Kellie Gregorich - Farm Strong

Today we welcome Kellie!!! She has a passion for agriculture and is FARM strong!


My name is Kellie and I hale from the eastern part of Iowa! I grew up on a small cow/calf operation. We’re a start to finish cattle farm so I got to see every aspect there was to raising cattle. We raise around 60 Shorthorns, Herefords, and I just purchased my first Miniature Herefords. We used to have more, but because it’s just the two of us, I work full time, and dad is 60, we’ve cut back to make things easier.

Agricultural has always been a part of my life. It means everything to me. If I’ve had a bad day, a day on the farm can take away all the worries, concerns, and bad feelings. Ever heard of ‘runner’s high’? Well I have ‘farmer’s high’. It’s been in my blood for generations. It’s something I thrive on and enjoy doing. Most women don’t get excited about feeding calves, having a bottle calf, grinding feed, or raking hay, but this one does. Farming will be something that I do for the rest of my life. In 3rd grade we had to draw what we wanted to be. I drew “Farmer Kellie”. Someday I hope to be a full time farmer and make 3rd grade Kellie’s dream a reality.

A typical day for me is advocating for agriculture. I am a board member for the Iowa Women in Agriculture, member of Iowa Agri Women, member of American Agri Women, and writer for my own blog on what really happens on the farm. Once I’m done with that I go to work on the farm. As most of you know, there never is a typical day on the farm. We go from grinding feed, hauling manure, sorting cattle, feeding calves, planting crops, harvesting crops, and picking the eggs from the chickens. Every day on my farm is an adventure.

My favorite thing about living on the farm is the environment. That sounds funny doesn’t it? The fresh air, the wind through my hair, the smell of my tractors exhaust, the cows bellowing, the smell of fresh cut alfalfa, and many other great things that others don’t ever get to experience. It’s such a relaxing and comforting place to be. It’s all mine and it’s my favorite place in the entire world. My family knows that if they can’t find me, I’m out in the pasture petting my cows.

One thing I wish people would understand about is animal rights. I’m going to make this short and sweet. Our animals are our livelihood. They feed our families. Animals that are better cared for bring more money to our home. We treat our animals better than our children. Why would we treat our animals poorly knowing that we get less money? Think about that.

I’m farm strong and am loving my life as a women in agriculture! If your interested in learning more about my life and what I do, please follow me on instagram, facebook, twitter, and on my blog!

Thanks Kellie for a great feature! Be sure to check out her blog!!!

Are you FARM STRONG? Tell us about it by becoming the next feature!  E-mail us a foafeature@gmail.com

Luella from Luella's Front Porch

Today we welcome Missouri native and farm girl Luella! Luella shares with us her typical day working in social media with the Missouri Soybean Association and Missouri Farmers Care, and how being raised as a farm kid made her who she is today. 

Luella and Australian Shepherd, Lucy

Hello from Missouri, a state rich and diverse in agriculture! Missouri is ranked in the top ten for beef, hay, turkey, corn, dairy, rice, soybean, cotton, ice cream, and watermelon production. With a variety of climate and soil types, Missouri is ranked second in the number of farms in the U.S. I am proud to be involved in one of the nearly 106,000 farms in the state. Missouri’s diverse landscape is home to many fruit orchards, vineyards, crop, livestock and diversified farms.

I grew up on a fifth generation row crop farm in east central Missouri. My passion for agriculture began early on and as farm kids. Little did we know, that it would be one of the greatest gifts we could ever be given and most influential part of my life. Looking back now, I thank God every day that we were raised to understand work ethic, self-sufficiency and the common sense values that I believe truly lead to success and happiness. I only hope that I can provide my family with the same experiences someday.

Growing up, we raised corn, wheat, soybeans and hay on our farm. My brother sells seed and has a specialty hay business that supports the St. Louis area. Today I am more involved in beef cattle production and enjoy livestock in addition to crops and hay. My grandpa has Hereford cattle on pasture, which has neighbored our house for as long as I can remember. I am constantly inspired by my 90-year old grandpa’s clear mind and memories of agriculture growing up in the 30’s. A lot has changed. But the honor and integrity of a farm family will always remain the same.

My typical day begins with managing social media, posting visuals or doing some writing in response to common questions or inquiries. However, every day is different. Some days are spent in the classroom and at other educational events, where I talk to students about agriculture and products they use every day. Other days are spent responding to media stories, or consumer questions about agriculture, maintaining public relations within our industry through grower communications and other communication tools.

