Caroline Groth’s work with agriculture started in sixth grade, when she began showing sheep. At the beginning, she had three ewes.
"From there, I like to say it's a 4-H program gone wild," said Groth. "My senior year of high school, we were running about 50 head of Southdown ewes."
Groth first got involved with FFA at Locust Trace AgriScience Center, an FCPS facility offering programs with a focus on agriculture, animal science, and environmental science. She served as Kentucky FFA state president before becoming the state's representative for national office.
Now, she’s taking a gap year from UK, where she’s a double major in Ag Education and Ag Economics, to enter her new role as National Eastern Region Vice President. She’ll be traveling across the US, visiting chapters to teach workshops and speak to students.
Her message? That agriculture is for everybody, at every scale.
"Whether you grew up on a farm or you live in a subdivision or an apartment, agriculture has a place for you."
Groth says one way FFA involves students from non-farming backgrounds is through a supervised agricultural experience (SAE) program.
"One student had a cut flower garden on our school property," explained Groth. "Another student sold dog treats. I showed lambs in 4-H and FFA. All of those things are agriculture. Agriculture isn't just 'sows, plows, and cows'; it's so much more. It's technology! It's advocacy! It's culinary!"
Groth will serve in her new role through October 2025. After that, she plans to finish her studies at UK before moving onto law school.