Rachel Ewing of Flemington has been chosen because the 2022 New Jersey Agricultural Fair ambassador. The 20-year-old North Hunterdon High School graduate and SUNY-Cobleskill College of Agriculture and Technology pupil was chosen by the Agricultural Fair Association of New Jersey.
As ambassador, Ewing is charged with visiting the state’s agricultural gala’s in 2022, selling agriculture to the general public, and bringing folks collectively to assist the state’s farmers.
“Rachel has extensive experience in agriculture, and she will be an outstanding spokesperson at our state’s agricultural fairs this summer,” stated New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher. “She is an important ambassador for ag education in the Garden State.”
Ewing has been a member of the Hunterdon County 4-H Club since 2011 and was the Hunterdon County 4-H Fair and Agricultural Fair Ambassador in 2021. She has additionally been a member of the Hunterdon Deadeyes 4-H Shooting Sports Club, the 4-H Team New Jersey Shooting Sports, Kick Butt Kids 4-H Goat Club, 4-H Student Adventures in Veterinary Experiences, and was the Hunterdon County Dairy Princess in 2019, and stays a member of the American Dairy Goat Association. Ewing has additionally labored as a veterinary assistant or technician at 4 completely different places in New Jersey and Texas, the place she had an internship, and has had varied roles engaged on three completely different farms in New Jersey and New York.
Ewing stated she is glad that 4-H gala’s shall be returning to a traditional schedule after being interrupted by the COVID-19 Pandemic the final two years.
“It means so much that the ag fairs are back and now, and it will be really valuable seeing families and children interacting,” Ewing stated. “The fairs are really important to help people understand agriculture. A lot of people don’t see cows, or goats, or whatever it may be, and it’s great to see their faces light up when they do.”
Ewing is an animal science main with a pre-veterinary observe with an emphasis on livestock and enormous animals.
She plans to use to veterinary college as soon as her undergraduate work is full.
“Being in 4-H had a huge impact on me since I grew up raising goats, and it’s more like the veterinary field chose me,” she stated. “I have gravitated to being on farms and found meeting and talking to people were what I enjoyed about farm animals and medicine.”
Ewing additionally identified that she was enthusiastic about Rowan University in Gloucester County beginning its veterinary college, although it received’t be accepting college students till she is already in veterinary college.
“A lot of people don’t really know that there are about 230 medical schools in the country, but there are only 32 vet schools across 50 states,” she stated. “It makes it more difficult to get into vet school and I am really looking forward to Rowan opening its school.”
Ewing believes persons are trying ahead to county ag gala’s once more this summer season. “People want to come out now since they have been cooped up for so long,” she stated. “We have to show them what New Jersey agriculture has to offer.”
This is the 18th yr the Agricultural Fair Association of New Jersey has named an ambassador. In selecting an ambassador, the Association seeks a very good illustration of younger folks lively in agriculture within the Garden State and their county truthful.
There are 18 agricultural gala’s presently scheduled all through the state for this summer season, together with the New Jersey State Fair on the Sussex County Fairgrounds. The earliest truthful is held in late June, with the ultimate truthful of the season in mid-September.
For the total schedule of New Jersey’s agricultural gala’s go to https://bit.ly/3Dlv2KY.