For those of you who may not know me, I am the current chair of the Kentucky Farm Bureau State Young Farmer Advisory Committee and vice-chair of the Education Advisory Committee.

It has been a humbling experience to take on these roles and sit on the KFB Board of Directors for the next year.

But farming and Farm Bureau is not new to me. I became involved with this organization 13 years ago and currently serve in many county roles including chair of Carroll County Farm Bureau’s Young Farmer Committee, secretary of the Carroll County Cattlemen’s Association, and secretary of the Carroll County Agriculture Development Board.

From a farming perspective, I am a fifth-generation farmer having been raised on a beef cattle, hay, tobacco, and horse farm. My husband and I, along with our two young sons have a commercial Hereford cattle and hay operation in Carrollton.

In many aspects, it is a typical cattle farm indicative of the many that can be found throughout Kentucky. However, as a young farm family, we have experienced the challenges many people in our age bracket go through on the farm that perhaps more established farmers have already lived through.  

Not that they don’t have their own set of challenges. But getting a good start is so very important to a new generation whether they are taking over a family operation or starting from scratch.

I do have the benefit of working off the farm as an agriculture teacher at Carroll County High School. That particular role has given me a chance to educate students about the ag industry and the opportunities that can be found within this sector be it on the farm or in some related field.

As a teacher, I see a broad spectrum of students who are well connected to farming life, as well as those who know very little about production agriculture. I realize that not all my students will make a career choice in the ag sector, but they are all going to be consumers of the products we raise on the farm.

The more they understand all the processes that go with the industry in getting their food from the farm to their plate, the more in tune they will be with what we, as farmers do, and they can make better decisions on the food they consume.

In being a farmer, an educator, and a member of Farm Bureau, I see firsthand the importance of advocating for our industry no matter what age group you fit in. Keeping a newer generation involved in some aspect of agriculture will ensure our food supply in the future and keep our rural communities vital well into the future.

I’m very excited to have been chosen as the Young Farmer Advisory Committee Chair and it is my hope, as I go through the coming months, to do all I can to uphold the mission of the organization and make more people aware of the importance of the young farm family and how important Kentucky Farm Bureau is in their support of this industry we all depend on.