Choosing a career in agriculture

I grew up on the farm and then left for 20 years. I went to lots of school, I lived in India for a couple of years and then I started teaching as a member of the music faculty at a university in Virginia. Throughout the years my folks asked me if I would be interested in farming. Starting in 2010 I was in charge of a quarter. Pretty soon I got to be in charge of two quarters, and I eventually decided it was time for me to come home and farm full-time.

Why I work with Farm Credit

We have a nontraditional operation and that is one of the things I’m proudest of. I’m the farmer and my husband, Rolf, provides incredible support. You can’t grow an operation without spending some money, and the fact that Farm Credit had faith in me and has always taken me seriously as an operator is something I’m really grateful for.

My Farm Credit team works together

I had an experience a couple of years ago where we had a little hiccup in one area of the crop insurance business. My crop insurance agent worked directly with my financial officer and together they were able to work it out. I’m not sure that happens at a lot of other lending institutions. Having everybody in-house has been a huge boon for our operation.

What I love about farming

One of my favorite things about being in a farm setting is that I’m my own boss. I grew up hearing from my parents you’ll never be happier than when you’re working for yourself. Once I transitioned to the farm, I finally understood that it is such a blessing to decide what you’re going to do every day.