(TRENTON) – Rachel Ewing, of Flemington in Hunterdon County, has been chosen as the 2022 New Jersey Agricultural Fair Ambassador.  The 20-year-old North Hunterdon High School graduate and SUNY-Cobleskill College of Agriculture and Technology student was selected by the Agricultural Fair Association of New Jersey.

As ambassador, Ewing is charged with visiting the state’s agricultural fairs in 2022, promoting agriculture to the public, and bringing people together to support the state’s farmers.

“Rachel has extensive experience in agriculture, and she will be an outstanding spokesperson at our state’s agricultural fairs this summer,” New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher said. “She is an important ambassador for ag education in the Garden State.”

Ewing has been a member of the Hunterdon County 4-H Club since 2011 and was the Hunterdon County 4-H Fair and Agricultural Fair Ambassador in 2021. She has also been a member of the Hunterdon Deadeyes 4-H Shooting Sports Club, the 4-H Team New Jersey Shooting Sports, Kick Butt Kids 4-H Goat Club, 4-H Student Adventures in Veterinary Experiences, and was the Hunterdon County Dairy Princess in 2019, and remains a member of the American Dairy Goat Association. Ewing has also worked as a veterinary assistant or technician at four different locations in New Jersey and Texas, where she had an internship, and has had various roles working on three different farms in New Jersey and New York.

Ewing is glad that 4-H fairs will be returning to a normal schedule after being interrupted by the COVID-19 Pandemic the last two years.

“It means so much that the ag fairs are back and now, and it will be really valuable seeing families and children interacting,” Ewing said. “The fairs are really important to help people understand agriculture. A lot of people don’t see cows, or goats, or whatever it may be, and it’s great to see their faces light up when they do.”

Ewing is an animal science major with a pre-veterinary track with an emphasis on livestock and large animals. She plans to apply to veterinary school once her undergraduate work is complete.

“Being in 4-H had a huge impact on me since I grew up raising goats, and it’s more like the veterinary field chose me,” she said. “I have gravitated to being on farms and found meeting and talking to people were what I enjoyed about farm animals and medicine.”

Ewing also pointed out that she was excited about Rowan University in Gloucester County starting its veterinary school, though it won’t be accepting students until she is already in veterinary school.

“A lot of people don’t really know that there are about 230 medical schools in the country, but there are only 32 vet schools across 50 states,” she said. “It makes it more difficult to get into vet school and I am really looking forward to Rowan opening its school.”

Ewing believes people are looking forward to county ag fairs again this summer.

“People want to come out now since they have been cooped up for so long,” she said. “We have to show them what New Jersey agriculture has to offer.”

This is the 18th year the Agricultural Fair Association of New Jersey has named an ambassador. In choosing an ambassador, the Association seeks a good representation of young people active in agriculture in the Garden State and their county fair. 

There are 18 agricultural fairs currently scheduled throughout the state for this summer, including the New Jersey State Fair at the Sussex County Fairgrounds. The earliest fair is held in late June, with the final fair of the season in mid-September.

For the full schedule of New Jersey’s agricultural fairs go to https://bit.ly/3Dlv2KY.

To learn more about the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NJDeptofAgriculture and www.facebook.com/JerseyFreshOfficial or Twitter @NJDA and @JerseyFreshNJDA.