Meet this year’s grand prizewinner in the seventh annual #RootedinAg Contest.
In the annual Syngenta #RootedinAg Contest, Hannah Borg (far left), the 2020 grand prizewinner, honored her grandmother, Lois Borg (far right), who has nine other grandchildren pictured here. From left to right: Hannah, Dillion, Hunter, Megan, Madison, Katie, Jacob, Jessica, Heidi, Rachel and "Grandma Lois."
By Susan Fisher / Photography supplied by Hannah Borg
Based on the quality of her entry and the number of online votes, Hannah Borg is the grand prizewinner of the 2020 Thrive #RootedinAg Contest. Borg is a sixth generation farmer on her family’s operation in Wakefield, Nebraska.
2020 #RootedinAg Contest winner Hannah Borg credits her 86-year-old grandmother with igniting her lifelong love of #ag.
Earlier this year, Syngenta asked contest participants to honor the person who most nourished their agricultural roots by either writing a short essay or producing a video. A panel of judges then selected three finalists, including Borg, who each received a mini touch-screen tablet and the chance to compete for the grand prize — $500, a $1,000 donation to a favorite local charity or civic organization, and a professional photo shoot with his or her mentor.
In her winning video, Borg names her 86-year-old grandmother, Lois Borg, as the person who most influenced her love of agriculture.
“Grandma is the perfect mix of grace and grit,” Borg says. “I’ve always admired how she lives her life and her role in our family. She always knows what’s happening on the farm and never turns down the opportunity to ride along on any kind of trip. She has kept clear documents of our family’s history and has passed down many stories to me. She inspires me every day.”
In honor of her grandmother, Borg plans to donate the $1,000 award from Syngenta to the Wakefield Heritage Organization, a group in her community that is dedicated to preserving and maintaining the local history of the town. “I chose this organization because preserving our community’s heritage is important to me as the next generation to carry it on,” she says.
Borg is the seventh winner of the annual #RootedinAg Contest. “Every year, we’re so inspired by the stories our readers tell us. This year was no exception,” says Pam Caraway, Syngenta communications lead. “Thank you to everybody who entered the competition. Your stories prove what we already believed: The U.S. ag industry is strong and grows even stronger because each generation takes the time to teach the next generation. Choosing the three finalists was tough. We're especially thankful for the online votes to help choose the grand prizewinner. If you didn't win this year, enter again in 2021. Congratulations to Hannah. Your story inspires us all.”
Grandma is the perfect mix of grace and grit. I’ve always admired how she lives her life and her role in our family. … She inspires me every day.
Borg attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Communications with an Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship minor. In addition to being a farmer, Borg has worked for the Rural Radio Network/ 880 KRVN as a part-time farm broadcaster; a communications intern for FarmHer in Des Moines, Iowa; and an intern for the National FFA Organization.
