Broadwater Conservation District Welcomes Climate Corps Member
 | Author:
Denise White Thompson, Rancher and Columnist
Denise Thompson |
Broadwater Conservation District Welcomes Climate Corps Member
Denise White Thompson
Rancher and Columnist
Agriculture faces endless obstacles on many fronts. It is vital that we educate and involve others, especially the next generation. Ya reckon?
Broadwater Conservation District (BCD) is glad to introduce Ms. Hannah Overby, our new Working Lands Climate Corps member, through the Conservation Legacy and AmeriCorps program, who will be working at BCD and Gallatin County Conservation District (GCCD) for an eleven-month term.
The mission statement of the program: “Conservation Legacy engages future leaders who protect, restore, and enhance our nation’s lands through community-based service.
We envision a world with healthy lands, air and water; thriving people and resilient communities.”
Conservation Legacy focuses on engaging powerful leadership of the next generation, inclusivity, healing people by healing the land, community first, and service as a path to a better future.
Ms. Overby is a 21 year old from Northern California, who will be focusing on sustainable agriculture and forestry while she is at BCD. Hannah is the youngest of four children and grew up in the outskirts of the Bay area where her Dad was a pastor at a local church for over 20 years. Her family moved to Auburn in 2017 where her mom is a nurse and her dad is a computer programmer.
When Hannah moved to Auburn, she immediately jumped into anything related to agriculture: 4-H (showed horses), FFA (showed pigs and participated in a couple of competitions), worked seasonally at a Mandarin Orchard, helped her FFA leader and her grandma with their sheep, worked as a ranch hand, and helped her swine breeder with chores.
Hannah loves spending time with family and friends, doing ranch chores, outdoor activities, drawing, and helping others. She has an Associate of Arts degree in Sustainable Agriculture
and has plans to further her education in Ag Business, with a focus on Ranch and Farm Management.
Vince and I are hosting this thoughtful young woman while she is at BCD and GCCD. I also have the pleasure of working with Hannah at the district, so I sat down with her and asked her a few questions:
What is your draw to agriculture?
From a young age, I was always outside and I have always loved animals. Whenever we would travel to my grandparents they had horses, pigs and steers and I loved being a part of that, no matter the chore.
What sparked your interest in the Working Lands Climate Corps Program?
When you contacted me about the position, it sounded extremely interesting and was different than anything else I had done. Having the opportunity to expand my knowledge in many different areas was an exciting prospect. I also looked forward to getting back to Montana, of course.
What do you hope to gain from your experience at the two conservation districts?
Gain more knowledge around agriculture and sustainable Ag, and to be able to take what I have learned and apply to different aspects of my life, give me some more direction as to what I want to do, and allow me to make some connections in the agricultural community.
What do you feel are the top three concerns farmers/ranchers are facing today, and how can you help address these concerns during your time as an AmeriCorps member and after?
Top three concerns would be succession, federal regulations and the disconnect between what farmers/ranchers actually do and how its perceived by others not in the industry or those who are truly unaware. I hope to help educate others, provide tools to the older generations to assist with succession of their farm/ranch business, speak up and be an advocate, and do my best to get folks on the same page so voices can be heard.
What is one thing on your bucket list while you are here in Montana?
Program-related: Help the producers in this area to make their jobs easier in some way; whether that be through a grant program or simply helping them with a chore/task.
Personally: Go to Glacier Park and Flathead Lake
For the love of Ag from the heart of a western woman,
Denise Thompson
Article Images
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PhotoCredit: Photo Provided by Hannah Overby
Image 1 Caption: Hannah Overby, new member working with Broadwater and Gallatin County Conservation Districts.
Photo Provided by Hannah Overby
