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!
Horticulture is an important piece of our state’s agriculture industry and speaks to the hearts of many individuals due to the hard work, beautiful plants, and seasonal variety within it. Madeline Kluttz grew up in Mount Ulla where she established a strong love of agriculture at a young age. Today, she is not only pursuing a career in agriculture because of her passion and drive for the industry, but also her desire to help farmers and impact the community through her work.
As a child, Madeline was surrounded by agriculture not only through her family’s involvement with agriculture but also connections with neighboring farm families. “This part of the state is home to a large agriculture community, which is one of the things that I have always loved about living here,” she said. “My dad and three older brothers have always been into farming, whether growing vegetables in the garden, working on the family farm or growing flowers, so I started super young. I’ve always had a love for agriculture, and it continues to grow every year as I become more and more involved in the industry.” Although she enjoyed agriculture as a child, Madeline’s love for the industry truly started to flourish during her years at West Rowan High School.
During her freshman year of high school, Madeline joined the FFA and her journey towards a future in agriculture began. Throughout her time in FFA, Madeline not only competed in a variety of competitions, including ag sales, ag issues, and ag communications, but she also worked in greenhouses on campus, experienced vegetable production on a local farm, and sold succulents to local farmers markets in the area. She was Vice President of FFA for two years, including State Vice President her Senior year. “I truly dove headfirst into the agriculture industry in high school,” she said. “FFA truly opened my eyes to the opportunities available in this industry. I was able to intern with our Horticulture Program through the FFA and gain other hands-on experience through farm work, competitions and more. It truly fostered my love for agriculture and solidified my decision to spend my career in this industry.” Madeline remains involved with the FFA to this day through global activities and trips that help broaden her knowledge of agriculture throughout the world. In fact, in recent years she has travelled to both Costa Rica and Australia with the National FFA to learn about the practices used in other areas and how we can apply those techniques to the N.C. Agriculture industry. “The population continues to grow, both in our state and across the world, and the agriculture industry is responsible for feeding all of them,” she said. “Despite the challenges, despite the odds, farmers remain determined and strong. To see the agricultural methods and practices used in other areas of the world truly opens my mind to the endless opportunities available across this industry, and the future of how we can expand and grow.” After graduating from high school, Madeline transferred to N.C. State University and dove even deeper into the study of agriculture.
During her time at N.C. State University, Madeline fell in love with vegetable production and flower growing. With a major in Horticulture Science and a minor in Crop Science, she had a variety of both classroom and hands-on experience that has helped her find and establish her career path. “College has not only given me a well-rounded knowledge of the industry in the classroom, but has also provided me with many summer jobs and internship opportunities to expand my hands-on experience,” Madeline said. So far, she has worked on her family farm, Kluttz Farms LLC in Mount Ulla, Farmers Daughter Organics in Mount Ulla, Cauble Creek Vineyard in Salisbury, and this past summer she worked at the Horticulture Crops Research Station in Clinton. “I am always open to new opportunities and enjoy getting my hands dirty in a variety of areas,” she said. “These internships have allowed me to expand my knowledge of different areas of the agriculture industry as well as gain experience fully working with them.” In addition to these positions and internships, Madeline continues to return home any time she can to help on the family farm.
Not only will Madeline’s love for the agriculture industry take her far in a career, but also her state and global perspective on agriculture, ability to embrace new opportunities, diversity in experiences, strong communication skills, time management abilities, and leadership sills. Although she isn’t 100% certain what the future will bring, Madeline’s dream is to one day own her very own operation growing both vegetables and flowers. “I’ve worked closely with local farmers through the years to learn how to grow both of these things simultaneously,” she said. “I will continue to do this moving forward and, hopefully one day, bring a unique place to the community that can both educate and involve people in agriculture.”
Madeline loves a variety of things about working in agriculture, but her favorite part of the industry is the people within it. “Agriculture has always been a very personal and family-oriented industry for me,” she said. “There is a rich history of agriculture in this state that truly connects us all to one another. You can see the hands and hard work of each generation across this state through the industry and watch how it has grown over the years. Agriculture has truly laid the foundation of my life and it is more important to me than I can possibly put into words.”
For anyone considering a career in the agriculture industry, Madeline encourages you to get involved and find what’s important to you. “See what students are currently doing in agriculture to further the future of the industry and find what speaks to you,” she said. “Once you find your agricultural passion and joy, follow through with it. Network with both older and younger generations to get a well-rounded view of the industry. At the end of the day, we all have strengths to bring to the table, and the agriculture industry is at its best when we all work together.” We are so proud of Madeline and all that she is doing to further our state’s number one industry. Can’t wait to see where the future takes you Madeline!
