Thornton West Virginia – Grace Austin Truboevich, of Taylor County, has been selected as the 2024 Mrs. USA Agriculture after representing West Virginia for one year.
Miss Agriculture USA is a national non-profit organization held in all 50 states, inviting all ages over the age of 2. Austin Truboevich began his journey with the organization by applying to be crowned Miss West Virginia in 2023.
Following her election, Austin Trubojevich will become the state’s Mrs Agriculture from July 2023 and will work to champion women in agriculture and show people where the food they buy comes from.
“We go to Walmart, we buy a gallon of milk, we buy a carton of hamburgers, and that’s it. I want them to know how much work and dedication went into getting that on that shelf. It didn’t just magically appear,” she told WAJR’s “Talk of the Town.”
One way they promote this is by selling home-grown beef from their family’s cattle farm, Hidden Falls Ranch, in Thornton, West Virginia, which sells steers for meat so customers can know exactly where their food comes from.
Austin Truboevich said he grew up on a farm that has been in his family for generations, and he tends to the farm with his family and young daughter.
In addition to growing up on a farm, she attributes her involvement in agriculture in part to the 4-H program, which allowed her to raise livestock such as calves and goats for several months, and she said she would recommend the program to anyone interested in agriculture.
“In the 4-H program, you instill a lot of responsibility and dedication at a young age, so I think some of the best adults that come out of the 4-H program are the ones that instilled a lot of compassion, responsibility, drive and motivation at a young age, and 4-H has a big impact on their adult lives, especially in agriculture. If you get them involved at a young age, it will last,” she said.
During her reign as queen, Austin-Trbojevich was primarily tasked with photographing agricultural activities on her family’s farm.
At the national competition, Austin Truboevich had to submit all of his photos, participate in several interviews, and compete in a formal wear competition, ultimately winning the national title.
She said that as Mrs. Agriculture USA, she wants to shine a light on women in agriculture who are often overlooked.
“There [are] “I think there are a lot more women involved in agriculture than most people realise. Women don’t just do the laundry and clean the house, they work in the fields with their families, which I think is really amazing, and I want to shine a light on that, because agriculture has such an amazing side to it. From a woman’s perspective, the love and care and everything we put into it is definitely remarkable,” she said.
She said not all states currently participate in the competition, but she hopes to change that while she holds the title.
“Right now, I don’t believe all 50 states are on board yet, which is why we’re trying to get it out there a little more. We’d love to have at least one person from each state and each age group on board,” she said.
After competing against some states more known for agriculture, Austin Trubojevich said he hopes more people understand the importance of agriculture in West Virginia.
