Each year at the Got to Be NC Festival, we recognize three young farmers between the ages of 18 and 40 through our Young Farmer of the Day Program, presented by AgCarolina Farm Credit and AgSouth Farm Credit. These young farmers work hard every single day to further the N.C. Agriculture industry and build upon it as the next generation of leaders. Come out during the Got to Be NC Festival this year, May 15-17th, at the N.C. State Fairgrounds to help us recognize them and say thank you for all their hard work!
Madison Costa, owner of Fowl Creek Farms in Nashville, is being recognized today, Friday, May 15th, as the Got to Be NC Festival’s Young Farmer of the Day! As a first-generation farmer, Madison is taking the industry by storm with her cow-calf operation in Eastern NC. Since she was a little girl, Madison has dreamed of being a farmer, and she continues to work diligently every day to make that dream a reality.
Since the moment Madison could talk, she told her parents that she wanted to own and operate her own farm. “It was always funny to my parents because neither of them were raised on or have worked on a farm,” she said. “I just always knew that farming was the profession God was calling me to.” Even though Madison didn’t grow up on a farm, she did grow up riding horses and helping friends on their family farms. “Growing up, I had a few friends that had cows, and I would go over to help them and see the cows quite frequently,” she said. “That’s where my love for cattle began.” Today, she has fifty cow/calf pairs on her farm, mostly made up of Black Angus beef cattle with a few other breeds.
Fowl Creek Farms was established in 2025 near Rocky Mount. “The way that everything fell into my lap was truly a God thing,” Madison said. “From the land to the cattle, I never thought that I would be as big into agriculture as I am today, and I look forward to seeing where it will continue to take me.” In addition to managing her own herd, she also helps manage 40 cow/calf pairs at Rose Hill Farms, a family that has supported and helped her start and grow her own farm. “Her passion for agriculture shows in her work ethic,” said Anna Costa, who nominated Madison for the Young Farmer of the Day Program. “Even after long days, she is discussing her plan of action to work on her future goals. At only 24 years old, she is one of the hardest working people I know.” Madison recently graduated from N.C. State University with a degree in Livestock and Poultry, which has helped her not only start the farm, but sustain it.
From helping birth the calves to processing, Madison is a part of every step in the process for her cattle at Fowl Creek Farms. In fact, this past year she recently began processing her own meat as she works to obtain her Meat Handlers License. “I love seeing the calves grow into adult cattle,” Madison said. “It’s an honor to play a part in their lives through raising them and then bring that process full circle by feeding someone in the community. It generates a lot of pride that makes even the most challenging days worth it.” As soon as Madison achieves her Meat Handlers License, she will begin to offer products direct to consumers through her social media channels, so follow along and stay tuned!
In the future, Madison hopes to elevate her inventory of cattle and launch her processed meats online for customers across the state. She also dreams of growing her herd to 200 cattle in the years to come and adding hogs to her operation to process pork. Today, she is both excited and honored to be recognized as the Got to Be NC Festival’s Young Farmer of the Day. “Being both a woman and a first-generation farmer, my journey to where I am today hasn’t been easy,” she said. “This recognition means the world to me, not only as an honor for how I got here, but as encouragement to keep moving forward.” We are so proud of all that Madison is doing to further our state’s agriculture industry and look forward to her continuing to make an impact in the years to come. If you see her on the grounds at the festival today, be sure to congratulate her on this honor and thank her for all her hard work!
