In 1978, Paul Harvey delivered his famous speech, “So God Made a Farmer”. He said, “And on the eighth day, God looked down at His planned paradise and said I need a caretaker, so God made a farmer.” Who do you think of when you hear Mr. Harvey’s decades-old statement? Taylor McNair, Miss Rodeo Mississippi 2018, thinks of her grandfather, father, and herself. Coincidentally, in 1978, the very same year of that famous speech, Taylor’s grandfather and father fulfilled a lifelong dream and established a farm of their own, McNair Farms. What began as a dream has now expanded to more than 100 head of beef cattle and 2,800 acres of row crops (corn, soybeans, and wheat). Following in their footsteps, Taylor is now a proud 3rd generation farmer and rancher. Taylor says, “Life on the farm as I know it began the very day that I was born. I’m proud to say I have never known another life outside of agriculture. Somedays I wish that I had a brother because being the farmer’s daughter comes with a lot of hard labor. Then again, I wouldn’t trade the memories and hard work ethic I’ve developed for anything.”

Miss Rodeo Mississippi’s involvement with 4-H brought her even closer to her agriculture-centered lifestyle. She exhibited beef cattle, horses, dairy goats, market hogs, market lambs, and even poultry. Retrospectively, she knows that the skills she developed from showing livestock and working on the farm have instilled the strong character and determination she possesses today. Furthermore, Taylor says, “it has deepened my love for our agriculture community, heightened my respect for farmers and ranchers, and given me the desire to pursue a career in agriculture myself.”