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In a few weeks Cecilia Higgins, 18, is boarding an airplane for Carrick-on-Suir near Waterford, Ireland, for a 12 week internship. She will not be interning in an office complex, a newsroom or a medical facility.
Born and raised in Rutherford County, Cecilia is quick to say she's been a farm girl all her life, the reason she applied for this particular internship. This farm girl is going to work on a 300-cow family dairy farm, will be milking cows, cleaning barns and taking care of calves for 12 weeks.
This teenage farm girl is beyond excited.
"From the time I could walk, I was out helping on the farm or working in the shop. I've always been happiest when I'm around animals--especially cows. Whether it's showing, milking, or just spending time in the pasture, farming is where I feel most at home," Cecilia said.
Cecilia's parents, Brandon and Lisa Higgins, began C-Saw Hill Farm when she was just two years old with a goal to provide healthier food for their family, and return to their farming roots.
"My dad's family had beef cows, and my mom grew up around livestock and later worked on the dairy at Penn State University," Cecilia said.
At C-Saw Hill Farm, the family first raised a variety of animals, "but during the COVID-19 pandemic, we narrowed our focus to dairy and began to grow the operation. Today, our farm sells milk in nine stores across three counties and ice cream in seven stores in the same region," Cecelia said.
"My goal is to continue expanding our farm while learning as much as I can so I can provide for my future family and help bring fresh, local products to our community" she said.
Cecilia was two years old when she first started showing goats and by the time she turned seven, she knew she wanted to show dairy cows.
"My parents told me I had to choose one or the other-so I sold my goats and pursued cows full-time," Cecelia said.
Cecelia reached out to Mike Corn, who manages the Biltmore herd of Jersey cows, and he asked the Vanderbilts if they'd allow Cecelia to buy a heifer calf.
"They agreed, and I became one of only two people to ever purchase a heifer from their farm. Her name was Susie, and she was the foundation of my herd," Cecelia said.
In 2018, Cecelia had the opportunity to show a Brown Swiss for some friends at the WNC Mountain State Fair.
"I instantly fell in love with the breed," she said. Cecelia bought her first Brown Swiss and began transitioning from Jerseys. Today, she has 10 registered Brown Swiss and two Jerseys. Of the Swiss, four were born on the family farm and the others she has purchased over the last few years.
Cecelia prefers Brown Swiss "because they're hardy, productive, and do exceptionally well on pasture. They rarely get sick, calve easily, and are just all-around tough cows. I plan to continue building and improving my Brown Swiss herd for years to come," she said.
At the WNC Mountain State Fair recently, Cecelia had the honor of winning Western NC District Supreme Champion with her cow, Ruth.
"The process to determine the Supreme Champion begins with each cow entering its class," Cecelia begins. "The 1st and 2nd place winners from each class move on to a second round, where a Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion are selected for each breed. Then, the Grand Champions from all breeds compete for the overall Supreme Champion and the WNC District Supreme Champion titles. I was thrilled to take home the WNC District Supreme Champion title."
Additionally, Ruth and Cecelia also won Grand Champion Brown Swiss in the Open Show.
Cecilia attended Trinity Christian School in Rutherfordton from kindergarten through 12th grade. She graduated in May 2024 on her 17th birthday making her a high school graduate and a 17-year-old on the same day. She also claims the honor of attending Trinity from kindergarten through high school, earning the title, "lifer" as her principal told her. While in high school, she began taking classes at Isothermal Community College, where she earned her Associate's Degree in Agribusiness Technology in 2024. In the spring of 2025, she began working toward her Bachelor's Degree in Agribusiness through North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T) online. She's also enrolled at ICC, working toward a second Associate's Degree in Welding Technology.
When Cecelia first mentioned to her mom she wanted to take over the family dairy, she told Cecelia she'd need to intern on another farm first.
That led Cecelia to research other farms.
"Eventually, we connected with a friend from a genetics company who mentioned international internships. That led me to discover Irish Agricultural Internships, an organization that places interns on farms across Ireland," Cecelia said.
Upon returning from Ireland, Cecelia plans to intern on a few more dairies before settling into a welding job closer to home, "while continuing to work on and manage our family farm."
When not spending time with her cows, she enjoys hunting, welding and "a little archery."
