Please share a little about yourself.
I’ve been married to Brian for 18 years. We live in Omro and have three daughters: Madelynn, Vanessa and Scarlett. I earned a bachelor’s degree in teaching and coaching. Currently, I am an office manager for a financial company and coach middle school volleyball.
When you were growing up what did you want to be?
I wanted to be a teacher or work in a bank.
You and your family own and direct market beef. What are some of the challenges you face? What are some of the successes that you are most proud of?
As farmers, our biggest challenges are the weather and time. My husband and I work full-time outside the farm. So it’s very stressful to get everything done and if the weather doesn’t cooperate that just adds more stress. Our biggest success would have to be building our herd. In 2012, we started with seven heifers and have grown to 56 cow and calf pairs and more than 100 head of steers.
You serve on the Winnebago County Farm Bureau board of directors and as the Winnebago County Ag in the Classroom coordinator. Please share your experiences.
I love being in schools and sharing my passion for agriculture. A couple of my favorite events are Ag Read Alouds that the FFA students do at the elementary schools for National Ag Day. I also enjoy reading the Ag in the Classroom Book on the Year and introducing the essay contest to the fourth- and fifth-grade students. I love going into schools for career days.
What is one agricultural experience that has defined you?
Watching the birth of our calves and then watching the animals grow up.
Have you participated in other Farm Bureau activities? What is one Farm Bureau experience that you are most proud of?
I help with the Farm Bureau food stand at the Winnebago County Fair. We’ve also started doing a beef event in May for Beef Month and a pork event in October for Pork Month.
I’m most proud of the beef event. This last May we had our best cow and her calf on display for the public to see and pet.
What is something that many Farm Bureau members do not know about you?
I never took a single agriculture class while in high school and I was not involved in FFA.
By Marian Viney, originally appeared in the December|January 2022-2023 Rural Route.
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