Hebron farm girl brings Miss Agriculture USA crown to North Dakota

HEBRON, N.D. — Although most ladies dream of sporting a crown and sash, it’s not at all times a actuality {that a} small city farm woman from North Dakota takes house a nationwide title. From Hebron, North Dakota, Maci Wehri lately competed on the nationwide degree and is now Miss Agriculture USA.

In mid-June, Wehri competed in Cleveland, Ohio, in eight completely different areas of competitors from writing an essay to giving a proper speech. Wehri famous that she loved the essay portion probably the most as a result of she was capable of speak in regards to the significance of farm security and the way that has impacted her household.

“I wrote about desirous to get the message of farm security out into the world as a result of my brother handed away once I was 10 from a farming accident. And so, that was fairly large on my coronary heart,” she mentioned. “He went out in a excessive crop sprayer and put the booms up. And he didn’t truly contact the booms to the facility line, however the wind blew it and the facility arched from the facility line to the increase… He might really feel that one thing was off in his physique, the electrical energy was going via him. And so, he went to get out and when he stepped down onto the steel touchdown pad, he ended up getting electrocuted and falling off of the sprayer and that’s how he handed away.”

The incident ended up taking out energy in Mott, Richardton, Regent and New England, Wehri mentioned, including that it registered on the Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. energy line at their most important headquarters in Miles Metropolis, Montana. Her brother had skilled about 1,400 volts of electrical energy and marks remained on his physique after he died.

“It was very devastating,” she mentioned. “My grandpa who began Wehri Gelbvieh had handed away the yr earlier than from mind most cancers. And so, for my household to have misplaced two main components of our household farm was undoubtedly onerous hitting. It wasn’t straightforward, however I’m very grateful to have the household that I’ve and been capable of energy via it and do one thing good due to it.”

When requested what it meant to be topped Miss Agriculture USA, Wehri famous that she desires to make the household farm proud.

“The correct reply that I’m supposed to offer you is it’s a nationwide group that promotes agriculture and confidence in ladies. But when it’s speaking about strictly for me, it means a means for me to make my brother and my grandpa proud. Make my household proud. After which, additionally make a reputation for myself as a result of I need to do one thing good… I need to have the ability to go and be 80, 90 years previous and be capable to look again and say, ‘That a part of my life was wonderful,’” she mentioned.

Trying again at her pageant competitors, Wehri famous that she by no means anticipated to win.

“It was a whirlwind expertise that I by no means thought would occur,” she mentioned. “At school, you at all times have the Miss Americas that are available and converse and also you take a look at them and also you go, ‘Oh, wow, they’re so fairly. I want I may very well be them.’ I by no means thought that I might truly get the chance to be one and now that I’ve, I’ll by no means take it as a right. I’ll use this yr and hopefully be an inspiration for an additional little woman.”

When she’s not donning her crown and sash, Wehri is often serving to out on the household farm in Hebron, North Dakota, working their 350 pairs of Black and Crimson Gelbvieh cattle — which is a breed much like Angus and recognized for his or her superb temperament. As a farm woman, Wehri may also be noticed fixing fences and lending a hand throughout hay season.

“In the case of the chores… working calves in Could might be some of the thrilling instances — branding. However I believe one in every of my favourite issues is simply having the recollections that I’ve with all of my cousins as a result of there’s 12 of us… I don’t suppose metropolis children actually get to have that have of operating round in a pasture with child calves and understand how liberating that feels to simply not solely be across the animals and nature, however I do know the place my meals comes from,” she mentioned. “I’ve it proper throughout the highway from me. I’ve raised it. The triumph of figuring out that I’ve accomplished one thing good with my household and people recollections that I’ll at all times have.”

As Miss Agriculture USA, Wehri is hoping to accumulate sponsorships to be able to afford to journey throughout the nation to advertise agriculture and discuss farm security.

“All people is aware of that one individual that acquired their hand caught in a baler or that one individual that broke their arm final yr calving. And so, now they should have assist from their household. There’s at all times one thing that occurs on a farm and also you’re at all times tied again to it,” she mentioned. “… I really feel prefer it’s simply essential to get out the message that accidents occur and also you simply should be ready. You may’t concern it. You simply should be prepared for it for when it does occur and know what to do after.”

Agriculture is Wehri’s life and she or he hopes it does not cease along with her era.

“I will be the 19-year-old that pushes different 19-, 20-, 21-year-olds to proceed this American dream,” she mentioned. “The American dream doesn’t should be white picket fences. It may be barbed wire and evergreens. So hopefully with my ardour, I can assist different individuals be keen about it too.”

Wehri shall be a junior this fall at Dickinson State College, finding out English literature, theater and communications. After commencement, she hopes to enterprise into the broadcasting world with radio and work on persevering with to advertise agriculture. Down the highway, she aspires to be an advocate for farm life, probably on RFD-TV.

“We’d like faces of agriculture,” she mentioned. “My dad at all times says that individuals at all times speak about defending their pure assets… However our pure assets are our farmers. Now we have to guard them.”