Paula Lewis, an alum of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, recently won the title of 2023 Georgia Mrs. United States Agriculture.

The goal of the Mrs. United States Agriculture pageant is “to truly advocate for agriculture by using the crown and sash as an avenue to start conversations,” according to the pageant’s website. The organization considers itself as a pageant with a purpose and was started in 2014.

When asked why she wanted to compete in the pageant, Lewis explained that she was very active in many clubs while in high school and college. But since graduating from ABAC in 2010, she did not feel she had a platform to talk about agriculture, which she remains passionate about.

Lewis competed in the statewide beauty pageant on January 22. She and 59 other contestants participated in three areas of competition: state fun fashion, which is an opportunity to incorporate something that represents the participant’s state in their outfit; interview; and formal wear.

Lewis said she chose ABAC so that she could be around other like-minded individuals and appreciated the small class sizes, emphasizing the ability to “be a big fish in a little pond.” She earned a Bachelor of Science in Diversified Agriculture and was part of one of the first graduating classes in this major. While finishing her degree, she met her husband, Max Lewis.

Max and Paula, along with another ABAC sweetheart couple, are partners in a business called Two Families Local Meat. Located in Albany, they raise cattle and hogs, selling packaged beef and pork to neighbors and customers in the surrounding counties.

Other contestants in the pageant included: Tatum Hickman, daughter of ABAC alums John and Randi Hickman, who won the Tiny Miss Division; Regan Pollard, daughter of ABAC alums Marcus and Catrina Pollard, who won the Future Little Miss Division; and Jessie Ann Blair, daughter of ABAC alumni Brian and DeAnn Blair, who won the Teen Miss division. All state title winners will compete for the national title later this year in Enterprise, Ala.