Oh, the places agriculture goes

“Oh, the Places You’ll Go,” as said by Dr. Seuss, is a constant reminder for me that wherever I go, the agricultural industry follows.

Something that very few people know about me is that I shared a birthday with renowned children’s author Dr. Seuss, and coincidentally, my favorite book as a child was “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” Now, you may be thinking, “How does this relate to your experience in the agricultural industry?” But it applies more than you would think.

Growing up in a small, rural community in Indiana, raising beef cattle, I had a minimal idea of what my future would hold for me, but oh, how my world would change as I showed up at Iowa State University to receive a bachelor’s degree. When I was young, I thought that to be part of animal agriculture I had to be a veterinarian, but through countless conversations with mentors and changing my major about three times, I soon found that there are several ways to be involved. Through those trials and tribulations, however, one constant remained: the sense of community I find within agriculture.

At my elementary, middle school and high school graduations, the book “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” was read to me by school administrators, and each time I seemed to get something different out of it. In elementary school, I thought it meant that I’d take fun vacations. In middle school, I thought it meant I needed to prepare myself for high school. It wasn’t until my senior year of high school that I thought it could mean more. I pondered the possibilities that I would have upon arriving at Iowa State University and soon found out that because of the agricultural community that has been built on campus, they would be endless.

Now, there is no doubt that on campus, there are several communities you can be part of, and the agricultural communities alone can be difficult to navigate. In my first year of college, I was encouraged by my family members to go through recruitment for Sigma Alpha, a professional agricultural sorority, and eventually found a home there. Another unexpected place where I found a sense of community was in student government. Most people would not assume that there would be a place for agriculture there. However, a significant number of fellow student senators have majors within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences or grew up directly involved in the agriculture industry. I’ve also had the opportunity to find a community within various internships, including my time with Midwest Dairy as a corporate communications intern. All have been linked to agriculture in some way.

Now, there’s no doubt that agriculture has been an integral part of my life, but without a sense of community, I would not have been able to get to the place I am now. Change within this industry is inevitable so I’ve learned to embrace it. But the one thing that I’ve held as a constant is community, and I encourage you to do the same. So go and explore, as said in Dr. Suess’ “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” “You’re off to great places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so… get on your way!”

Don’t forget your community along the way, and if you do, we’ll find our way back to you.