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!
Reaching for your dreams, no matter what stands in your way, is a skill that many desire but few possess. Lindsey Hockstra, however, has been running with this ideal for most of her life. From fishing to ag mechanics, Lindsey continues to defy the odds of what can happen when you set your mind to something.
Although she didn’t grow up in an agriculture family, Lindsey developed a passion for agriculture her freshman year at Millbrook High School. “My dad pushed me to take some agriculture classes during my time in high school because he had a passion for agriculture through his landscaping business, and wanted me to grow that same passion,” she said. “My very first ag class was horticulture and, although it was during COVID when everything had to be virtual, I fell in love with ag and never looked back.” A short time after starting her horticulture class, Lindsey joined the FFA Chapter at her high school, where she learned all about other career opportunities presented to her in agriculture. “I joined FFA my freshman year and served as Chapter Secretary my sophomore year,” she said. “The minute I joined FFA, I knew that I was going to love it. From the connections it gives you to the leadership skills it teaches you, FFA gave me so many opportunities to grow as a person and find my passions in agriculture.” Throughout her time in FFA, Lindsey participated in a variety of competitions, including SPARK, which centers around a welding project, ag mechanics, ag communications, ag sales and truck driving. “FFA is so diverse for learning and allowing you to broaden your skillsets,” she said. “I not only learned a lot throughout my time in FFA, but I also built connections across the industry that will help propel me forward in my future career.”
This year, Lindsey is currently serving as the NC FFA State Vice President where she is not only helping to lead and influence FFA chapters across the state, but also impact others by educating them on the importance of agriculture in our state. “I was elected to this position in June, and I am already loving the opportunities I have gained because of it,” she said. “My goal in this position is to impact others by teaching them to be the best person they can be in the agriculture industry. It doesn’t matter if you come from an agriculture background or not, there is a career for you in the industry that will fulfill you and allow you to be the best version of yourself.” Although her major passions are horticulture and ag mechanics, Lindsey believes in the agriculture industry as a whole and seeks to build awareness of its importance across the state. “We wouldn’t be here today without agriculture, our numbers across the state prove that” Lindsey said. “You can see how much of a presence it has from the mountains to the beaches and I want people to understand how it fulfills our life each and every day.” Although her life goal is not ag education, Lindsey does plan to impact, educate and influence as many people as she can during her time in the agriculture industry.
Currently a freshman at NC State University, Lindsey is working towards a bachelor’s degree in Ag Business Management. Although she is currently unsure where the future will lead her, Lindsey knows that she either wants to pursue a career in horticulture or ag mechanics. In fact, Lindsey has worked for her father’s landscaping company in the mechanic shop for the past two summers. “My dad owns and operates Greenview Partners, which is a landscaping company stationed all over the state,” she said. “For the last two summers I have worked in the mechanic shop helping to change tires, fix equipment and more.” Along with her mechanic skills, Lindsey is also a certified welder! “Eventually one day I would like to own my own agriculture business, whether in ag mechanics or horticulture,” she said, “but for my first few years out of college, I hope to work for an agriculture company to gain experience, like John Deere or BASF.”
In addition to her mechanic and welding skills, Lindsey brings many talents to the table, including leadership skills, troubleshooting abilities, strong public speaking skills and an approachable personality. Although she is excited for all opportunities that her college experience will bring her, Lindsey is hoping to get a couple internships throughout her time that will allow her to gain hands on experience that coincides with her classroom education.
When we asked Lindsey what made her want to pursue a career in agriculture, she responded with two things: (1) the people, and (2) the happiness it brings her. “The people in this industry have heart and passion. It’s all about the community and helping one another, which is something that I can’t wait to be a part of,” she said. “I also want to spend my life doing something that makes me happy and gives my life purpose, which agriculture does. Every day I wake up, I look forward to what I will learn about agriculture today and how I will implement it in the future to impact others.”
For anyone seeking a career in the agriculture industry, Lindsey advises you to find what part of agriculture makes you happy and chase after it. “Don’t let anything hold you back from pursuing what you want to do. Gender, age, background, none of it matters when you are running head on towards your dream,” she said. “Keep a strong community of supporters around you that will hold you accountable and motivate you along the way. Set your mind to it and believe in yourself, because a career in agriculture exists for anyone who desires it.” We are so proud of all that Lindsey is doing to seek a career in the industry and we can’t wait to see where it takes her!