Calving and Harvest Favorite Times for Sharon Portenier

A fourth-generation farmer in her family, Sharon Portenier was raised near Guide Rock, Nebraska. "I loved it growing up, even though I didn't get to run the tractor as much as I would have liked since I had brothers," she said. After marrying her husband Kif, they relocated to the Harvard farm that had been in his family for nearly 100 years. Other than a brief clerical stint filling in for a friend on maternity leave, Sharon has always worked on the farm. She handles the bookkeeping as well as helping with calving and harvest. On top of all that, she does laundry, cleans house, prepares meals and does the yard work. The mother of four daughters, Sharon has instilled a strong work ethic in her children.

"We're a family farm and we always made sure our girls understood that it takes the entire family to make it work," said Sharon. "The calves needed to be fed before they could go to the basketball game; there were things to do before we could move onto the fun stuff." At the same time, Sharon knows that her girls were able to have a life filled with great memories. "The girls got to take lunch out to the field to their dad and grandpa. We used to go camping out in the pasture where we had a pond stocked with fish. And I was there to see them off to school and pick them up at the school bus almost every day," she said. "We were able to make the afternoon school programs and athletic events."

As third-oldest daughter Jessie returns to the farm, Sharon appreciates having the additional help, especially with the cattle operation. "Owning livestock is a daily commitment. If you want to take a short vacation, you just can't take 350 cows to then kennel to have someone else take care of them," Sharon said. Calving starts in February and Nebraska's severe winter weather is typically a challenge to the newborn calves. "There have been many times that my husband and I will just stay in the pickup on a cold, wintry night and drive around every half hour or so to see if there's a new baby calf out there somewhere," she said. "If it's wet and cold, it's vital that you scoop them up and get them to the barn where they can be warm and dry to avoid getting sick. "That's another great benefit of having Jessie around--to help during this very busy time of year."

Like her daughter, Sharon is committed to providing the best care for the cattle they raise, while also understanding that some animals are raised for food, "You certainly get attached to the animals, but yet you're distanced from them," Sharon said. "They're on our farm for a purpose--to put meat on people's tables." Calving and harvest are Sharon's two favorite times of year. "Calving because we get to see those little babies being born and that new life is so good," she said. "And harvest because you get to reap the benefits of an entire year's work."

Farm Women Ascend to Leadership Positions in Corn Organizations

Farm women are taking their place with their male counterparts to lead the corn industry in times of challenge and opportunity. A few examples include:

Debbie Borg, an Allen, Nebraska farmer, was appointed as District 4 director on the Nebraska Corn Board in 2013. She serves as chair of the Nebraska Corn Board's research committee and is a member of the Grower Services Action Team of the National Corn Growers Association. She also served as a director on the Nebraska Soybean Association for 9 years. "Farmers--both men and women--need to use their skill set to show the nation and the world how we care about our land, our livestock and our crops, and the people we are producing food, fiber, and fuel for," Debbie said. "According to credible statistics, women account for almost 85 percent of consumer spending in our country. Just by virtue of our gender, that means women in agriculture have a natural connection to the consumer, which gives us an urgent mission to share the positive story of agriculture in the consumer marketplace."

Deb Gangwish, a Shelton, Nebraska farmer, is the first woman in the Nebraska Corn Growers Association to be appointed to the board of directors since the organization was formed in 1972. Deb is a member of the current LEAD class and has recently challenged herself to becoming an even more active and involved advocate for agriculture in Nebraska. "I'm very excited to be engaged in agriculture at this level and I look forward to working with my fellow board members and other ag advocates to create opportunities for Nebraska's corn farmers," she said.

Pam Johnson, a Floyd, Iowa farmer, served as the first female president of the National Corn Growers Association during 2012-13. In that capacity she became the chief national spokesperson for America's corn farmers, testifying at Congressional hearings and representing the corn industry on national councils, organizations and initiatives. Prior to becoming NCGA president, Pam held a number of leadership and committee positions at the state and national levels.

