Hannah Borg, 22, of Wakefield, Nebraska, is the 2020 Syngenta #RootedinAg Contest grand prizewinner. Borg is the seventh #RootedinAg Contest winner. She was chosen from a hearty pool of applicants and two other strong finalists with her testimony that moved both online voters and a panel of judges.
This annual competition from Syngenta invites growers and other ag industry professionals across the nation to describe the person who most nourished their agricultural roots for their submission entry. The number of submissions this year was one of the largest — and one of the most difficult to rank, said Pam Caraway of Syngenta.
In a heartwarming video entry, Borg pays tribute to the matriarch of their sixth-generation family farm — her 86-year-old grandmother, Lois Borg. “Grandma is the perfect mix of grace and grit,” Borg said. “I’ve always admired how she lives her life and her role in our family. She always knows what’s happening on the farm and never turns down the opportunity to ride along on any kind of trip. She has passed down many stories to me and inspires me every day.”
As the grand prizewinner, she receives $500, a professional photoshoot with her mentor, and a $1,000 donation to her favorite local civic organization: the Wakefield Heritage Organization, a group in her community dedicated to preserving and maintaining the local history of her hometown.
“I chose this organization because preserving our community’s heritage is important to me as the next generation to carry it on,” Borg said.
In addition to being part of her family farm, Borg has worked for the Rural Radio Network/ 880 KRVN as a part-time farm broadcaster; a communications intern for FarmHer in Des Moines, Iowa; and an intern for the National FFA Organization.
“Every year, we have the privilege of hearing the stories of people in the ag community whose peers, mentors and family members have inspired them,” Caraway said. “And every year, we learn something new about this community, which has engrained itself within all of us — and become a part of our DNA. Hannah’s video about her grandma resonates with everyone who hears her story.”
To learn more of Borg’s story and the #RootedinAg Contest or to read other ag news stories, visit Syngenta’s website.
