HERSHEY, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau’s Women’s Leadership Committee has selected Carol Ann Gregg, of Mercer County, Pennsylvania, as the recipient of the Outstanding Woman in Agriculture Award during the state’s largest farm organization’s 69th annual meeting in Hershey.
Gregg married into a dairy farm family in 1963 and has been an advocate for agriculture ever since. After selling the dairy cattle in 1994, Gregg and her husband pursued other careers in agriculture.
Carol Ann has worked as an agricultural reporter for a variety of farm press publications; volunteered for numerous positions in the Mercer County Farm Bureau, including newsletter editor, county information director and women’s leadership committee chair; and acted as president of the American Agri-Women and Penn’s Agri-Women organizations.
“Agriculture is a part of who I am,” said Carol Ann Gregg. “All of the agricultural events and activities I’ve participated in are a part of my life. What a fun and wonderful career. Farmers are amazing and humble people, especially when sharing their stories.”
People who know Gregg talk about the enthusiasm she brings to whatever she is working on, including influencing the educational development of programs for children, teachers and the local community; organizing farm tours for people of all ages to learn about how things are done on a “real” farm; and interacting with political leaders about the farming industry.
“Carol Ann has been a huge advocate for agriculture and has played a vital role in educating children and teachers about farming. In the 1990s, she served on a special task force and testified before state lawmakers to successfully add agriculture studies to Pennsylvania’s statewide curriculum standards in our schools,” said bureau President Rick Ebert. “Carol Ann brings a high level of passion to the work she does for farm bureau and the stories she writes about farm families and the issues they face.”
Gregg says she is concerned when she hears from farmers who are struggling to stay in business.
“Agriculture is one of the most important things in our country. It is a part of our national security. People need to grasp the full importance of agriculture in the U.S. and why it is so important for American farmers to be able to feed our people,” said Gregg.
