TAMPA, Fla. – One of the first winners of the Florida State Fair’s Champion of Champions program has turned her passion into a unique career.
The Florida State Fair is known for its 4-H and FFA programs, drawing competitors from around the state.
The backstory:
Amanda Carl comes from a long line of farmers.
“I grew up on a farm in south Marion County, just south of Ocala,” she said. “My family’s been there since 1823, and we had beef cattle, and we had sheep, and we had chickens and rabbits. And it was just something I grew up in, and I counted down the days until I was eight years old and old enough to show in 4-H.”
Carl says she started showing all types of animals, which became a demanding job. Before and after school, she would be in the barn taking care of her animals and preparing them for shows.
“When I hit about ninth grade, I think I had to choose between sports and 4-H, FFA, livestock and my choice was easy. I chose this,” she said.
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When the Florida State Fair launched its Champion of Champions program, Carl says it became the pinnacle of 4-H and FFA shows.
“Just showing the livestock, you’ve got record keeping, you’ve got to take care of the animals,” she said. “It’s a lot of responsibility, a lot of hard work, learning to get up early in the morning, then go do schoolwork, then come home and do this.”
Dig deeper:
Carl says the program involves more than showing them animals. She says there are a lot of skills and requirements for the exhibitors.
“The skill-a-thon, the record books, the public speaking, the poster boards that you make, and learning about all the other different animals as well, not just what you’re showing,” she said.
Carl competed in 1998 and 1999, and she was crowned the Champion of Champions in 1999, her senior year of high school.
“My senior year, George Steinbrenner actually purchased my hog right here in this barn,” Carl said.
Carl always had plans for a career in the agriculture industry, but she initially thought she’d become a large animal veterinarian.
“Building the ability to learn new things and the lack of fear of trying new things, I think it really guided me in going to law school,” she said.
Big picture view:
Carl went to law school at the University of Florida, with a focus on agriculture law.
“I went into law school knowing this was what I wanted to do, was to ultimately do agricultural law and help our growers to be able to navigate legal and regulatory hurdles, because there are so many of those, and we need our farmers and our ranchers to stay in business to preserve these critical lands that we have,” she said.
Carl eventually opened her own law firm, Florida Ag Law, working with small and mid-size ag companies around the state.
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Some of her current clients are people who she met at the State Fair years ago.
“It’s really cool to see that come full circle,” Carl said. “So, this was very critical to my career development.”
Carl says the fair’s agricultural programs go beyond winning prizes, and can open doors for students and young adults in the industry.
The Florida State Fair runs through February 16.
The Source: Information for this story was gathered from an interview with former Florida State Fair Champion of Champions winner Amanda Carl.