Paige Swanson: 2026 Growing Forward with Crystal Flash Award Recipient

On her family’s farm in Alto, Michigan, 17-year-old Paige Swanson brings a gentle touch to a bustling world of livestock, wildlife, and daily farm life. Focused and kind, she has a calming presence that her family knows well. Her mother says animals have always been drawn to her, and now that lifelong connection is helping shape an exciting path toward a future in veterinary medicine.

A 2026 Growing Forward with Crystal Flash award recipient, Paige grew up at Swanson Farm LLC. The family’s 125-acre property offers plenty of room for agricultural traditions and an enduring love of animals. Paige and her sister, Melanie, have horses, while their brother, Joe, has 13 head of Angus cattle. Wildlife adds another lively dimension: deer, turkeys, porcupines, and beavers are among the animals the family has spotted on the property.

“I have grown up on a farm my whole life and have always had a love for animals,” Paige wrote in her application. Her gentle manner and natural ease around animals are familiar parts of who she is, and her ambition to become a veterinarian gives that early love a clear direction.

Animals are only part of the story at Swanson Farm. Paige also helps carry on a sweet family tradition: making maple syrup. Her family has been producing syrup since 1918, connecting her work today to more than a century of shared history. Production takes place in “the sugar shack,” a building made from repurposed materials and equipped with a gravity-fed tank system. It’s a distinctive piece of the farm’s character and a place where Paige contributes to a tradition that has lasted for generations.

Her agricultural interests extend beyond home through Lowell FFA, where she was a member and competed in presentation contests. In her Growing Forward essays, she explored the practical choices farmers can make to reduce waste, from maintaining equipment and planning efficient trips to choosing machinery suited to the task. She also considered how soil health and farming practices connect with energy use, looking at the many decisions involved in caring for a farm and its resources.

Paige currently attends Michigan State University, where she plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science before applying to veterinary school. Her path builds naturally on the animal-filled surroundings of her childhood.

Paige’s story reflects both deep roots and bright possibilities. From helping in the sugar shack to preparing for her future studies, her family’s farm continues to shape her ambition. With her gentle spirit and focused drive, her next chapter is bound to be remarkable.

About Growing Forward with Crystal Flash

Growing Forward with Crystal Flash supports young people involved in agriculture through awards that help fund their education and continued participation. Created for the children and grandchildren of active Crystal Flash customers, the program gives back to the agricultural communities that have supported our company for generations. The employee owners of Crystal Flash are proud to encourage young people as they build skills, explore their interests, and contribute to the future of agriculture. Learn more at crystalflash.com/growing-forward.

See overview of all 2026 Growing Forward with Crystal Flash Award Recipients