Working Off the Farm, But Still in Agriculture

Being a woman in agriculture can extend well beyond the farm itself. Sisters-in-law Jana and Becky Jobman are a great example. Jana Jobman is an ag loan officer with 1st State Bank of Gothenburg. Becky Jobman sells pivot irrigation systems for Landmark Water at its Lexington location. Jana's husband David and Becky's husband Andy are brothers and fifth-generation farmers in Gothenburg, Nebraska. Becky grew up on a small corn and soybean farm in Thayer County. Her parents moved to Nebraska from the East Coast to farm when Becky was an infant. Jana was raised on a six-generation cow-calf ranch on the edge of the Nebraska Sandhills near Arnold, living "the cowboy lifestyle" she says.

Becky started working for John Deere while in college and continued full-time after graduating with a degree in agricultural engineering. She also married Andy the year she graduated. During their first nine months as newlyweds, her career took her to Iowa and Kansas. She commuted back and forth on weekends as Andy farmed and operated his agronomic consulting business in Gothenburg. When the opportunity arose for Becky to move back to central Nebraska to work for a local John Deere dealership, she jumped at it.

Jana graduated form the University of Nebraska with a degree in agricultural banking and finance. After working for an Omaha-based bank for a time, her employer agreed to allow her to live and work from home in Gothenburg after she married David. She recently joined 1st State Bank and now works out of the bank offices. Jana enjoys the wide range of agricultural clients she serves--from feedlots to pork operations, from grain elevators to ethanol plants, from ag retailers to individual farming operations. "I love being involved in and keeping a finger on the pulse on the entire industry," she said. "People in agriculture are honest, trustworthy, real people--and I've always appreciated that." In her new position, Jana will also work with community business owners. "Gothenburg is a progressive town that truly understands the meaning of 'community', she said. "I really look forward to being even more involved in our community and contributing to its success."

Some farmers have initially been skeptical of working with a woman to purchase a new pivot irrigation system, but Becky has established credibility thanks to her education in college and on the job. "You don't have to act like you know everything. If you're open-minded and like to learn, you'll succeed," Becky said. "That's been especially important to me as a woman in a nontraditional role." Their off-the-farm responsibilities still allow some time for Jana and Becky to help on the family farm as needed--irrigating, moving cattle, driving a grain cart during harvest or shuffling vehicles from one place to another. Their day jobs also help them contribute to the success of their family farms. "Our entire family is really good at coming together and listening to each other when it comes to making a big purchase or setting direction for the operation," Jana said. "My financial background and insight on the industry as a whole are beneficial when we're making big decisions of this nature."

Jana and Becky believe that there are great careers in agriculture for women, both on and off the farm. "Even a woman who doesn't want to be directly involved in the the agricultural field can still engage with farmers through careers in banking, insurance, healthcare, or law." Jana added. "If it's the right company, they will totally support you regardless of gender," Becky added. "If you're a good fit for the job and you work diligently at it, then it will be a good experience for you. The biggest thing is to stay flexible and know what your unique skills and talents are."

Harvard Family Welcomes Fifth-Generation Daughter Back to the Farm

As a young girl growing up on a farm near Harvard, Nebraska, Jessie Portenier Ruppert didn't get to enjoy extended family vacations with her parents and three sisters. A camping trip meant sleeping out under the stars in the pasture and fishing in the farm pond. Attending a high school basketball game was only possible if the cattle were fed first. So after what some would view as a "deprived" childhood, why would this young woman decide to return to the family farm after graduating from college--to manage her own herd of cattle? Because she loves it. "You could just see her passion as a young girl. Whether it was running the tractor or working calves, she was just a natural," said Jessie's mother, Sharon. "It's just been kind of a given that Jessie was going to be our farmer." Jessie is the fifth generation in their family to become a farmer. She began her college career as a criminal justice major, but soon realized that her heart was in agriculture while working part-time at a feedlot during college. "I love being outdoors and just couldn't see myself being in an office with a lot of people," Jessie said. "Just being around cattle comforts me."

