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NCFB Excellence in Agriculture Award Winner
Though she didn’t grow up on a farm, Michelle Shooter’s curiosity about agriculture led her to a fulfilling career in the industry. Her lifelong passion and willingness to volunteer for agriculture, as well as help teach others, has earned her this year’s N.C. Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers Excellence in Agriculture Award.
The Excellence in Agriculture Award Program is designed for those who may or may not currently own a farming operation. Participants are judged on their involvement in agribusiness, leadership roles, civic organizations and Farm Bureau.
Shooter serves as a Plant Pest Specialist for the N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, taking on responsibilities including protecting the environment from injurious pests and certifying plants that are being shipped across the globe. She also farms with her husband on his family’s land and earns extra income by starting a pumpkin patch on the farm.
“I enjoy sharing my agricultural story with those who are actively involved in ag and learning from them, and I also love sharing with those who don’t know where their food comes from or what agriculture means for our livelihoods,” Shooter says.
