Joseph Knapp Boddiford vividly remembers planting his own garden when he was 4 years old. While he planted, weeded and watered the garden he harvested more than just vegetables. He developed a love for agriculture.
The Brooklet, Ga., resident has continued that passion for agriculture as he has become more involved on his family farms.
Thanks to his uncle’s and his dad’s farms, Boddiford has been exposed to different management and operations techniques. On his father’s farm, he was exposed to various advanced technologies and a larger operation, while working on his uncle’s farm gave him the opportunity to develop skills on equipment repair and mechanics.
When working at Sylvania Peanut Company, which is owned by his father, Boddiford learned the importance of versatility. His experience at Boddiford Farm Service, operated by his uncle, allowed him to learn how to work with different kinds of fertilizers. By working on both operations, Boddiford says he gained insight to the input and output markets.
Currently enrolled at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Boddiford plans to purse degrees in agribusiness and crop science to assist in his decision to produce row crops in the future. He says he knows that farming is not just a job, but a way of life that one must love.
Boddiford is the son of Susan and Joe Boddiford. He is a member of Southeast Bulloch FFA Chapter, led by advisors Susannah Lanier and Brian Elrick.
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