During my reign, I was not only exposed to, but immersed in extremely rare opportunities to advocate on behalf of the industry that I love. Through my county and state Farm Bureaus, I was able to meet Maryland Governor Larry Hogan several times, attend legislative sessions in both the state capitol and Washington, D.C., and even meet and talk to senators and their constituents.
This program was the first time that I really saw the power of the agricultural community. Maryland's county Farm Bureaus, as well as the overarching state organization, were incredibly passionate for and invested in the future of agriculture in the state, and as someone who didn't grow up on a farm, it was the first time that I truly felt as if my voice mattered to the industry.
Now three, almost four years since I have held the title of Miss Cecil County Farm Bureau, I feel a revitalized sense of community and belonging within the industry I love, this time on an international scale.
Throughout my time in Belize, I was amazed at the pride in which the Belizean people took in the integrity of their Belizean agriculture. For example, the Belizeans almost always preferred to buy "local chicken" instead of "Mennonite chicken." To put that into an Americanized context, this essentially meant heritage breed chickens versus broiler chickens. However, almost all of the Belizean people preferred the chicken which was homegrown in their community, and took pride in the fact that they were able to support their friends and neighbors while reducing their environmental footprint.
Another particularly intriguing aspect of my trip to Belize was our time spent at Spanish Lookout, one of the Mennonite communities in Belize. As someone who was raised around Anabaptist sects such as the Amish and Mennonite, I was interested to see the dynamic of this religion in a different context. During our time in the community, I was struck by the diversity that I saw working at the various Mennonite operations, which I found to be strikingly different than the United States.
When I asked one of the Mennonite business owners if they typically only employ members of the Mennonite community, he elaborated on their diversity within the workplace. He said that they typically have an oversupply of workers, which is very different from America. I found it really interesting and refreshing to see the inclusion of every community in these typically conservative communities.
The aspect of agriculture that I have always love the most is community. I love knowing that there is a group of people there to support me, care for me, and watch me grow who are just as passionate about the industry that I hold closest to my heart as I am. My time in Belize helped me realize that these communities, founded on the principle of agriculture, exist all over the globe, and to this day agriculture serves as the glue for every society in every corner of the world. I am so glad to have been able to experience these communities first hand, and it has added fuel to my fire of investment in the industry as a whole.
Olivia is a sophomore majoring in Agricultural Science at Penn State
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