Q: Please tell me a little bit about yourself.

I graduated from the University of Georgia in May 2023 with my bachelor’s in Agriscience and Environmental Systems. I served as a UGA College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences and Georgia Farm Bureau Federation ambassador throughout my undergraduate years. Currently, I am obtaining my masters degree at the University of Georgia Tifton campus studying Pecan Horticulture under the direction of Dr. Wells. In addition to graduate school, I also own and operate my own fresh cut flower farm in Adel, Georgia.

Q: How did you decide on your career path, and what training or education was required? 

I have always known that I wanted to pursue a career in the agricultural sector. During my time as an undergraduate, I completed an internship with the American Peanut Council and John B. Sanfilippo & Sons Inc. which exposed me to the peanut and tree nut industry. I found a passion for learning sustainability practices and highlighting how farmers nourish their lands to ensure best practices in production agriculture. After graduating with my Master’s, I plan to pursue a career in the peanut and tree nut industry or agronomy.

Q: Who is someone who has been a mentor or had an influence on your life? 

As cliché as it may sound, my dad has impacted my life significantly. He instilled strong agricultural roots in me from a young age. He has supported yet pushed me to meet my educational and business goals. My dad is a Christian man who exhibit servant leadership. Two of the best things that he taught me are to serve others before myself in everything that you do and have a strong work ethic that separates you from your peers. I have had several mentors, but my dad has been a constant source of wisdom, love, and encouragement to me throughout my life.

Q: I’d love to hear more about your journey in agriculture! How did you get started, and what aspect are you involved in within the agricultural industry?

I have grown up in agriculture. When I was younger, my family raised sheep, and my sister and I exhibited sheep, swine, and cattle. I was also heavily involved in FFA and 4-H which allowed me to compete in career development events and build my public speaking skills. Now, I am directly involved in production agriculture with the flower farm and my family’s cattle operation. I am also experiencing a part of the scientific research behind production agriculture through my masters research project. The skills and knowledge that I learned in the show barn, FFA, and 4-H have helped me be successful in my entrepreneurial and educational endeavors.

Q: To you, what is the importance of agriculture, and how do you see it progressing in the future?

The importance of agriculture is no question because it is the way we sustain our lives with food and fiber. Agriculture will continue to progress not just technologically, but agriculture will rely on consumers to become more knowledgeable and conservative to improve the use of available resources with a growing population.

Q: How have you seen agriculture change through your years in the industry?

I have seen technology revolutionize agriculture practices and improve on-farm and processing efficiencies. The improvement in precision agriculture is the farmer’s contribution to using resources more efficiently and effectively. As agriculturalists, it is our job to make everyday consumers aware of where their food and fiber comes from to enhance sustainable agriculture practices rather than depleting resources. Agriculture will continue to change with the breeding of resistant varieties, better pesticide use, technology, consumer knowledge, and overall best management practices in production agriculture.

Q: Could you please share one common misconception that people tend to have in your field of the agricultural industry and what your take on it is?

I think the most common misconception that affects the agriculture industry is the one behind food labeling. Food labels all use different languages, and consumers do not understand what the words on the label entail. There has been a stigma formed that certain labeled food products are healthier than others, but the public does not know what the labels indicate from the production agriculture sector.

Q: What fields in agriculture do you see growing in the future, and what are their job outlooks?

I see sustainability practices becoming an integral portion of the agriculture industry. From growing practices to the food and fiber on the shelves, jobs will be created to report, track, and enhance the products to secure our worldwide markets. This meets the demand from customers that want to know where and how their goods were produced, and it builds credibility of production agriculture in the United States. I also think that social media and marketing will play a vital role in educating, advertising, and improving the agriculture industry. Agriculturalists will need to use every resource to enhance public knowledge on how ALL people impact agriculture.

Q: Is there an area of agriculture that needs to be tackled and revived by the younger generations?

An area of agriculture that needs to be tackled by younger generations is moving more agriculture production back to the United States. This would enable us to sustain our own food supply chain. With changing politics and policies, we need to ensure that our country has the resources we need to live off, and we will then become less reliant on other countries. American agriculture can then focus on improving export markets. In addition to focusing on U.S. production, the need for action to improve farm labor will be a need as well as more conservative practices from consumers.

Q: How do you plan to contribute and ensure the sustainability of agriculture?

Agriculture sustainability is what I am passionate about, and I plan to break educational barriers between agriculturalists and consumers. This will inform consumers that farmers care about their land, and their goods are being produced in the safest, most efficient ways. I also plan to make farm to fork messages a top priority for corporate companies as well as improving their relationships with the growers who produce their food and fiber products. Overall, farmers are using the most sustainable practices because it reduces inputs to maximize profits, and that message needs to be clear to secure trade markets.

Q: If you could give one piece of advice to younger generations or anyone in the agricultural community, what would it be?

My advice would be to work for what you want. Personally, I want to make a difference and improve agriculture. My motivation is all the opportunities that the agriculture industry has given me, and I want to dedicate my career to giving back to the industry. If you work hard, make connections, find your passion, and are always willing to learn there is not much you cannot achieve.

Q: To wrap things up, I’d like to hear your thoughts on how to keep the agriculture industry thriving for years to come. How do we Keep Ag Alive?

The agriculture industry will always be alive, but I think innovative, impactful agriculturalists will make it THRIVE. There is so much more research, technological, and artificial intelligence resources to be explored and established to improve production agriculture from the field to the fork. I think we must stay motivated by our ever-growing population that poses challenges to improve our production and sustain the population. Keeping agriculture alive and thriving takes ALL people to do their part in conserving and effectively using resources.