“It’s not just about the animals, it’s about teaching and inspiring other people to not just [see] food on the table but [to know that] it’s a vital part of our future,” said Emmeline Paquet, a freshman at U-32 and a passionate dairy farmer. Emmeline has been working on a dairy farm for the past six years. Recently she competed in the New England Holstein Convention, bringing home a first-place award for both her speech and her tri-fold presentation.
“I’m going to [the] National [competition] in Orlando in June, and I’m going to represent New England and hopefully place. For me, it’s not just about winning, it’s about getting over fears. I have anxiety, and speaking in front of a lot of people was really nerve-racking, [but] it proved to me that you can do whatever you put your mind to if you really want it,” said Emmeline.
Emmeline didn’t just compete in the Holstein Convention for the chance to win; she competed to spread awareness on matters of farming that matter to her. Her tri-fold presentation featured a farming tactic called cover crop. “Cover crop is [a crop] planted [that] grows through the winter and then is terminated in the spring. It helps soil life, and it doesn’t pollute groundwater. It’s just like other herbicides [but] it’s healthier and it’s regulated by people,” said Emmeline. She chose to study cover crop in the hopes of educating local Vermonters, farmers and not.
For Emmeline, bringing awareness to farming practices wasn’t the only goal for the convention. She also hoped to support the upcoming generation of farmers. “We’re the next generation. Most farmers are older, and there’s not a ton coming up. It’s my goal, and a lot of younger teens goal, to create awareness and grow so that we can take over the next generation of family farmers,” said Emmeline.
“Dairy farming [in Vermont] is definitely declining. Small family farms can’t keep themselves affordable because of prices, so bigger farms [are] producing more, and these small farms can’t stay afloat,” said Emmeline. Although she works on a larger farm, Emmeline hopes to continue stressing the importance of family farming.
Beyond the Holstein Convention, Emmeline hopes to continue advocating for farmers. “I want my own name. [I want to prove] to myself and other people [and show] them who I am and what I’m like,” said Emmeline. “Yes, we show cows all the time, but [there are] other aspects of the industry and getting to learn other things and express ourselves and share our stories [was great]. [The convention has] given me the skills to compete and to get places. It’s given me speaking skills. That’s growth,” said Emmeline.
It is no easy feat to bring not one but two presentations to a competitive stage, and Emmeline did not compete with empty intentions. “What I really want is to be able to just grow awareness to the community, like the bigger picture, because everybody in the dairy industry knows what’s happening. Our goal is to make the dairy [industry] more relatable, so just being able to find opportunities to talk to the public would be super cool,” Emmeline said.
