News : Katelyn Folkmann Benton County Iowa, Miss United States Agriculture

Katelyn Folkmann of Newhall, Iowa was recently awarded the title of Benton County Iowa, Miss United States Agriculture.

Katelyn Folkmann is currently a Junior at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, with a major in Psychology and a minor in Theatre. She is from Newhall, Iowa, where her family lives on the Heritage Farm which was homesteaded by her great-great-great grandfather in 1854. She graduated from Benton Community High School in 2018.

Katelyn has been involved in 4-H since 4th Grade. Throughout her time in 4-H, she showed her family's home-raised hogs and a good friend's dairy calves. Katelyn found great pleasure in working with her animals before and during the fair. She is exceptionally proud of the fact that all five of the pigs she showed at the 2013 Benton County Fair were in the top ten of the swine carcass contest that year.

She has always had a love for the farm and agriculture. From a little girl, Katelyn would be helping her dad in the farrowing house or nursery, helping move sows across the yard, or riding in the combine with her late Grandfather during the harvest season. She still enjoys helping her parents during harvest.

Katelyn was crowned Benton County Fair Queen in the Summer of 2018. Throughout the rest of that year, she volunteered at a variety of events throughout the county and was able to fundraise over $3000 which was contributed to the Walk to End Alzheimer's since both of her grandfathers passed on after suffering from the disease.

Katelyn goes above and beyond to help out anyone in need, no matter what the person is in need of. Her current role as a Residence Assistant at Cornell College has helped her not only in her knowledge for her future career, but also in her willingness to help other people. She hopes to use her career path to help farmer's mental health, especially those who are stressed with the effects and variability of weather and the ever-changing markets that span the globe.

Contestants will travel from all over the midwest to Maryville, MO the weekend of November 21st, 2020 to compete for the honor to reign as a state Miss United States Agriculture Queen.

State Director, Holly Hatfield says "The idea behind the Miss United States Agriculture Pageant Program is to celebrate the agriculture industry and our local farmers all while promoting self-esteem, building strong leaders and awarding scholarships to encourage a continuous pursuit of education. As well as utilizing our vision: An advocacy program for women to teach and enhance the American Agriculture story."

To register to represent your county at the 2020 Iowa Miss United States Agriculture pageant contestants can request information online at www.missunitedstatesagriculture.org/iowa/

To schedule an appearance or interview with the reigning Iowa Miss United States Agriculture, please contact Holly Hatfield at 660-341-3250 or holly@missunitedstatesagriculture.com.