As Manager of Communications for the Missouri Soybean Association and Merchandising Council, I have the opportunity to promote agriculture in many ways. I work on a variety of projects, maintain social media sites, lead efforts within our CommonGround consumer education program, as well as do layout for the Missouri Soybean Farmer magazine. Within the publication, we focus on stories that can benefit Missouri soybean farmers, including crop and weed management, ongoing research projects, the economic value of soybeans to Missouri as well animal agriculture, biodiesel, policy issues that impact the industry and consumer advocacy.

Missouri Soybean is an active member of a collaborative effort and organization, called, “Missouri Farmers Care.” Missouri Farmers Care is made up of many of the state’s agricultural groups and was established to promote the continued growth of Missouri agriculture and rural communities through coordinated communication, education and advocacy.

Within Missouri Farmers Care, I have been involved in influencer events, including “Safe at the Plate,” educational campaign with the St. Louis Cardinals. We also organize farm tours and other educational experiences for grocers, restaurant owners and dieticians, in an effort to provide a direct source for information to build trust with the consumer.

One of my main focuses is a third grade agriculture education program, entitled “Ag Education on the Move,” through Missouri Farmers Care, where we engage students with interactive and hands-on activities, like bread in a bag and garden in a glove.

I think it is so important to plant a seed early on while children are open-minded and excited to learn. The hands-on program allows students to develop an understanding of where their food comes from over a ten-week period and includes lessons on beef, dairy, pork, poultry, soybeans, wheat, corn, soils, nutrition and careers. I have endless positive stories to share from the classroom, where agriculture has left a lasting impression on a child. . Educating children about agriculture continues to be one of my most fulfilling endeavors. It is crucial that we teach our children that their food doesn’t appear on a grocery store shelf.

Teaching children about agriculture and products they use every day.

When not involved in ag advocacy work, I enjoy being as involved on the farm as possible, by feeding, raking hay and doing other various chores. I have always enjoyed gardening and canning.

Feeding silage to calves.

In my downtime, I enjoy writing stories for my blog and creating visuals for my social media and website, and am currently working on agricultural focused children’s books. I also love to go fishing, mushroom hunting and do freelance writing. 

Type of visuals I enjoy creating for Luella's Front Porch website and social media.

Through my personal website, www.luellasfrontporch.com and blog, luellasblogspot.com, I address common misconceptions, while sharing heartfelt stories and visuals about farm life and the thousands of farm families who share the same passion and lifestyle. I also develop greeting cards that promote agriculture. Cards include Christmas, Notecard sets and other holidays. 

Mother's Day Card

Along with addressing concerns, my love for cooking allows me to share ag facts through favorite recipes within the recipe portion of my site. When selling baked items, I take the opportunity to remind consumers that “Life is sweet, so thank a farmer.” You will often catch me baking bread or creating a new pork or beef recipe on most week nights. It is like my “therapy.” I enjoy being able to cook from scratch and tie my love for ag advocacy to the mix.

I have always said that farm life is not an easy life, but it is a rewarding life. Farm families make many sacrifices to ensure their livestock, land and natural resources are cared for and protected for future generations. I think, often, one of the greatest misconceptions or unknown facts is the upmost care a farmer has for their crops and livestock and that the majority of farms (98%) are family farms. Farmers work endless hours while making sacrifices others take for granted. At the end of the day, we are upholding family traditions passed down by generation after generation. Farmers work 365 days a year. There are no snow days or paid holidays. Livestock eat before we do. Christmas morning waits until after the livestock is fed and date night is a tractor ride or picnic in the field during planting, harvest and caving time. I think it is often difficult to express just how much time and care is put into providing food and everyday products we often take for granted in this country.

We face a harsh reality that we no longer can assume that agriculture is understood. For farmers, who are too busy on the farm to always tell their story have realized that they must begin or their story will be told for them. We are constantly being targeted by a variety of topics and we have to pro-active in providing resources and answers to top concerns.

I believe that everyone can make a difference and everyone has a story to tell. With a world full of technology and communication tools, we often forget how to communicate effectively. We need to be as transparent as possible. I am proud to be a part of the most important industry in the world and the values learned as farm kids have taught me many things. One, being that when you love what you do, you’ve hit the jackpot. There are some things in this life you can’t put a price tag on. Typically, those are things that are worth the most.

Thank our farmers today. For recipes, stories and rural life, visit www.luellasfrontporch.com. Follow me on my blog at http://luellafischer.blogspot.com/. Find me on facebook and Pinterest at Luella’s Front Porch, I always enjoy hearing from other ag enthusiasts, I would be glad to hear from you!

