Every little girl secretly aspires to be like her mom.

We all look up to her amazing ability to fix any injury, wash laundry, chauffeur kids to and from practices and put supper on the table every day without going insane.

If you grew up on a farm, however, you look up to your mom in a completely different way.

My mom and I, Summer 2008

Farm mom’s are the hardest working people out there.

Not only do they manage the duties of a normal mom but they also have a farm to care for. Sometimes this means my mom is responsible for nearly 100 living breathing beings!

First there’s the obvious responsibility: children.

As a mother of five, my mom somehow managed all of our schedules and made sure we were all able to participate in whatever activities we wanted to. Currently, this means 4-H, FFA, soccer, marching band, basketball, school musical, story hour and church youth activities!

Then there’s taking care of five kids on the farm.

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My roommate, Molly, has been running for as long as I can remember.

Molly braved the rain to run her first mini-marathon.

In middle school, Molly began running cross country to stay in shape for basketball.

Now a senior in college, Molly set a new goal: run a mini-marathon in under 2 hours.

In January, Molly began chasing her dream. She began a 10 week training program to prepare herself to run the 13.1 miles of the Kentucky Derby Festival Mini-Marathon in April.

Of course, mini-marathon training meant running…a lot of running.

Just as important, though, was a specific change in Molly’s diet.

To prepare for her race, Molly increased her intake of meat, specifically beef.

Molly knew that she needed more protein in her diet since she was greatly increasing her physical activity and trying to build muscle.

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Being recently engaged, I’ve been fighting the same battle every bride-to-be does: weight loss.

Apparently, having a ring on your left hand gives people the permission to inquire as to your weight.

What many people don’t realize, however, is that I have a blood sugar disorder called reactive hypoglycemia.

Basically, I have lower blood sugar than the normal person. When my blood sugar drops, it drops drastically causing a headache, hot flashes, mood swings and dizziness.

To prevent these symptoms, I am on a strict diet. My diet is similar to that of a diabetic, I can’t eat super sugary foods or drink non-diet soft drinks. I eat a snack every two hours to keep my blood sugar level constant.

As with most things in my life, my eating schedule is always subject to change due to random farm happenings.

When my eating does get off schedule and the symptoms hit, my family, fiance and best friends don’t think much about it. Usually, they just back off and let either my mom or Aaron handle it.

Every now and then, however, someone will offer their advice.

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As a journalism student, my school week is full of interviewing sources.

Recently, however, the tables have turned and I’ve been the one getting interviewed!

Its definitely a strange feeling being the one answering questions but I’ve had a blast visiting with a couple of great agriculture media groups over the past month.

My first interview was with my long time twitter friend @KySheepandGoat ‘s Ray Bowman.

I was Ray’s guest on the Sheep and Goat Radio Hour discussing my experiences as a 4-H and FFA alumna, a college agriculture student and an agriculture advocate.

You can check out the archived podcast here.

Last week, I had the chance to chat with @TruffleMedia about winning the College Aggies Online program.

This was my first chance to really get to know the Truffle Media folks outside of AgChat so I’m really looking forward to meeting with them again at Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit next week in Washington D.C.

The archive of that podcast can be accessed here.

Thanks to both of these awesome agriculture media groups for taking the time to visit with me. I definitely enjoyed the role reversal.

In the WKU Agriculture Department they’re known as the “Back House Boys.”

This lofty title originates from the fact that the WKU Farm Beef Unit employees live in the house that is, literally, in the back of the farm. (Original, huh?)

The Back House Boys (l-r) Nathan, Seth & Josh

The day to day job of a Beef Unit employee is basically same as that of any beef producer.

The boys wake up early, make sure all the cattle are fed and healthy and handle any situation that is out of the ordinary.

Unlike many beef producers, however, these young men balance their farm responsibilities with a full course load on campus.

As if they aren’t already busy enough, they came to our rescue yesterday for the Kentucky Beef Council’s “Meat Your Neighbor” Tour in Bowling Green.

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Have you ever thought about how many meanings there are for the word “shoot“?

Its not the most common thought to cross your mind, but around here, there’s so much shooting going on that we’re struggling to keep it all straight!

First, there’s shooting video for my upcoming Farm to Fork story.

I’m really excited about this piece because its the first time I’m using video to tell a major story.

My goal is to take the viewer on the same journey their beef products do: from when the calf is born to processing to the grocery store to their dinner plate.

I’ve been so lucky to work with some very cooperative Kentucky beef producers who are letting me and my video camera have free reign on their farms. I can’t wait to share the finished product with you!

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On April 22, people around the world will take time out of their day to think about environmental stewardship.

For American farmers, however, everyday is Earth Day.

Share your story as a farmer and everyday environmentalist like Ky Beef Council's Molly Beeler did with a radio message.

Farmers know that a healthy earth will yield healthy food.

They work tirelessly to ensure that their animals and crops are not hurting the environment, but are an asset to it.

In fact, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, the entire U.S. agricultural sector accounts for only 6.4% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

As an agriculture community, we work together to care for the earth 365 days a year.

The question is: do consumers know this?

When was the last time you told your friends about your farm’s environmentally friendly practices? Have you ever referred to yourself as a “environmental steward”?

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Life’s been so crazy these past few weeks that I forgot to share some exciting news: WKU Block and Bridle Club was named the top group in the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s College Aggies Online program!

I was so excited when I received a congratulatory email/press release from the Animal Ag Alliance on April 2 informing me that not only had our club won the contest but that I had won the high individual award!

When the final scores were posted, WKU Block and Bridle members tallied a total score of 5,312 points…over 2,400 points ahead of the second place team.

The club will receive a $750 scholarship for their efforts and a trip for one representative to attend the Alliance’s Stakeholders Summit, April 28-29 in Washington, D.C. As high individual, I am honored to receive a $250 scholarship and to serve as club representative to the Summit.

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For Block & Bridle members, its quite possibly the greatest week of the year.

My fiance Aaron was named Reserve Champion Dairy Showman

Marked with cookouts, farm chores and the spirit of competition, Little North American Week is a chance for WKU students to escape campus and celebrate their love for livestock showmanship.

The annual Little North American (LNA) Livestock Showmanship Contest is a 34 year tradition at WKU.

LNA is named after the North American International Livestock Exposition, the world’s largest livestock expo held in Louisville.

The livestock showmanship contest is a tradition among Block & Bridle clubs across the country; some still going by their original name “Little I,” named after the International Livestock Expo which no longer exists.

Showmanship experience is not required for LNA participation.

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If you’ve ever read my blog you know how much I love 4-H.

I credit 4-H livestock judging and showing programs for making me the person I am today. 4-H helped me develop the skills I now use to stick up for farmers and tell their stories.

I was heartbroken to learn this morning that this inspiring organization is now supporting the very people who would love to put my farm out of business and put an end to livestock exhibition: The Humane Society of the United States.

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