Tell us a little about yourself.
After growing up on my family’s dairy farm in southwestern Wisconsin, I went to UW-Madison to major in agronomy and animal science. I worked for a decade in agricultural consulting, first on the crops side and then as a dairy nutritionist. While I am now working with the electric utilities, I have many opportunities to share the farming story with those outside of agriculture. I love the outdoors, whether that’s hunting, fishing, hiking, biking, camping, whitewater kayaking or cruising trails with my Jeep. I hope to start my own rotational grazing beef farm in the future.
Tell us more about AFBF’s Women’s Communication Bootcamp and why you chose to participate.
Women’s Communication Boot Camp is a training program for women from across the country that helps to improve public speaking and advocacy skills through speaking and media training, with an opportunity to try out those new skills during congressional visits on Capitol Hill. Having heard how great the program was from a couple of Farm Bureau friends who were previous participants, I saw it as an excellent opportunity to take my communication skills to the next level.
What did you gain through your participation?
This program has been such a confidence boost! The trainers really know their stuff and did an excellent job of simulating real-world situations to practice your skills. I also have a bunch of new friends from across the country! It was fun connecting with and learning from other like-minded women.
What advice would you give to fellow Farm Bureau members who want to strengthen their advocacy skills?
Get outside of your comfort zone and take advantage of the opportunities that arise. You might be thinking “I’m not good enough for that,” but you have zero chance of success if you do not try or apply. Also, pay attention and stay informed on current issues.
What is a Farm Bureau experience that you are most proud of and why?
While serving on the AFBF YF&R Committee, I was selected as the Leadership Subcommittee Chair, which entailed being the point person for planning our 2022 YF&R Leadership Conference. Being part of such a great team to facilitate a national conference and providing an elite experience for attendees was remarkable. It was incredibly rewarding to provide such a meaningful experience for Farm Bureau members from across the country.
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