Luella’s Easy Pulled Pork Sliders & Homemade Buns- great for farm families who never know when they will be in for dinner time. The pork stays warm nicely. Serves 4.

Crockpot Pulled Pork

3- center cut pork chops
1 cup favorite BBQ sauce
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced

Put all ingredients into crockpot on high. Cook until meat is cooked through. Reduce settings to warm. Great for farm families, when you are not sure when the guys will be into eat!

Homemade buns:

2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water (110° to 115°)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tbs. honey
1 teaspoon salt
3 to 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add oil and sugar; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the egg, salt and honey, and enough flour to form a soft dough.

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 3-5 minutes. Do not let rise. Divide into 12 pieces; shape each into a ball. Place 3 in. apart on greased baking sheets.

Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Bake at 425° for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Yield: 1 dozen.


Thanks to Luella for this great post! Be sure to check out her blog and Facebook page! 

Remember - to keep these great stories coming we need YOU! Contact us now to find out how you can be the next Face of Agriculture, we need your story today! 

Standing Oaks Enterprise - Family & Agriculture

Today we welcome Sam Wildman as he tells us about his family farm - Standing Oak Enterprises - and how his family works together and advocates for agriculture and swine production. 

Standing Oaks Enterprises is the name of our family farm. The name comes from an old oak grove that is located on one of our farms. My father always told me he named it that way because it represented a firm, simple & long-lasting entity. Our family & our farm only exist because of the grace of God, our commitment to the Lord and the resounding faith we have all been raised with. 

My name is Sam Wildman, I am 21 years old - studying agribusiness & economics with a minor in agriculture communications at The Ohio State University. I represent over 200 years of agricultural tradition on essentially the same farm as we started on. I am the second of four children (Kim, Mindy, Simon & I) and represent the eighth generation to be involved with our farm which now raises pigs, corn and soybeans. 

Our farm, located in South Charleston, OH, an hour west of Columbus and only an hour and 15 minutes north of Cincinnati puts us near the extreme edge of the corn belt. We are also only one hour north of where the glaciers pass stops and where the rolling hills of southern Ohio begin.

We raise 650 sows (mommy pigs) which produce roughly 18,000 pigs for market every year. The pig business is our livelihood and the grain we raise is specifically to offset some of our feed costs. On 700 acres we are able to raise enough grain to feed our herd for about half a year. 

My dad, Charles Wildman is the owner & primary caretaker of our farm. He oversees daily care of our pigs which includes nutrition, health, breeding, birthing & weaning baby pigs. We have a few employees (including myself and my older sister) who help with daily care whenever he needs us. We then have six finishing barns located in other parts of the state, owned by other farm families who raise our pigs from the time they leave the nursery (45 lbs.) until the time they are harvested (263 lbs.). 

Dad holds a seat on the Ohio Pork Producers board of directors, National Pork Board’s swine welfare committee, and is very involved in other advocacy programs with these two groups. Dad and I have become very involved in promoting agriculture, especially pork through social media outlets such as blogging, twitter & facebook. Transparency is something that we see is very beneficial for the relationship between agriculture and the consumers who buy our products.

We are in the process of becoming a partner in what is probably the most exciting thing to happen in the pork industry. We will be getting out of the sow and birthing business this winter and converting to a wean to finish farm where we will raise around 25,000 pigs a year for market in our nurseries and then in our finishers I spoke of earlier. The exciting part is that as we move towards more transparency in the industry we must do things to show others how we raise pigs on a commercial farm. This will be happening in Indiana at Fair Oaks Farms as well as on our farm. I encourage you to read more about it here.

My whole family has been raised with a strong Christian faith. My mom, Carol plays the piano every Sunday at church and is the praise band coordinator. My father is also involved at church as the finance elder and all of us kids are involved in different activities with the church.

The most important thing I have learned from my parents and my involvement in agriculture as I grow is to simply be yourself, remain true to your beliefs and stand firm for what you are passionate for. In my life, that is God & agriculture. 

If you enjoyed this feature and want to know more about us or have questions about anything please look us up and ask us. You can find more about us here - Sam's blog, Charles' blog, Carol's blog, Sam's twitter, Charles' twitter or on Facebook. 

Thanks Sam for the fantastic feature! Young people like Sam are the future of agriculture and we are thanksful to be able to share their stories. Be sure to check out the Wildman family blogs, twitter accounts, and Facebook page. 

