by Elizabeth Hodges

If you would have told me that I was going to be a junior in college and doing my dream job, I would have thought you were crazy. But here I am, and I am so thankful and blessed for this opportunity.

In February, I became the new staff writer for Farm Progress. You might find my name familiar because last summer I was on staff as the Nebraska Farmer intern, where I wrote articles on the state’s ag industry.

After the summer, I received another call asking if I would be the Husker Harvest Days intern. I immediately said “yes” and met the whole Farm Progress family. I am excited to get started and bring relevant and interesting stories to you, the producers.

Where I come from

My family’s roots run deep in agriculture. I grew up on a third-generation purebred Berkshire hog operation in Julian, Neb. My dad, Michael, is a full-time farmer overseeing our family’s Hodges Family Berkshires. My mom, Christy, works off the farm as an ag teacher and FFA advisor.

Growing up on the farm was a great experience, especially with my three younger siblings — Abigail, Andrew and Caleb — doing chores and showing hogs at the county fair. Throughout my time in the Nemaha County 4-H program and the Johnson-Brock FFA chapter, I fell in love with different aspects of the agriculture industry. Of course, pigs still had my heart.

After graduating high school, I left home and traveled northeast to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in pursuit of a degree in agricultural and environmental science communications, with the goal of bridging the ag information gap between producers and consumers.

Telling ag story

While I am passionate about storytelling, I still love livestock.

As a freshman, I took an animal science class and realized it was important to know all aspects of the industry I would be communicating about. So here I am as a double major in ag communications and animal science, with a new goal of bringing important information to both consumers and producers.

While there is a lot of coursework that requires any college student to sit in a lecture hall and take notes, I’m an aggie. I enjoy hands-on learning opportunities.

Last semester, I was part of the Meat Judging Team where I learned about the processing industry and discovered a passion for meat science. That led me to my current spot on the UNL Livestock Judging Team where I travel the Midwest and into the South, judging livestock. These eye-opening experiences offer me a broader look at the impact of agriculture on the world around me.

Ultimately, the best part — whether college, competitive livestock judging or in this new job — is being able to talk to my fellow farmers. I look forward to offering the perspective of my generation on agriculture issues and to covering stories from Nebraska, the Dakotas, Kansas and across the Great Plains. See you around!