Agriculture is one of the largest industries within America, but some believe a stigma still lies around the formation of agriculture.
Men have been the backbone of the agricultural industry for so long that it seems like the women who have begun to build the industry even further are not yet getting the same attention.
Women are progressing in the agricultural world and their stories also should be told.
One such story involves UTM student Mackenzie Clark, a past FFA state president and a junior Pre-Veterinary Medicine major with a minor in Veterinary Technology.
Clark, who is from Cedar Grove, said she has a strong personality and a will to succeed, allowing nothing to stand in her way.
Agriculture has been a part of her life for years and she said she plans to instill her beliefs of agriculture within her future children’s hearts, too.
Clark has held agriculture close to her heart since she was a young girl. She said that her heart began to swell with a love for agriculture when she would spend days on the farm riding around with her grandfather.
“He taught me many lessons: the value of hard work, tradition and heritage,” Clark said.
As a young farm girl, she said animals always held a special place in her heart, so when it came time for her to do her part on the farm, which has been a part of her family for three years, she did not hesitate.
Growing up with an agricultural background, Clark knew about the National Future Farmers of America Organization, (FFA). She had heard her father speak of the organization, though, at the time, women were allowed, but not strongly encouraged, to take part in the group.
Since 1969, women have been making their way into the agriculture world. Clark said that it was a “no-brainer” that she would join an organization such as FFA, considering the future she wants to hold.
“Once I started high school and began my experience with the FFA, it has changed me completely,” Clark said, adding that she has progressed from a small, shy child into a strong, independent woman. She said she can speak in front of others without hesitation and advocate for agriculture, for which she possesses such a strong passion.
Clark earned the opportunity of a lifetime serving as the Tennessee FFA president. During her time with the organization, she said that she discovered that she wanted to dedicate her time to serving others both domestically and abroad.
Clark spent her year in office, she said, trying to inspire members of the organization to pursue their dreams. Her goal was to help other small, shy girls become strong women in such a powerful and influential industry.
When asked how FFA could have such a major impact on her and others, Clark said, “I would simply tell them my story. I would tell them of all the opportunities, love, support and lifelong friends I have gained from this organization.”
Clark also described the impact she felt when wearing the traditional FFA blue corduroy jacket.
“When you zip up this blue jacket, you’re no longer just Jane Doe, you’re a part of the never-ending fight to feed the world and care for the planet,” she said.
Agriculture and FFA can mold young females into bold, competitive women who are no longer afraid to express themselves, Clark said, pointing to her own journey to become the person who is no longer wary of taking that leap of faith and taking part in something that is outside the norm for her gender.
Clark believes the future is bright for women in agriculture.
“I genuinely look forward to the future of agriculture and FFA and what role I may play in providing those same opportunities to its participants,” she said.