If you or someone you know should be featured on Faces of Agriculture, please contact us - we need your story now! 

Midwest Farm Girl - Katlyn Rumbold

Welcome Katlyn Rumbold - farm girl, cattle & poultry producer, young professional and ag advocate. 

I often find myself repeating the phrase “my life could so easily be a country song!” So many of these songs capture exactly what it means to grow up in the country. I grew up on a diversified livestock farm in central Illinois in a tiny town called Wyanet. If it wasn’t for the faith, blood, sweat, tears, laughter, and friends I have encountered along the way I would not be the person I am today, advocating for agriculture. My absolute favorite part of growing up on the farm is the sense of pride you get when sitting down with the family to a dinner of homegrown, fresh produce and meat. There is just something about knowing all food on the table came straight from the backyard or the barn. And of course the wide-open spaces associated with country living are pretty cool too.

Katlyn with a show heifer

We raise poultry and beef cattle. What started out as a hobby quickly turned into a small, profitable business. It all started with an idea to raise enough chicken for my family of five to consume within one year. As we got going, people in the community approached us and wanted to purchase our chicken for their own consumption. Eventually, health food stores began carrying our product, and today we sell wholesale. Known as Famous T’s Chicken, we now raise 900 birds a summer compared to peak production when we raised 2000 birds. The chicks are delivered by mail, and then we teach them how to drink by dipping their beaks in water. After eight weeks, we load them on the trailer and head four hours south to the butchering plant. Waking up way before the sun comes up on butchering day is a downfall, but once they are at the plant, we get to enjoy the day eating, shopping, and napping in the park. I must say, chicken chores are my least favorite task on our farm, but they do make a tasty meal especially when cooked on the grill.

How the chicks arrive in the mail

Dipping the chicks beaks in water teaches them how to drink

A few years later we added beef cattle to the mix. This is where my passion truly lies. It is a lot of work, but very rewarding. Known as Green Acre Cattle Co, my family likes to joke that our summer vacations are all the cattle shows we attend where most people would find themselves vacationing on the beach instead. It truly is. We get so excited to see the hard work pay off in the show ring, and the people you meet in the barn quickly become life long friends. Even though my brother and I are too old to show in the junior shows, we still work with the show heifers and attend every show with our little sister. It has turned into a family affair as we all have our assigned jobs. Between the washing, grooming, training, and feeding, there is enough to do to keep all five of us busy. For me personally, I cannot think of a single activity that brings an entire family together like that of owning and operating a cattle business.

Katlyn's brother fitting a calf on show day

Katlyn's sister at the Illinois state fair

Everything I have learned on the farm has helped me get to where I am at today as a young professional. I was able to utilize my upbringing and spend a summer working as a farm radio broadcaster as well as spending some time in Colorado teaching horseback riding lessons. Currently, my job has taken me off the farm, although I am still connected as I write content for agricultural websites. I have learned that not everything goes according to plan, but sometimes it is when you think everything is falling apart that something awesome happens. It will be exciting to see how what I do today, both on and off the farm, will impact the rest of my life.

Thanks Katlyn for the great feature! You can follow along with Katlyn on her blog, facebook page, twitter account and on pinterest. 

If you or someone you know should be our next "Face of Agriculture", please contact us! We need your story today!

Hog Wild with Jo Windmann the Bacon Blogger

Today we welcome Jo Windmann of the Bacon Blogger who shares about her 26,000 head family swine farm and how she is trying to change the stereotype of her industry by sharing her life through social media. 

Hidden amongst the corn and soybean fields of mid-Missouri you will find a farm family that is simply hog wild about farming—particularly the swine side of farming. My name is Jo Windmann and I created The Bacon Blogger as a way to shed some much needed light on modern pig farming and to share my family’s story to anyone and everyone willing to listen. With the help of my husband, Aaron, we try to keep the posts and videos rolling so that everyone can learn more about farming straight from the hog’s mouth. It is important to us to not only tell people about the who, what, when, where, and why of hog farming but to show them as well through both pictures and videos. Along with our blog we also have a YouTube channel called BaconCam where you can see what we do for yourself.

We are part of Cin-Way, LLC, a family owned and family operated pig farm that has been fortunate to expand enough to support not one, not two, but four separate households. The farm consists of Aaron’s entire family. He works with his parents, brother, sister, and their spouses. I help on the farm when I can but I don’t work on the farm. Turns out I don’t have the muscles for it but if I keep eating my Wheaties maybe someday……no, probably not even then. I’ll stick to playing with the little pigs and writing about the farm.

