Sara's background
- South Dakota State University, Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Science with minors in Animal Science and Agronomy
- PQA certified (Pork Quality Assurance)
- AQHA member (American Quarter Horse Association)
Lifelong experience with animals and agriculture
Sara grew up on a hobby farm. Her family had everything from chickens, to sheep, to llamas. This means they also baled their own hay and spent a lot of time keeping up the property. She has extensive experience with pigs. Growing up, they had bottle fed pigs that her family raised for meat. She worked on various pig farms throughout her life, and she still does with her job now.
In college
While she was in college, Sara worked at various agronomy centers. She worked in the office learning what went on behind the scenes and record keeping. She also worked out in the field checking things like seed depth and scouting for weeds and insects. During the school year, she worked at SDSU’s swine research center. There, she learned how to care for pigs, learning the ins and outs of the swine industry.
After college
After college, Sara worked at a large sow farm. She cared for the sows and piglets, assisted sows during farrowing, and kept daily records.
Working now
Now, she works for an agriculture nutrition company. The company creates products that naturally help both livestock and agronomy producers get the most out of their feed and nutrient inputs. Sara works in both the barn and lab doing research to test new and existing products. In her current role, she works with broiler chickens and pheasants. She also utilizes cattle for research.
Hobbies and interests
- Raising all types of homesteading animals
- Sara has always been big in the horse world. She showed in 4H and local fun shows. She still rides for fun and at shows. She's also the president of their local saddle club.
- At her own home, she raises pygmy goats for market. She plans to start looking in to making products using goat milk.
More about Sara
Hi, I’m Sara. I live in the nice cold state of Minnesota. I grew up here and, after briefly moving away, I decided this is where I belong. I was lucky enough to grow up on a hobby farm where my sister and I were able to experience the rural way of living. We got to play in the dirt and learn the importance of respecting everyone and everything around us.
Our family comes from a farming background. My grandparents were dairy farmers, and owned a little bit of land, where they grew corn and soybeans. Though the dairy farm did not stand the test of time, we still grow and harvest row crops. Growing up, we were lucky enough to have many types of animals. Geese, ducks, chickens, goats, rabbits, cattle, you name it. For my sister and I, most of them started as pets or 4H projects, but like most livestock, they ended up as meat to feed our family.
The biggest part of our lives was our horses. We owned, trained, and showed them in 4H and other local shows. There was hardly a night you wouldn’t find us out with them. They are still a big part of my life today.
While I was in high school, I started a small herd of goats with the intention of breeding and selling the kids for 4H projects or market. I sold most of my herd when I went to college, but now I have built my herd back up and I am excited to continue to grow with them. I plan to start utilizing goat milk into my daily life through lotions and soap.
My childhood on the farm really taught me to love and appreciate agriculture
