Not the Farmer's Daughter

Riding my horse Daisy

Hello to all you FFT readers! My name is Cheyanne Evans and I’m new to the Food For Thought scene. I am currently a sophomore at K-State in Animal Science & Industry with a focus in production management. However, my true passion is with the swine industry. By now I’m sure most of you caught that I didn’t grow up farming by the title of the post. I grew up in a very small town about an hour north of Manhattan. I didn’t have farm animals to and take care of growing up, but what I did have was a passion for animals and a love for the earth. Then when I was a freshman in high school my family bought two horses and a farm and that when everything changed for me. I got involved with 4-H (showing horses)  and FFA and started helping with the local farmers around me to experience what it was like to be a farmer. Some people think you have to be raised to be a farmer or that you have to till dirt and plant seeds or maybe we all have cows but that’s not completely true. I hope I help show you that anyone can get involved and can be a farmer if they want to.



Holding a grower hog

Growing up I had dogs and cats which I loved, but I always wanted horses, cows, and every other farm animal you can name. Living in town, it wasn’t easy to have all these animals.  We also had a large garden that we would grow different kinds of vegetables that we would eat or can all summer long. This was not enough for me though, so I begged and pleaded with my parents to buy a horse, but they did the next best thing. They bought a small farm house on a little two acre patch and two ponies for me. I was in seventh heaven. Later we expanded our farm, we got chickens, ducks and pygmy goats. This is when all the real chores of having a farm kicked in I had to get up early every morning and go out and feed all of these animals before I ate breakfast and sometimes before the sun had come up along with getting ready for school. We may not have had cows or even crops to worry about but taking care of any kind of animal is time consuming. Fast forwarding to the bigger step toward becoming the farmer I always wanted to be, after high school I started dating a hog farmer’s son and this was a huge change from the farm I lived on with my family.

Feeding the pigs marshmallows

Hog farming is messy and sometimes smelly work, but it is so rewarding in its own ways. For me, the reward was watching piglets that were coming from the nursery to the finishing building and watching them grow and become adult pigs. I will tell you being a hog farmer isn’t an easy job. You work very hard to keep your stock healthy and growing like they should, and then you send them to be harvested to feed people around the country. It seems like you work so hard for nothing, but when you look at the bigger picture you realize it is something . You just helped feed a family or kids at school. That’s something, you helped a bigger cause! This is where I found my calling, I could raise animals that I loved to help people not go hungry. Many people think farmers look at their livestock as something to make a profit and that they don’t care otherwise, but it’s deeper than that. They love these animals and it’s a way of life but it’s never easy when you have an animal that is sick or injured. On the lighter side if you think you want to work with agriculture in anyway go for it. Find a local farmer that’s willing to let you spend a couple days on the farm see what they do, how they do it and why do it. Be ready to put your hand in the dirt and get dirty because it’s and experience that you will remember for the rest of your life.

Thanks for reading!
Cheyenne

New Member Profile: Tonia Traas

Hey all!  My name is Tonia Traas and I am currently a second-year veterinary student at Kansas State University.

I am originally from a small town in Wisconsin called Waunakee, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from UW-Madison. Although I didn’t grow up in a farming family, I worked on a dairy during my undergrad years, and have always been passionate about the agriculture industry.

Moving to Kansas has only fueled my passion for the beef industry and keeps me motivated to become a mixed animal practitioner in a rural area. There is no place I would rather be than with my arm in a cow :) 

I am excited to be able to be a part of Food for Thought and use my own voice to make a difference in agriculture and how people view the field that we are so passionate about! 

-Tonia

New Member Alert - Kiah Gourley

We have some fresh faces around Food For Thought these days - we held a membership drive in August and September and have some great new minds who are excited about agriculture among our ranks! Periodically, you'll see their bios here so that you can get to know them. This post is about new member Kiah Gourley, a sophomore majoring in Animal Science here at K-State.

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 Hi, I am Kiah Gourley.  I am from Philomath, Oregon.  I grew up raising pigs and showing livestock in 4-H.  I am excited to be in Food For Thought because it gives me a chance to learn how to talk to the consumer about where our food comes from. I want to get involved so I can hear from very inspirational people, and fellow peers on how to present agriculture in a positive way. I would love the opportunity to take these ideas back to the west coast, and put them into action.

Upson Lecture with Secretary Dale Rodman Tonight!

Tonight is the night!

 

Tonight we welcome Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Dale Rodman to Kansas State University. Secretary Rodman will be speaking on the topic of Kansas Agriculture in 2025 in the Main Ballroom in the Student Union at 7 pm. Many factors affecting agriculture and food production will be discussed and Rodman will answer questions following the lecture.

 

If you are unable to make the lecture, be sure to follow along using the #ULSRodman hashtag on Twitter. Updates will also be posted to Facebook and you can also follow the @fftgroup Twitter handle.

 

We are looking forward to an informative lecture that will shed light on the challenges that lie ahead for Kansas agriculture. Don't miss out!

 

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~



New Member Alert - Lacey Robinson

We have some fresh faces around Food For Thought these days - we held a membership drive in August and September and have some great new minds who are excited about agriculture among our ranks! Periodically, you'll see their bios here so that you can get to know them. This post is about new member Lacey Robinson, a student at the College of Veterinary Medicine here at K-State.

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I am currently a first-year student at Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine with aspirations of someday serving rural Kansas as a food animal veterinarian. For the past year I have lived on a farm near Olsburg, Kansas where we raise Angus cattle, grain and hay.

My passion has always been rooted in all aspects of production animal agriculture and the well-being of those animals which we rely on for survival and enjoyment. For generations my family has been devoted to livestock production (beef cattle, hogs, sheep, horses) and the way of life it represents.

Food For Thought is a great way to bridge the gap in communication between interested consumers and livestock producers like myself. We are proud of the tasty, wholesome food we bring to your table and enjoy sharing the miraculous story of how it gets there! This blog is a welcome opportunity to take part in dialog regarding current issues in agriculture and the future of our food supply. I look forward to contributing to this worthy cause and hearing what’s on your mind.

New Member Alert - Kyra Mathis

We have some fresh faces around Food For Thought these days - we held a membership drive in August and September and have some great new minds who are excited about agriculture among our ranks! Periodically, you'll see their bios here so that you can get to know them. This post is about new member Kyra Mathis, a student at the College of Agriculture here at K-State.

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I am a freshmen in Food Science and Industry at Kansas State University.   I’m from the suburb of Saint Charles, Missouri (Just outside Saint Louis) where I was born and raised. I have grown up always having an interest in food, where it comes from, and how it gets on my plate. I’m very excited as to what is in my future as I progress through my college experience and the new knowledge I will gain.

New Member Alert - Alex Moran

We have some fresh faces around Food For Thought these days - we held a membership drive in August and September and have some great new minds who are excited about agriculture among our ranks! Periodically, you'll see their bios here so that you can get to know them. This post is about new member Alex Moran, a first year student at the College of Veterinary Medicine here at K-State.

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Hi guys! My name is Alex Moran and I’m a first year veterinary medical student here at Kansas State University.  I’m originally from Hays, Kansas and have spent the past three years as an undergrad at K-State studying animal science.  After I’m done with what seems like a ridiculous about of schooling, I want to own a mixed animal practice in Kansas (even though cats and dogs are my true loves).  The past few years, I’ve been very involved with my sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma, and working for K-State’s New Student Services.  Other than that I really love spending time with the people I love, country music, a good book, rain, Kansas, and most importantly my cat, Bear.  I do not have an extensive agriculture background, other than growing up in Western Kansas and a farming brother-in-law.  I do, however, know just how vital agriculture is to each and every person in the world.   I am excited to grow in my knowledge this year in Food for Thought and I look forward to sharing that experience with all of you throughout the year :)

New Member Alert -- Nicole Born

We have some fresh faces around Food For Thought these days - we held a membership drive in August and September and have some great new minds who are excited about agriculture among our ranks! Periodically, you'll see their bios here so that you can get to know them. This post is about new member Nicole Born, a student at the College of Veterinary Medicine here at K-State.

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I am Nicole Born.  I’m originally from a small family farm located just northeast of Topeka, KS where we raise Polled Hereford cattle and dairy and meat goats.  I have a BS in Agriculture from K-State and I’m currently a sophomore in the College of Veterinary Medicine.  Those that knew me in undergrad would know me as Nicole Rosencutter, but I got married to Jonathan Born, another College of Ag grad, in July 2011.  I am very excited to get involved with Food For Thought!  Agriculture has been, is, and will always be my passion.  I have always been involved in the agricultural industry through our family farm and staying involved in many ag activities throughout undergrad and vet school.  A few years ago, I had the opportunity for training through the National Beef Ambassador program with Trent Loos.  At that event, he had us practice “grace under fire”, rapid questioning regarding the agriculture industry.  Since that time, I have had an even stronger passion for being an advocate for agriculture and I’ve had the opportunity to inform others about the industry through various activities and within my vet school class.  After graduating, I plan to practice in a mixed animal practice in a rural community, probably around Lebo, KS, where my husband’s family farm is located.  I am so excited to get involved with this group to strengthen my knowledge of current events in agriculture, further practice my communication skills, and spread the word about this amazing industry on our campus and beyond!

Hold That Date!

Wrong kind of date....

I'm talking about marking your calendars for the Fall 2012 Upson Lecture Series.

November 5 at 7 pm in Union Ballroom in K-State Student Union

We're not able to reveal the speaker juuuuuuust yet but we'll have more details in a week or so. For now you need to mark that date in your calendar as a definite event to attend.

We can tell you that this fall's speaker will be addressing a hot topic in the ag industry and will attract a very diverse audience. You'll not want to miss this presentation!

Check back regularly for more details regarding the Fall 2012 ULS Speaker!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~