As a family, we raise around 26,000 pigs over the course of a single year in specially designed, climate controlled barns. That is a lot of snouts; however, despite our numbers we are adamant about individualized care for our pigs. It takes more time and a lot of creativity but we care enough to put in the extra effort. We are in the barns every single day and go through every single pen so we can closely look at all the pigs—even on weekends because the farm never closes or takes off for holidays. These barns also help us take better care of our pigs. The barns have heaters throughout so they are toasty warm in the winter and sprinklers and fans to keep them cool in the summer. Our pigs didn’t even notice the 100 plus degree weather or the drought in Missouri. They had fresh water and a cool breeze all summer long. Not only do they stay comfortable but there is a special monitoring system that ensures the temperature stays within a “comfort zone” and the water and feed are always flowing so they never go without. While we can’t be in the barns 24/7 we are on call 24/7 because something is amiss then we are notified via cell phone so that we can fix the problem as quickly as possible—day or night. We also work closely with animal experts and veterinarians to make sure we are taking the best care of our little piggies and are always on the lookout for ways to improve.

While we sometimes do get little piggies, we do not have any sows or nursing piglets because we only have finisher barns. This means that we only get pigs after they have been weaned off of their mother’s milk and are eating solid food. Depending on availability and which farm they come from, we get pigs as little as 12 pounds or as big as 50 pounds. We then raise them until they are market weight and ready to feed thousands of people. This is a process that is very near and dear to our hearts because the Windmann family has been doing it for generations.

The great thing about farming is how diverse it is and the options that are available to both farmers and consumers. Our family had outside “dirt hogs” for many, many years but in our area and our personal situation it just wasn’t working for us and after generations of having pigs we gave them up. Then, an opportunity came and we were able to keep raising pigs and go from barely supporting one household to supporting four. This was huge for our family’s business and it allowed us to keep the farm not only surviving but thriving. We understand that our way of farming doesn’t work for everyone but that is what’s so great about agriculture—there is no one “right way” to do it. 

There are other perks to our family farm. We get to raise our kids on the farm because we literally farm our backyard. We live where the pigs live…well, not right in the barns but we are in the same general vicinity. Not only that but our kids get to help raise their own food which is unique to farming and is an amazing opportunity to teach respect and responsibility while building an appreciation for just what it takes to put food on the table. Our kids get to experience and be a part of the entire process from start to finish and they are already #agproud for all you tweeps out there.

Along with caring for our kids alongside our pigs we are also caring for our environment. I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed or thought about it before but pigs poop. I don’t mean a little squat here and there but I’m talking some serious dung. But we do something really cool with it (yes, I’m saying crap is cool and no I am not mentally insane…as far as you know). We use the poop as a natural fertilizer that not only rebuilds the top soil but it is also a great example of how old can become new. Farmers for generations used manure as fertilizer and here we are still doing it today but we have slightly different application techniques.

We have an amazingly accurate system that literally knifes the manure directly into the ground so that all the nutrients stay right where we need them. Because we test the soil and test the manure regularly we know exactly how much nutrients we have in the manure and how much of that we need to add to our soil. We are also cutting down significantly on the odor because this system covers the poop after it plops. Our natural fertilizer also reduces our use of chemical-based fertilizers like anhydrous ammonia and it is renewable because pigs aren’t going to stop pooping anytime soon. This really is an amazing system and I encourage you to watch The Scoop on Pig Poop to see for yourself.

While I could talk about farming and pooping (not me, gross! the pigs) all day long I’m sure you are anxious to check out all the fun stuff on The Bacon Blogger and BaconCam. Please feel free to ask any questions or share any concerns you may have about pig farming. You can contact me through my blog, Facebook, or twitter. Be sure the show that you’re Hog Wild by liking The Bacon Blogger on Facebook too. Thank you so much for learning about farming and I look forward to future conversations whether you’re hog wild or just wild about hogs. I even love to hear from you if you just want to tell me I’m crazy. From our farm to your fork keep the pork sizzlin’ and your family salivatin’.

Thanks for the fantastic feature Jo! If you want to learn more about hog farming and Jo's operation visit her blog, her youtube site, or twitter. Remember, to keep this blog going and the stories flowing, we need you to contribute! No need to have a blog or be involved in social media, we just want to share stories of those in agriculture. Contact us today if you or someone you know is interested!