Maddie Callicott

Despite my youth, I have always known that agriculture is my calling. When you grow up the way I did, it’s impossible not to feel connected to the land and develop a desire to give back to the sector of American life that has shaped you so deeply. Agriculture has been part of my story since the very beginning, and I was destined to remain involved in it.

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Both of my parents come from small towns in the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta, each with fewer than a thousand people. My dad grew up on a family-owned farm that raised soybeans, corn, and rice, crops that fed both people and livestock while fueling local industry. My mom was raised on a cattle operation and spent her childhood working with cattle and horses. Their roots in agriculture laid the foundation for the values I carry today.

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I was born in Coffeeville, Mississippi, on a hobby farm my parents owned. That farm was my first classroom. I helped care for horses, dairy goats, pigs, cattle, miniature chickens, and even bobwhite quail. I watered blueberry bushes and harvested vegetables from our garden, including okra which was always my favorite. When my younger brother Mason was born, we sold the property and moved to Hernando, Mississippi, where we rebuilt our little world with a garden, goats, and eventually another brother, Macon.

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When I was eight, my dad earned his welding certification, and our family began traveling the country with him for work. For two years, we lived in RV parks across the South, from Alabama to Louisiana to South Carolina. The stop that stands out most was Texas, where the horizon stretched endlessly and was broken only by barbed wire fences and longhorn cattle. Life on the road taught me adaptability, resilience, and the importance of family no matter where “home” was.

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In 2016, my mom made the decision to settle down again, and my parents bought our current home in Elkland, Missouri. For the first time in years, I was able to put down roots, both literally and figuratively. We once again planted a garden and began raising our own livestock, including chickens, ducks, guinea fowl, meat rabbits, miniature goats, hair sheep, and now miniature cattle. Each venture taught me something new, but the sheep became especially meaningful. They became the cornerstone of my FFA Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE), and through them I earned the chance to walk across the stage at Missouri State FFA Convention. They helped me achieve my State FFA Degree and later my American FFA Degree.

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Living in Southwest Missouri cow-calf country also gave me a front-row seat to the realities of American cattle operations. I’ve seen firsthand how families pour their energy, sweat, and hope into producing the beef that ends up in grocery stores. Some of my greatest learning experiences came from community members who, through FFA, shared what their farm financials might look like in a given year. Those conversations revealed both the immense challenges and the resilience built into agricultural life.

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Because of these experiences, I know where my path leads. I aspire to become an Agricultural Business Consultant, someone who can help livestock operators strengthen the financials of their operations. Too often, hard-working families are held back not by their dedication but by a lack of financial resources or guidance. I want to be part of the solution, to offer support, to bring stability, and to help producers not only survive but thrive.

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I know I cannot save every operation, but I can walk alongside those who dedicate their lives to feeding the world. Agriculture has given me everything; my goal is to return the favor.