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!
People don’t have to grow up in a farming family to be drawn towards the agriculture industry. Madison Aloia grew up in an agriculture community, but her family was not directly involved with nor tied to the agriculture industry. However, at a young age, she discovered her love for the industry and has run full speed ahead towards an ag career ever since.
Growing up in Jones County, Madison and her family were surrounded by farming and agriculture at nearly every turn. “My great-grandparents worked full-time in the agriculture industry and my dad worked with them for many years as a teen and young adult,” Madison said. “However, he has since moved out of the agriculture industry, so although I knew plenty about agriculture from our neighbors and the stories that my dad told me, I was not directly involved with agriculture until middle school.” Madison’s first experience with agriculture was in elementary school when her class attended an Agriculture Awareness Day. “My elementary school put this day together every single year for students to attend and it was always a lot of fun,” she said. “People from across the community would bring their livestock animals, tractors, farm products and more for us to learn about.” Although she loved Ag Awareness Day and looks back fondly on the memories it gave her, Madison’s love and passion for the industry wasn’t truly sparked until her middle school years.
When Madison started 7th grade, she immediately signed up for FFA at her middle school to learn more about agriculture. Little did she know that this one decision would alter the rest of her life! “FFA is truly where I fell in love with agriculture,” she said. “It gave me the opportunity to learn so many things about the industry and network with a variety of individuals through events, like the National Convention. It really opened my eyes to the community that exists in agriculture and made me want to be a part of it.” Madison was a member of FFA from her 7th grade year through high school graduation, a total of six years. Although she served as an officer in middle school, she was most proud to serve as FFA President her Junior and Senior year of high school. “It was an honor to be a part of the FFA for so many years,” she said. “I gained a lot of experience through the work that we did and the competitions that I was involved with, including livestock judging, farmland judging and public speaking. FFA gave me the necessary skills to take on a career in the agriculture industry and for that I will always be grateful.” After graduating from high school, Madison began college at N.C. State University.
This past May, Madison graduated from N.C. State with a degree in Ag Science. She is currently in graduate school at N.C. State working towards a Master’s Degree in Ag Education and Extension. “I found my niche in ag communications, which led me to pursue my Master’s Degree in Ag Education and Extension,” she said. “Once I graduate, I am thinking about either being an ag teacher at the collegiate level or working with a commodity group in our state to help educate others on the importance of agriculture and how to get involved.” During her time at graduate school, Madison will be teaching an undergraduate agriculture class where she can gain experience as a teacher and further develop her communication skills. “Agriculture is important to every person in the world because it’s the one thing that we all must have. Often it’s the very first thing that we interact with every day when we eat our breakfast or put on our clothes,” she said, “and in recent years, I feel as if our society has grown distant with it. That’s why I find it so vitally important to educate and share with others why agriculture is so important, what it does in their lives daily, and why they should care.”
Madison’s communication and teaching skills, passion for the industry, and personable demeanor will all help her with a future in agriculture. “My dream job is to one day teach agriculture classes at N.C. State University,” she said, “but no matter where life takes me, as long as I spend my career helping others see the value in agriculture and investing in the industry, I will be happy.” Although she loves many aspects of the industry, her favorite part is networking with the people found in agriculture. “This industry is like one big family,” she said. “I love how supportive people are. It’s a great network of people that truly want to see you succeed at the end of the day.”
For anyone interested in pursuing a career in the agriculture industry, Madison reminds you that (1) there are no dumb questions, and (2) talk with everyone that you can in the industry. “Building connections is one of the best ways to get involved because it helps open doors in a variety of places,” she said. “Talk to as many people as you can. Develop connections. Through those connections you will find where you are supposed to be in this amazing industry.” We are so proud of Madison and congratulate her on her recent graduation! We look forward to seeing where the future takes you Madison and the great things that you will do in N.C. Agriculture.
