Amber Davis is a woman passionate about agriculture education. It’s not just a cause she believes in, but something she lives out daily in both her professional and her personal life. Ag education shaped her childhood and now she and her husband Sean are incorporating it into their daughter Oakley’s life as well.
Growing up, Amber was active in 4-H, Future Farmers of America (FFA), and Girl Scouts. Her parents were both 4-H leaders and actually met their Senior year of high school in an ag class. Her father was in the Marine Corps and retired after 22 years and their family settled in the Carteret County area of NC when Amber was young.
After attending NC State and earning a degree in Ag Science, Amber went on to give back to the neighboring community (Craven County) through serving as a 4-H program assistant for Craven County Cooperative Extension for three years. She then became an agriculture teacher at West Carteret High School and then Havelock High School. After moving to Tarboro she was at North East Carolina Prep for 4.5 years and then Bear Grass Charter School for a few months before switching to her current role working remote from Tarboro, NC as one of the Senior Educational Consultants for the National FFA Organization. In her role with National FFA, her team creates lesson plans and classroom resources to help make life easier for ag teachers serving as FFA Advisors.
Each of her positions has built upon this dedication to service and has focused on this theme of shaping the next generation to see the benefits and beauty of the agricultural industry.
In an interesting parallel to her parent’s story, Amber also first met her now husband Sean when they were both children in 4-H. While Amber showed goats, Sean’s focus was rabbits. His mother had a yarn shop in Richlands, NC and he traveled with her as they showed rabbits across the country. Yet Amber remembers one show and sale where Sean showed a pig to everyone’s surprise, and she later found out he was doing so to earn money to buy a surfboard. They now laugh over these special memories and how life has brought them back together. While not directly involved in the ag industry professionally, Sean puts his business mindset to work with his creativity and talent for woodworking through his custom cabinet business Driftwood Designs. Personally, he is heavily involved as they both support their daughter Oakley’s passion for animals. Oakley has taken after her mother in showing goats, and has developed a love for horses as well.
Amber was also involved with horses from a young age. She was two years old when her family bought their first horse, a five year old pony named Travler who taught her and her older brothers how to ride. Amber competed on Travler in lots of 4-H and open shows. In middle and high school she competed in the open show circuit in Southeastern NC known as the Tar Heel Horseman’s Association and has countless memories of lessons this special pony taught her.
As Amber’s skills and interest grew, she purchased her own horse, a young, registered quarter horse named Bee her junior year of high school. She trained her with the help of friends and handled her in 4-H shows. When she was 14, she attended the All American QH Congress for the first time as a 4-H member competing in the public speaking contest. She saw the different state QH Queens walking around and was amazed. So, it became a dream to represent NCQHA and compete in the Congress Queen contest, which she did 10 years later!
However, since Oakley was born, Amber hasn’t been able to ride as much, as Bee has developed some lameness issues and been retired to light duty and rest. She plans to get back into it though and is grateful that Oakley still has a chance to ride thanks to her family’s animals. They currently have a young horse born on their farm that will hopefully become Oakley’s mount in the future to carry her to 4-H shows just like her mom.
In fact, up until two years ago her parents ran an agritourism business called the Barnyard where they introduced children and animals to each other via petting zoos and pony rides at birthday parties and on field trips.
That “introduction” to animals and agriculture is something Amber wants people to know is available for everyone, regardless of whether they have family in the industry or not. There are so many opportunities in the state of NC to be involved, with a few close to her heart including FFA, 4-H, Miss Rodeo NC (Amber is a former pageant judge and current board member), and High School Rodeo.
Amber and her family hope to continue to welcome and support people interested in the ag world whether they come from no ag background at all or are part of a generational involvement with the industry.
If you’re interested in learning more or getting your children involved with ag, she encourages you to explore the organizations your community has to offer. There are so many amazing opportunities waiting!
Very nice article!