Next Gen Ag is a year long series that will run on our In The Field blog, Facebook page, Instagram page and Twitter account. Each Wednesday, we will highlight a young person pursuing a career in the agriculture industry. Individuals can be in high school, college, or recent graduates who are working to establish a career in agriculture. Stay tuned each week to meet some of our industry’s future leaders!
Life has a funny way of placing us exactly where we need to be, even when we don’t think it’s where we will end up. Peyton Gardner, a native of Princeton, grew up in a rural area surrounded by agriculture and never thought she would end up working in the industry. In fact, she was adamant against it for many years of her life. However, after taking a class in high school and working in a greenhouse, the roots of our industry wrapped themselves around her heart and changed her life forever.
As a child, Peyton has many memories of agriculture, not only from observing farms in her hometown, but also travelling to work with her dad. Peyton recalls spending days with her dad at work in Fremont at Helena Chemical Company. “My dad was the plant manager in Fremont during my childhood years, so I would go with him to work some days during the week if I didn’t have school or on the weekends,” she said. While there, she and her brother would climb lime piles and ride along to farm visits with her dad.
While she fondly remembers days with her dad, not all memories of agriculture were fond. “Being dropped off in a family friend’s soybean field on summer break mornings was one of my earliest memories in agriculture. I helped to pick pigweeds and hated it. At the age of eight or nine years old, I vowed that I would not spend my life in agriculture.”
As the old saying goes…never say never. Peyton started her path towards medical school in middle and high school with her sights set on being a Cardiovascular Perfusionist. All of that changed when fate put her in an agricultural class in high school.
During her sophomore year of high school, Peyton’s class schedule came back with an unexpected twist; she had been enrolled in a horticulture class. “I went to my advisor at the time and emphatically stated that I needed to be removed from the class because I was not in agriculture,” she said. “However, Jessica Harrell, one of my teachers and eventually my FFA advisor, convinced me to stay in the class and it changed my life.” Three weeks into the horticulture class, Peyton got involved with the FFA Chapter at her school and started working in the greenhouse on campus. “As soon as I stepped in the greenhouse, I knew I had found my place,” she said. “There was a peace in the greenhouse that almost made the rest of the world disappear. I love the feeling of seeing my hard work come to fruition, especially growing a plant from seed to sale.” Not only was Peyton involved in FFA for three years, but she also served as Chapter Vice President her Senior year.
After graduating high school, Peyton began attending N.C. State University where she double majored in Horticultural Science and Communication. Pursuing two degrees meant an extra year of college, so Peyton graduated this past May! Not only was she super involved with her studies on campus, but also with many other clubs and organizations, including the Ag Communicators Program, the Thomas Jefferson Scholars, the Caldwell Fellows, the Public Relations Student Society of America, and Pack Clogging. “I will miss NC State University, but I have learned a lot here that has prepared me for an agricultural career,” she said. “I’m excited to go out into the world and make a difference in this industry that I have come to passionately love.” Directly following graduation, Peyton started a job in the Professional Development Program at BASF in the Functional PDP Track. She will complete three eight-month rotations working with HR, internal communications, and external communications. In her dream world, after working with the company for many years, Peyton would love to one day host her own talk show where she can interview and visit with farmers across the state, and possibly even the world, to help people understand the value of farming and what all people in our industry go through to provide the products that we love and enjoy.
Peyton’s dedication, passion for the industry, networking ability, communication skills, and innovative thinking are all skills that will help power her career forward with BASF or anywhere else the agriculture industry may take her. Although she loves working with people across the agriculture industry, Peyton’s favorite part of being in agriculture is the pride that she feels in making a difference with her work. “In the agriculture industry, you know that you are making a difference because you can see it every day,” she said. “I love feeling that sense of pride daily and knowing that I have helped someone through my work.”
For anyone seeking a career in the agriculture industry, Peyton recommends asking a lot of questions, learning all that you can, building connections, and getting involved. “I am a big believer that if I am the smartest person in the room, it’s time to find a bigger room,” she said. “Never stop learning. Never stop evolving. The agriculture industry is so vast and has so many different facets to it that there are always new things to learn. Look for ways to get involved in the industry and find connections that tie the industry together. There is always something to be found in this industry that connects us all.” We are so proud of Peyton and all that she is doing to further the agriculture industry. Although she has just started her agricultural journey, we are looking forward to seeing where the future will take her!
