Mandy is an outstanding student, friend, and farmer’s daughter. She is either at school, helping on the family farm, or volunteering at her church. Five foot, four inch Mandy drives a lifted one ton truck and is one hundred percent farm girl tackling anything that comes her way. I have been very blessed to have Mandy as a friend throughout junior high, high school, and college and I have no idea what I would do without her!
Kelsey: Can you please tell me a little bit about your family farm?
Mandy: My family farm consists of corn, soybeans, and beef cattle. The main part of our farm is located outside of Tremont, Illinois, my hometown. We farm 4,000 acres in two states. Our farm areas are located around Tremont, Illinois, Centralia, Missouri, and Taylor, Missouri. My dad is the man in charge on our family farm. Along with the help of my uncle, my dad is a part of every activity that happens on the farm. The two of them plant, harvest, and haul grain, care for the cattle, apply their own fertilizers and herbicides, and are the mechanics behind all of the equipment. Our family farm, stays in the family, with the exception of the very occasionally employed truck driver or auger wagon operator, when I am at school or working.
Kelsey: Why did you decide to study agriculture?
Mandy: Agriculture has always been a passion of mine since I was a little girl. I can remember telling people even in kindergarten, that I wanted to be a farmer, but being nervous because farming is traditionally a man's job. As I have grown up and worked on the farm all my life, I have become my dad's shadow. I always followed him around out in the field, handed him tools in the shed, or sat beside him in the tractor. Since I have been old enough to drive on my own, my dad can't convince me to stay home. I enjoy driving the auger wagon and operating tillage equipment. I enjoy being able to pull the bull dozer out when it gets stuck cleaning out ditches, or driving the trailer of seed from field to field. I have felt so strongly that I have a place in agriculture, so I decided to attend to college to study agribusiness and agronomy management. Agriculture has always been a large part of me and will always continue to be.
Kelsey: What do you feel is the biggest issue facing the agricultural industry today?
Mandy: I think that “women in agriculture” is a big issue in the current industry. As I mentioned before, I was always a bit nervous about entering what predominantly was a man's job. More and more women are entering the field of agriculture each year, but I believe there are still people who are cautious about allowing a woman to take on various roles in agriculture. In my agriculture classes the males greatly outweigh the females. This seems to be a common trend in the industry. I think that women have taken great steps in the agricultural industry, but there is a long way to go to receive equal opportunity.
Kelsey: What life lessons/values do you feel you learned growing up on the farm?
Mandy: Growing up on my family farm where my dad assumed every role, I feel that I have learned many values. My dad taught me how to be successful enough in decision making to provide for a family. He showed me how to be task oriented and manage time. He taught me how to work hard and take things into my own hands. My dad is a very hard working man, but he is also there to spend time with his family. My mom does the bookkeeping for the farm, and all of the bills and taxes. She has taught me to be patient (because my dad isn't the most organized person when it comes to paperwork!) and how to help run a farm from behind the scenes. My parents have taught me a lot of great life lessons right on our farm, and I am thankful that I was raised on a family farm.
