b"Up to the ChallengeHired as the first female farm manager at AAFCs Benton Ridge potato breeding substation last year, Rachelle Smith is helping break new ground for women in Canadian agriculture.BY: MARK HALSALLWHEN RACHELLE SMITH was growing up in Oak Mountain, a small community 12 kilometres south of Woodstock, N.B., she had no idea one day shed be running a potato research farm for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC).Smith, the first female farm manager at AAFCs Benton Ridge potato breeding substation of the Fredericton Research and Development Centre, at 24 is also the youngest. She was studying biology at Mount AllisonRachelle Smith, farm operations supervisor at University in Sackville, N.B. when an opportunity toAAFCs Benton Ridge potato work on the research farm as a summer student arosebreeding substation. in 2017. PHOTO: AGRICULTURE ANDI knew I wanted to stay in New Brunswick nearAGRI-FOOD CANADA.my family and it was really close to home, so I thought I would try it out for a few years. It ended up being a really great fit, says Smith, who spent two summers helping tend the fields at the Benton Ridge farm. After graduating from university, she began working there full-time as a general crew member before transitioning into a job as a potato breeding technician.Not long after that, the opportunity to apply for the position as farm operations supervisor came up. Smith thought shed give it a shot, and in July 2019, she successfully landed the job. I like everything about the job, says Smith. I really enjoy the work that I do.She says the combined agriculture knowledge and experience of the team backing her at the research farm has helped her adjust to the new position. Jose Owen,I bring a lot of different strengths to the table, like management andassociate director organization and communication skills. We all work really well together as aof the Fredericton team unit to get the job done, and I really respect that, Smith explains. Research and Jose Owen, the associate director of the Fredericton research centre, saysDevelopment Centre.while Smith lacked the extensive farming experience of some who applied for the farm manager job, she had lots of other things going for her which helped her not only secure the position but flourish in the roleincluding a science background, leadership abilities, and an open, inquisitive mind. A lot of aspects of farming are about the experience and the number of seasons you've seen, and the diversity of those seasons and how you've coped with the challenges that different seasons bring.So, she has a lot to learn there, Owen says, adding Smith wasnt daunted by the challenge.38 SPUDSMART.COM FALL 2020"