Leslie Svacina, a five-year Farm Bureau member, is no stranger to agriculture. She and her husband Scott recently started their own herd of meat goats. Today they have 13 head and have made plans to start grazing and build their herd to 100 head. The couple also collects maple sap and sells it to a local syrup processor. They also have a four-month-old son, Cody.
When not tending to the goats, Leslie works at the University of Minnesota as an internship coordinator. She works with students from the College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources who are completing internships. Scott works for CHS in the refined fuels area.
Leslie became a Farm Bureau member to become more involved in supporting and promoting agriculture in her local community and state. She is also a self-proclaimed “ag policy junkie” and knew that Farm Bureau was a great way to stay informed on topics and be more involved in policy development. For Leslie, some of the benefits of being a member include the organization’s ability to constantly keep members up-to-date on current agricultural issues and policies, networking opportunities with those involved in agriculture in her region, the Young Farmer and Agriculturist program and working with leaders in the
agriculture community.
When asked about why it’s important to be a part of the ag community, Leslie stated, “Personally, the ag community has been a part of our life for a long time. It’s shaped our lives, providing us direction in our careers in agriculture, and more importantly, instilling strong values. We hope agriculture has such an influence on our son’s life as well. On a broader note, the ag community is the foundation of our country, state and community. It’s also an ever-changing community that is high tech, adapts to consumer needs and is still personable and family-focused.”
When not at the farm or assisting students at the University of Minnesota, Leslie is involved with the New Richmond FFA Alumni, is a Wisconsin FFA Association volunteer, serves on the UW-River Falls Alumni Advisory Board and the UW-River Falls College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Science Alumni Board and is a past president.
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