Welcome to life on the farm where my roots run deep and my passion flows deeper. I live in the heartland of the country, in the great Show-Me state of Missouri. Cattle, pigs, chickens, sheep, corn, soybeans, wheat, and hay...yes, we are a diversified livestock operation. I am the youngest of three children, the proud little sister of two older brothers. From the time I can remember, I was bouncing around in the truck checking cows with dad, pulling buckets of feed in my little red wagon, and spending hours on the floor of the combine. Needless to say, I have loved every bit of it!
A huge part of my growing up years was influenced by one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, 4-H. 4-H means livestock projects, demonstrations, home-arts, meetings and get-togethers, meeting your best friends, and learning life-long lessons. 4-H has truly shaped me into the person I am today.
I have spent every summer out in the barn, preparing my prized animals and proudly exhibiting them at local, county, and state-wide shows. Showing livestock is one of my favorite things to do! It's more than a hobby really, it's my life. Cattle, pigs, and even sheep...but I must say steers are by far my favorite!
The movement on to high school brought the next best thing in my life, FFA...the highlight of those 4 years. Livestock judging, public speaking, leadership, and lots of fun! I was very active in FFA and loved competing in contests, especially when we did really well at a national contest and got to travel to Europe (a once in a lifetime experience to say the least).
I have now completed my 3rd semester of college at the University of Missouri where I'm majoring in Animal Science. It's been such a great year and a half, learning about the industry I love and meeting so many outstanding people - but moving back home to the farm that first summer was one of the greatest feelings ever! I am now living closer to home, a 25 minute drive to campus and only 10 minutes from home. In my opinion, I have the best of both worlds! Class by day and farming by night, life couldn't get much better.
I'm still unsure as to what I "officially" want to do with my life. As I tell everyone else that asks the dreaded question, "So, what are you going to do with this degree in Animal Science?"... I'm still working on it. But one thing is for sure - in a world dependent on agriculture for nearly every aspect of life, the industry I love will continue to thrive. I am passionate about what I do and truly enjoy writing. I hope to share with you my experiences, both the joys and tribulations of life on the farm. It's a wild one, so saddle up partner we're in this for the long haul!
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