The Forgotten Rural America | Mikayla Bodey | TEDxOhioStateUniversity

In 2016, Rural America proved to be the deciding factor in determining the presidency. A group in our society that is so easily forgotten and so frequently taken for granted, has now been the victim of attack from the political left. In this thought provoking talk, Ohio State University Senior and soon to be farm owner Mikayla Bodey asks us to reconsider how we view our rural cousins, so we can all soon come together.

Mikayla Bodey is a fourth-year student in the John Glenn College of Public Affairs. Mikayla grew up on a small family farm in west-central Ohio, and is the first in her family to attend college. Mikayla has dedicated her collegiate career to agriculture and food policy, finding innovative solutions to food insecurity, exciting energy around progressive agriculture, and voicing the needs of America’s rural communities. Mikayla has interned with the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, National 4-H Council, and The Ohio Development Services Agency. Mikayla also assisted in a research project evaluating the social capital of Cooperative Extension educators in underserved communities. On campus, she is involved in Undergraduate Student Government, Sphinx Senior Class Honorary, and the University Panel on Food Sustainability. In her spare time, Mikayla enjoys spending time on her family farm with her Clydesdale horse ‘Sassy’, making homemade applesauce, and sewing.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx