Women play a vital role on the farms we have here in Wisconsin. They’re more than a “farmer’s wife” or “farmer’s daughter,” they’re the HR department, the milkers, feeders, managers, nutritionists, and some are the herdsmen and owners like Katy Schultz. She and her siblings, Kari and Nick bought the family farm in Fox Lake from their parents in 2008, which is now called Tri-Fecta Farms.
Katy and her siblings were born and raised on the farm helping their parents, Keven and Cheryl with day-to-day chores. “Growing up on a farm, I had the opportunity to see the hard work and the dedication that was necessary for a farm to be successful,” Katy said. In high school, she was involved in FFA, then went on to college where she earned a degree in Agriculture Business, and joined the ag industry at a nutrition company, but ultimately ended up back on the farm.
She mentioned that while she was off the farm, she realized that her passion was back at the farm working with her family. Katy then took over the Herd Manager role on the farm. “I love being able to see the entire circle of life here,” Katy explained, “From seeing a calf born to that heifer growing up and becoming a mature cow, and her being able to milk alongside her mom and her grandma.” She said that’s one of the most rewarding things about the dairy farm.
Katy spoke about the fact that there’s a shift happening in agriculture and more women are becoming a part of ag organizations, pursuing ag degrees, and ultimately playing major roles in farms all over the place. She said that it’s exciting to have more women entering to agriculture field, but there’s an importance in having both men and women in the industry. “We have a tendency to have different strengths that help make the business better with both.”
For example, Katy said that on their farm, she excels at the compassion aspect of taking care of the animals, while her brother has other strengths that are also needed to make the farm a success.
She advises farmers to tell their own story before someone else tells it for them. “Don’t let the media portray your family farm as something that it’s not. You need to be the loudest voice out there,” Katy said. She brought up the fact that you know your farm and your family better than anyone else does. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to share what you have to say with the public eye. “Be proud of where you’re coming from,” she said.
Katy said that it’s especially important for the ag industry to have a loud voice these days because by the end of this year we’re looking at only about 1.7% of people being a part of agriculture. Some of the biggest issues the public needs to be aware of is where their food’s coming from, who’s growing and producing it, and we want them to know that they can trust those in charge of the food on their dinner table.
If you have an interest in agriculture, Katy advises that you make sure that it’s a passion of yours. It’s very hard work, it’s a tough business, but it’s worth it. “Being a part of agriculture is extremely, extremely beneficial…if you have the passion, the desire, and the drive to want to nurture animals, take care of the land, the environment, your animals, and the people around you, then agriculture is for sure the industry you should go into,” Katy said. She stated that one of the coolest things is to know that you’re feeding America and the world.
You can listen to the full interview with Katy right here.
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