My Experience
Professionally, my background is in risk management, financial analysis, and succession planning. I have always worked in the agricultural industry directly with farmers helping them with their commodity marketing and finances.
Kansas State University, Farm Financial Analyst (2014-Present, 2008-2010)
I help farm families with the financial management of their businesses. My role is to help farm families to understand their financial position better. Sometimes this is to work with the family and their lender in a difficult financial situation. Other times, it is to consider how expansion or bringing the younger generation back to the farm will affect the farm financially. I have co-taught three different educational series on Farm Finance, Risk Management, and Land Leasing.
Loewen & Associates, Commodity Broker (2011-2015)
Helping farmers to execute their risk management plan to sell their commodities.
Cargill (1997-2007)
I worked for the Grain Division for Cargill in Washington, Kansas City, and Topeka. My early years were spent in Washington State learning how to manage a grain elevator. We shipped wheat down the Columbia River by barge to be offloaded onto ships in Portland. When I moved to Kansas, my role was buying grain directly from farmers. In the later years, I earned my Series 3 and 30 commodity brokerage licenses and worked in a commodity marketing advisory role with territory from Hamburg, Iowa to Hutchinson, Kansas.
Farming
My husband and I live on a third-generation family farm, and farm with my in-laws and brother-in-law. My husband and I grow crops between Topeka and Lawrence. On our farm, I am responsible for the risk and financial management. My professional experience has lent well to skills I am able to incorporate into our farm. I am primarily responsible for marketing our crops and managing the timing of moving the grain. I also manage the finances from creating financial statements, working with our lender, and managing the details.
Education
Bachelor of Science, Agriculture Business,
Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Other Skills and Qualifications
Trinity Lutheran Church
I recently completed terms on the Audit & Nominating Committees. Over the years I have served in many ways: Church Board, Treasurer, Financial Committee, Personnel Committee, Alter Guild, Sunday School Teacher, and more.
American Soybean Association, Conservation Champion
In 2016, our farm was selected to receive the national recognition as the American Soybean Association Conservation Legacy Award. Continue to serve as a Conservation Champion for the American Soybean Association and consult with how conservation practices might be adopted across farms and how policies need to reflect individual farm needs.
In 2014, on behalf of the United States Soybean Export Council, I traveled to Beijing, China to meet with groups to talk about how American farmers grow soybeans. At that time, about 35% of US soybeans were exported to China.
In 2014, with the United Soybean Board, I traveled to Panama and Ecuador. The purpose of this trip was to gain a greater understanding of how US soybeans are shipped through the Panama Canal, and we met with Ecuadoran merchants who buy US soybeans. Ecuador has a large aquaculture industry and use US soy in their feed.
Grantville 4-H Club
We are actively involved in our local and county 4-H. I have served as a Cloverbud Leader for our club as well as a project leader for several years. My husband is the Plant Science County Superintendent and I help him with this at the fair. Like many 4-H leaders and families, we volunteer and support numerous activities and programs throughout the year.
Women Managing the Farm, Executive Board & Sponsorship Chair
2024 is the 20th anniversary for the Women Managing the Farm Conference. Frontier Farm Credit was instrumental in launching this educational annual conference in the early years and continues to support it with people and finance. I have been on the Partner and Planning Committees for over 10 years. I have presented at the conference numerous times on the topics of farm finance and risk management.
CommonGround
CommonGround is an organization that was formed as a response to show the public where their food comes from and showcase that around 95% farms are family farms. I have been a volunteer since 2011. In the past, I did several national media interviews and large-scale events. In recent years, I have volunteered locally with Yoga on the Farm and reading agriculture books to elementary classrooms. CommonGround is supported through checkoff dollars through Kansas Soybean and the National Corn Growers Association.
Perry Lecompton Site Councils
Over the years I have served on the District, Elementary, and Middle School Site Councils.
Deer Creek Limestone Formation Community Trust, Trustee & Treasurer
This is a local community trust that our family are charter members. I serve as a Trustee and Treasurer.