The Excellence in Agriculture Award recognizes a recipient who has excelled within the agricultural industry, has ties to Habersham County, and whose net income from an individually owned production agriculture operation does not exceed over 50 percent of the net income.
Prior to moving to Habersham County as a middle school student, Kelly Sweeney Clark grew up on a small family farm in Mitchell County, North Carolina; there she developed a love for the outdoors and agriculture. Upon moving to Habersham County with her family in 2009, Kelly enrolled at North Habersham Middle School and was one of the first group of students in the school’s vocational ag program. Kelly hit the ground running and was a poster child for FFA.
Former Habersham Central High School Ag teacher, Kyle Dekle said, “Early in my teaching career, a local farmer, John Gosnell, told me about a young lady that was going to be in our program and stated that she was going to start showing cattle for him. Her first year, she exhibited a Gelbvieh heifer that wound up being Reserve Grand Champion at the state show in her respective breed. You would have thought we had won the Super Bowl!”
Kelly excelled in poultry judging, the show ring, and in the classroom, but she also excelled in many leadership positions through the FFA culminating in the Area 2 FFA President.
Former Habersham County agricultural teacher Catrina Pollard said, “there are few people that I know who have the drive and dedication as Kelly particularly when it comes to agriculture”. As a student, Dekle says, “she was never scared to get her hands dirty. She made sure things were done right, and if it wasn’t done right, Kelly was not afraid to let you know about it!”
Kelly graduated from Habersham Central in 2014 and began her collegiate career at ABAC where she earned her Associate Degree in 2016. Kelly transferred to the University of Georgia (UGA) and obtained a Bachelors Degree in Poultry Science.
Jessica Fife, Outreach Coordinator for UGA’s Poultry Science Department states, “When you work with students, you’re bound to have a few that stand out as particularly special over time. Kelly is undoubtedly one of those. She is one of the most responsible, dedicated and hard-working people I’ve ever had the sincere pleasure of working with.”
In 2022, Kelly received her PhD in Avian Anatomy and Physiology with a focus in reproductive endocrinology from UGA.
Ben Green, director for Cobb’s U.S. Breeder Hatcheries, uses this story to summarize Kelly: “When I announced Dr. Clark was coming to work for Cobb, I described her to our employees like this – When you hear her speak with her country girl accent, you will know we have not hired just another PhD. She truly utilizes her intelligence and work ethic to achieve whatever goal she puts her mind to achieving.