I am sure many of you are wondering, “Who is this woman? What qualifies her as ‘The Ag Wife’? And why hasn’t she posted anything about agriculture yet?”. So, I decided this morning that I would do my best to answer those questions!

I grew up with a love of animals that could not be curbed. Luckily my parents did anything but curb my passion. Yes, I was one of those little girls that had a pony…. Well, he was actually a Paso Fino named Cer. Anyway, my fascination with animals was further solidified when I learned what a Veterinarian was. I could not believe there was a job where you could take care of animals. That was my dream, and remained so through grade school and into college.

I started grade school in Texas and then moved to Missouri when I was 11 or so. As I grew I started to learn that farmers, were also able to spend their time taking care of animals. My stepfather was the first person I met that had me realizing this. He is a veterinarian and also raises horses and cattle on his own farm in Southern Missouri. I learned a lot about the ins-and-outs of being a veterinarian and also about being a farmer while I observed and assisted him on both the farm and in the clinic.

As I started high school I discovered my school had Ag classes! And while taking these classes I met a phenomenal teacher that introduced me to an organization called The Future Farmers of America. I was immediately hooked, and my obsession with farming and agriculture officially began.

I started college at The University of Missouri as a pre-vet student and from there the doors of agricultural knowledge where opened wide. I dove in head first and came out the other side with a Bachelors Degree in Animal Science and with the intent to put my farming and animal husbandry knowledge to work.

Instead of paying for four more years of veterinary school, I decided it was time to begin a career in agriculture. It was difficult to land on a decision as to which field I would go into. My passion for animal agriculture was spread over all disciplines. To magnify the dilemma, during college I worked at a dressage facility for a short time as well as accepted an internship at an oil company that specialized in providing farmers with accessibility to energy. Eventually though, I found a career in raising pork. It was very hard work but also some of the most rewarding that I had ever experienced. I worked my way up to where I was managing the farrowing house at a 3500 head farm. My favorite thing to do was to assist in the farrowing process for my sows. This means I was there for when the piglets were born.

I was with my sows all the way through my pregnancy as well as after my daughter was born. However, as I continued to work, I felt myself spending less time with my family then I wanted. I then made the difficult decision to leave my beloved farm and change careers in order to achieve this new goal. Just as I was in the middle of this change, Our state shut down due to COVID.

Now, along with a new career and my daughter starting at daycare, I had to deal with the stress and anxieties that came along with being a parent in a pandemic. We worked at making this new lifestyle functional for us, but with my daughter struggling to adjust to her new care routine, and us as a family trying to adjust to pandemic living, we finally made the decision for my husband to take a different job and move back to our home town.

We are now living on my mother’s small 6 acre farm and are beginning to thrive as a family. With that being said my passion for agriculture has not diminished in the slightest. We have renovated the pasture and now have my horse, Bullet, and my daughters new pony, Clarabelle, living with us. This spring, we have plans to start a flock of chickens as well as a small garden. I can’t wait to share the specifics to all of you!

So as you can see, my life revolves around agriculture. And while I am spending time at home with my family, I am thoroughly excited to delve into the backyard farming life, as well as continue to groom my agricultural knowledge through this blog!

Until next time…

The Ag Wife