FEATURE | p e o p l e
Meet the 2022-2023 PCCA Sweetheart
Peyton Chandley Talks About the Beef Industry and Her Goals by ANNABEL ROCHA
E
EIGHTH-GENERATION CATTLE RANCHER Peyton Chandley is proud to represent Polk County as the 2022-2023 Cattlemen’s Association Sweetheart. Raised by Barrett and Lori Chandley, the 19-year-old says ranching is in her blood, and she is extremely passionate about conservation and the beef industry. The University of Florida freshman sat down with Central Florida Ag News to discuss her goals as PCCA Sweetheart and the impact she hopes to make through this role. Central Florida Ag News (CFAN): How does it feel to be this year’s PCCA Sweetheart? Chandley: It feels good. I’m very lucky and blessed to be able to do it, and I definitely hope to make my county proud. CFAN: Is this something you’ve always wanted to do? Chandley: I grew up going to the Cattlemen’s 10 | CFAN
Convention pretty much every year since I was 6 months old, so I’ve been watching it and I’ve looked up to the girls who have won in the past. It’s definitely been an idea. I’ve always been passionate about advocating for the beef industry, and now this is my opportunity to do it. CFAN: Who inspired you to join the competition? Chandley: My whole family inspired me. We are very close, and I look up to my entire family because of how far they’ve brought our family business — specifically my grandpa. He’s very
passionate about conserving the environment, not only promoting beef but doing it in a very Christian way. He’s always promoting God. CFAN: Why cattle? What does it mean to you? Chandley: It’s a part of me. I’ve grown up in the cattle industry and I feel like people who don’t grow up seeing the ins and outs of cattle ranching don’t really get to know what it actually is. I think that the way it’s sometimes portrayed in the media isn’t actually reality. Getting to grow up in this atmosphere and making that my way of life has made me realize how much I love it and how important it is to our economy. CFAN: What do you think is the biggest misconception of the beef industry? Chandley: I would say that the biggest misconception is that farmers don’t really care about their FloridaAgNews.com
