Certificate in Agribusiness.

Conceived by former Gilster-Mary Lee president and LSU graduate Don Welge, who passed away in 2020, the certificate program will require students to complete 12 credit hours of courses in food processing, supply chain and logistics, and marketing. These courses will take place on LSU’s online learning program, which provides access to students across the United States and around the world.

“The past few years have painfully demonstrated that, while resilient, the US and international food supply chain is not without its weaknesses,” Welge said. “To address these concerns for our business and the entire food industry, there is a real need to grow the skills base of the current and next generations of food and agribusiness professionals. We believe the online Graduate Certificate in Agribusiness will help support all segments of the food supply chain, including growing, processing, logistics, manufacturing, and marketing."

Gilster Mary Lee said Welge’s friends and family collaborated with both the College of Agriculture and the E. J. Ourso College of Business at LSU to create the Food Beyond the Farm program in his memory.