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 My sophomore year of high
school I was put into the Introduction to Agriculture class and
personally was not sure how it would end up. Thankfully, I loved
every minute of it and was quickly taken under my teacher's wing who
pushed me to realize that even though I did not know much I had a
place.
When it came time to pick a college I knew I wanted to continue
exploring agriculture. Once I got to college I fell in love with the
program and knew that this is where I was meant to be. After that,
everything fell into place.
What particular field do you plan to pursue in Ag?
I plan on becoming an Agriculture Lobbyist.
What are your career goals?
I want to advocate for the future generations of agriculturalists. I
want to be a part of ensuring that agriculture continues to be
strong and provide for our consumers. Specifically, I want to focus
on the importance of agriculture education and how that can benefit
the agriculture industry pertaining to filling more jobs, educating
the public, and more.
Who inspired you to choose
Ag or who might be some of your biggest influences currently?
I have a lot of people who
influence me and inspire me. At the beginning of my journey in
agriculture in my high school Agriculture teacher Ralph Allen opened
my eyes to what agriculture is and how I have a place in the
industry.
Holly Baumen inspires me to break down whatever barrier I may face
as she is a woman in the agriculture industry and she is killing it.
Rich Teeter inspires me to work hard and that working hard gets you
far.
Bill Harmon has opened my eyes to even more avenues of agriculture
and reminds me that I have a place.
Craig Beckmeier has influenced the way that I see the agriculture
industry in the sense of community and family instead of a career.
All five of these individuals inspired me.
Did you grow up around Ag?
Growing up in the rural community of Chestnut and Logan County as a
whole, agriculture was surrounding me, however I did not grow up on
a farm.
Honestly, still to this day I have never been in a combine, however,
through one of my classes at LLCC I was able to learn how to drive a
combine through our combine simulator.
I knew about agriculture growing up but I was not familiar with all
of the different avenues. All I ever knew were the basics: animals,
corn and soybeans. I grew up around agriculture, but I was never
really submerged into it until high school.
If you don't mind, could you tell a bit about yourself? Like
where you are currently in school?
I am currently a sophomore at Lincoln Land Community College and
will be graduating in May with my Associates in Art with an Emphasis
in Agriculture. I will be transferring to Iowa State University to
pursue a degree in Agriculture and Society. After graduating from
Iowa State, I plan on going to Law School to help achieve my goal of
becoming an Agriculture Lobbyist.
At Lincoln Land I am the president of our Agriculture Club, PAS
chapter, and Collegiate Farm Bureau Chapter. I am on the school
newspaper and have a podcast through the newspaper.
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 Are there any challenges
or prejudices you have had to overcome being a female in Ag?
Unfortunately, there are some challenges being a young woman in the
agriculture industry. There have been times where I was the only
female or the youngest person in a group, but nothing ever prepared
me for the time I was once told that because I was a woman, a
“pretty” woman to be exact, had no place in the agriculture
industry.
I was crushed. I wasn’t sure
if I wanted to throw in the towel or prove to them that I do have a
place in agriculture.
Ultimately, I decided that because I was a young woman I had to
prove to myself and others like me that we do have a place and we
can do anything we put our minds to and we can wear lipstick while
doing it.
What do you look forward to in the future of Ag?
Agriculture is ever changing. It’s evolving and new ideas and
technologies are taking place daily. Currently we are facing issues
with the shrinking of agricultural ground with a growing population.
I am excited to see what ideas and techniques we can establish to
ensure that we use our land efficiently and provide for our
consumers. I am also looking forward to seeing how my generation can
make an impact on the agriculture industry.
Do you recommend that other young women pursue a career in Ag?
Absolutely! The agriculture industry has so many different avenues
that there is something for everyone no matter if they grew up with
a strong agriculture background or not. I would’ve never thought
that I would be pursuing a career in agriculture but the agriculture
community is so
strong and supportive that I truly cannot see myself doing anything
else.
"There is a spot for any young woman in the agriculture
community."
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