Water. It’s what sustains us, and it is a vital part of agriculture, something Garretson native Cheyenne Edmundson has delved into as part of her studies. A graduate of the GHS Class of 2012, Edmundson was invited to be a student delegate at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs’ 2019 Global Food Security Symposium, which was held in Washington, D.C. on March 20-21, 2019.
“The Chicago Council is a think-tank founded in Chicago in the 1920s. The CCGA works on all manner of foreign policy (like a number of other think-tanks in the DC-area), a lot of the greatest impact has been from the Global Food and Agriculture Program which focuses mainly on the importance of utilizing US agricultural expertise to enhance productivity and nutrition to strengthen global food security for small shareholder famers overseas,” writes Erik Pederson, Director of Government Relations for CCGA.
Pederson, son of Sid Pederson, a native of Garretson, was excited to announce that a fellow Garretson native was involved with CCGA as a student delegate.
Edmundson is the daughter of Kelvin and Melissa Edmundson, and she was heavily involved in the Garretson FFA and in the Springdell 4-H club during her formative years.
“My dad does corn and soybeans, as well as maintaining a cow/calf population,” she said. She credits her life on the farm, along with her involvement in FFA and 4-H, with giving her the knowledge and skills to pursue her interests and career goals, which include working with international agricultural development and in youth education.
She says she started off very shy while growing up. However, she notes, “[4-H and FFA] taught job interview skills, leadership skills, and gave me opportunities. I wholeheartedly believe in them challenging myself to be the person I am today.”
Both the FFA and 4-H groups are heavily involved with helping relieve food scarcity in our community. The FFA recently did the Meals of Hope meal creation event during FFA Week, and every summer they grow food in garden plots that is then donated locally. The 4-H clubs collect food for the local food pantry and also teach gardening and agricultural skills. Edmundson considers herself lucky to have been a part of that.
“Garretson helped me get started in agriculture,” she said. “I appreciate my hometown because without it I would not be where I am today. I hope my experiences inspire youth in our community to make a difference in small yet consistent ways and see the value in these projects, and to never fear challenging themselves outside of Garretson or our state or our country. There are numerous opportunities out there, and the only way we see the change we want is if we challenge ourselves to continuously learn outside of where we are comfortable, hear perspectives from all sides and truly listen to grow. I hope they see the value in supporting organizations that are service-learning based, such as FFA and 4-H, that have taught me early on the value of helping your local community in small ways over time and how they prepare leaders to later make an impact beyond their community.”
After graduating from GHS, Edmundson headed to South Dakota State University for her undergraduate and then to Oklahoma State for her graduate studies. While at SDSU, she was involved in the Little International, the nation’s largest student-run livestock expo. She was also inducted into Alpha Zeta, an Honor Society and Fraternity that is a professional, agricultural, and natural resources organization.
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