After enrolling in the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture (NCTA) in Curtis, Jessie's dad, Kif, presented her with the opportunity to buy a small herd of cows following graduation. Because of her hands-on experience of working with cattle, many of Jessie's college classes at NCTA were a review of what she already knew. "But I was especially grateful for the business classes that taught me how to create spreadsheets to manage cash flow and set up record keeping for my cows," she said.

In addition to the farm near Harvard, the Portenier family has a ranch near Elwood, Nebraska. Jessie's cattle, as well as those owned by her father, are located there from early spring until after corn harvest. "During the summer, I spend most of my time at the ranch caring for the cows and calves--checking their health, getting them mineral to supplement the nutrition in their forage nutrition, and so forth." While Jessie is focused primarily on the beef side of the family operation, she's also always ready to step up when her parents need help with the crops--taking seed to the field during planting, putting out irrigation pipe, and hauling grain. The corn crop is a critical component in the family's beef business. Having both crops and cattle helps diversify the family operation. During the winter months, the cattle are transported from the Elwood ranch to the farm near Harvard to graze on cornstalks. This is also where calving takes place in February.

Jessie has a special place in her heart for cattle, but she points out that they are not companion animals like the cats and dogs on the farm. "We care for and love the cattle we raise, but it's important to understand that we are in this to raise beef. That's the way we've chosen to generate the income we need to provide for ourselves," Jessie said. Jessie has learned that the business aspects of beef production are critical to success. "Marketing is perhaps the most important thing a corn producer or cattle producer needs to understand," Jessie said. "I sold cattle for the first time last year when the market was at an all-time high, so that was exciting. But I also know that won't be the case every year."

So what's it like being a young woman in what is typically thought of as a "man's world"? 

"We have definitely always been a family farm and we never really had any hired help." Jessie said. "It was just dad, mom and us four girls. Everyone in the area talked about 'Kif and his girl crew' because that's just what it was. So I've never struggled with people saying that farming is a man's job." Jessie was married this past November to a young farmer and rancher from the McCook area, and the couple is working out the details of helping both of their families with their operations that are 150 miles apart. "If you want to be able to see your husband, you need to go out and spend time with him doing what he's doing," she said. "My mom has been dad's right-hand since they've been married. That's what I watched growing up and that's what I have always wanted."

The Changing Role of Women in Nebraska Agriculture

We've all seen Grant Woods' famous "American Gothic" painting of the older farm couple, him with pitchfork in hand and her with the dour look--standing side by side in front of the small white farmhouse. That iconic image may have been accurate in its day (or not!), but today's farm couples and the family farms they operate are vastly different.

Today, farm women play a critical role in the success of a Nebraska family farm. They may work shoulder-to-shoulder with a husband or other family member on the farm--or they may be running the operation themselves. They also might have an off-the-farm job to help supplement income and insurance coverage--and in many cases, those jobs are related to agriculture.

And more and more young women are returning to Nebraska farms and ranches to raise their own families. Farm women are driving tractors and grain carts, helping deliver newborn calves, selling pivot irrigation systems, managing ag loan portfolios, and advocating on behalf of their family farms and agriculture. Nebraska farm women are continuing their family legacy--and bringing their special talents, passion and insight to their family farms and to the agricultural community.

Lost in the Food Fact Clutter?

Contrary to popular belief, straightforward answers to your farming and food questions do exist. Now, consumers can find answers in one location as a result of www.FindOurCommonGround.com.

The website has transitioned from informing audiences about the CommonGround program to providing a resource for consumers on many of the most popular food and farming topics. As CommonGround sorts through the questions and some of the misconceptions consumers may have, the program’s volunteers will provide visitors with a combination of firsthand accounts of what happens on their farms and scientific research.

The enhanced site will introduce visitors to farmer volunteers such as Nebraska’s nine volunteers. It also streamlines its focus on the top eight issues consumers ask volunteers about food. Those issues include:

• Animal Welfare
• Antibiotics
• Corporate Farms
• Food Prices

• GMO Foods
• Hormones
• Local/Organic
• Safety

From research to recipes, CommonGround volunteers hope to help visitors will find the answers to their important questions about food.

Have a question you want answered? CommonGround will not let it go unanswered. Find CommonGround Nebraska online:

• Website: www.FindOurCommonGround.com
• Blog: www.CommonGroundNebraska.com
• YouTube: CommonGroundNE
• Twitter: @CommonGroundNE
• Twitter Hashtag: #CGConvo
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/CommonGroundNebraska

CommonGround is a farmer-driven movement funded by the Nebraska Corn Board and Nebraska Soybean Board.

Thanking consumers on CommonGround

The holiday season is a time to be thankful and CommonGround volunteers are thankful for the consumers who purchase the food that their families produce on their farms.  Tuesday night, Iowa and Nebraska CommonGround volunteers came together to “Thank Consumers” at Anthony’s Steakhouse in Omaha. 

The evening offered an opportunity for moms, dads, dieticians, bloggers and friends to openly discuss facts about farming and food with the women who are helping to produce it on their family farms.  They also had the opportunity to get their nutrition and food safety questions answered by Dr. Ruth MacDonald, Department Chair of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Iowa State University. You can catch tweets from the event with the hashtag, #CommonGroundDinner.

Nutrition, food and how food is raised are hot topics right now, and the conversations that happened during dinner could have probably gone all night long.  The goal of CommonGround is to create conversations about food and farming. Between the volunteers and Dr. MacDonald, they were able to answer some great questions from everyone in attendance.

Iowa CommonGround posted some great videos of Dr. MacDonald’s response to questions like pesticide use in fruits and vegetables, hormones in our meat and the safety of GMO’s. Watch her video below or go to their YouTube page.

We are very thankful for all of the consumers that came to the event as well as CommonGround volunteers who took time out of their busy schedules to come and meet with consumers.  Farmers are truly thankful for the consumers who purchase our products at the grocery store.

We want to also thank Dr. MacDonald for taking time out of her schedule to come and answer some tough, yet pertinent questions from everyone who came to the event!

Read more about CommonGround Nebraska on their blog.

CommonGround connects Nebraska farm women, consumers in Lincoln

A couple of weeks ago, you read about CommonGround, a new program in Nebraska that is showcasing the common values and expectations between the farmers who grow the food and the consumers who purchase products at the grocery store.

CommonGround was launched in Nebraska on Saturday, February 26, at the Northern Lights HyVee grocery store in Lincoln, where the three volunteer spokeswomen, Shana Beattie from Sumner, Dawn Caldwell from Edgar, and Kristen Eggerling from Martell, shared their stories with shoppers and answered questions about today’s farming and food.

They had many great questions and comments, including, “Where do you farm?”, “Tell me about your family.”, “I’m concerned about chemicals in my food.”, “What do you think about drinking raw milk?”, “I want to support local farmers.”, and more.

All three also had the opportunity to share their story with radio listeners as KZEN 100.3 FM had a live radio remote at the store.

To learn more about the CommonGround program, go to http://www.findourcommonground.com/ or follow CommonGround on Facebook or Twitter. Find more pictures on our online Flickr album here.

Women in Agriculture

If you’re in Kearney today, watch the streets, because there are over 350 women in town dedicated to agriculture! The 25th Nebraska Women in Agriculture Conference got started yesterday with Michele Payn-Knoper, nationally-known public speaker and founder of Cause Matters, Corp, speaking about “Celebrating Agriculture”. Michele (@mpaynknoper) approached the concept of connecting women in ag with their role on the farm or ranch and how they can promote agriculture. She emphasized the importance of social media in agriculture and the role women have with this, as the largest growing population on Twitter is women over the age of 50.

There was several conversations with women about social media. Some were worried or reluctant to get started, but it was a great way to get the conversation started of using social media to promote agriculture and food production to consumers.

Women attending the conference are provided several workshop session options in agriculture ranging from communication and advocating for agriculture, managing farm records and risk with the farm business, and specifics on livestock, landscaping, computers, and health.

The Women in Agriculture program is a cooperative effort between the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension and the UNL Department of Agricultural Economics, and in-part sponsored by the Nebraska Corn Board. For more information on the program, visit the Women in Ag web site.