CommonGround Iowa

Jill grew up on her family’s farm in northwest Iowa, where they raised row crops, alfalfa, cattle and hogs. She met her husband, Roger, while working as a bookkeeper at the local grain elevator in her hometown.  After receiving her bachelor’s degree in accounting, Jill and Roger, along with their son, returned back to the same land that Jill’s mother and father farmed where they raise row crops, feed 700 head of cattle and oversee a 90-head cow/calf operation.

Jill stayed at home to help on the farm when she went to work for VeraSun Energy in Hartley, Iowa, as the assistant grain buyer. Her responsibilities on the farm still include bottle feeding calves and fieldwork. Jill joined the CommonGround™ Iowa program as a volunteer in 2011 and feels that it serves as an excellent way for the farming community to reach out to consumers to talk about food and farming. Her hobbies include spending time with her family, photography, traveling, scrapbooking and outdoor activities.

Twitter: @iafarmmom
Blog: Corn Fields and Tractor Wheels

Right up until meeting her husband, Sara always seemed to be on “the outskirts” of farming. She grew up in a rural farming community in south-central Nebraska. Her parents were in the insurance business and educated her early on about the importance of farmers and crops. After high school, Sara went on to get her bachelor’s degree in marketing and accepted a job with Rural Community Insurance Services as their trade show consultant. She calls the Commodity Classic ag industry event her favorite, and it is no mystery as to why. She met her husband, Kevin, there in 2006.  Kevin serves as the president of the Iowa Corn Growers Association, where he also serves on the National Corn Growers Association’s Ethanol committee and on the board of directors for the Western Iowa Energy biodiesel plant in Wall Lake, Iowa. Together, Kevin and Sara represent the sixth generation to farm the land that they live on outside of Minden, Iowa, where they raise 600 acres of corn, soybeans, hay, pasture ground and approximately 75 head of cattle. They had their first child in 2010, and Sara is officially no longer on “the outskirts.” She dived right into the 24/7 job of being a farmer, helping out when needed with chores such as hauling soybeans and grain out of the field in a tractor or helping to deliver a calf in frigid January temperatures.

Both Kevin and Sara take their roles as farmers seriously, which led Sara to join CommonGround Iowa as a volunteer in 2011. Sara uses her blog to share her everyday life on the farm with anyone wanting more information about how their food gets to the table. In addition to her roles as farm wife, mother and volunteer, Sara went to work for her dad in the family business in 2008 as the marketing manager for The Home Agency, an independent insurance agency that specializes in crop insurance. In her spare time, Sara’s hobbies include traveling, photography, snow skiing, crafts, hunting and reading.

Twitter: @sarashousehd
Blog: Sara’s House HD
YouTube: Sara’s House HD

Suzanne and her husband, Joe, farm on the same land that her ancestors started farming 133 years ago in Farmersburg, Iowa. They raise soybeans and corn for both food and fuel in addition to managing a Pioneer Hi-Bred seed dealership and a seed-treatment business. As parents to their three sons and the sixth generation to be farming that family land, the Shirbroun’s are extremely mindful of protecting the environment and ensuring the land is improved for future generations.

Suzanne’s responsibilities on the farm vary according to the season. In the spring, she will be found in the seed warehouse helping customers pick up and treat their soybean seed. In the summer, she spends her time in their seed office doing inventory, invoicing and government reports as well as scouting fields for pests, insects and diseases and trouble-shooting crop issues that arise. During the fall, she runs their weigh wagon, takes turns in the tractor running the auger cart, takes soil samples and makes lunch for their employees.  In winter, she returns to paperwork, continuing education training, Pioneer customer meetings, and catching up on anything that did not get accomplished throughout the year. With all of these tasks on her list and three young boys to raise, Suzanne’s free time is limited, but she will sneak in some time to read a few pages of the latest fiction novel or do some scrapbooking when time allows here and there.

Suzanne joined the CommonGround™ Iowa program because she believes that the United States is fortunate to have natural resources and farmers to produce safe, economical, quality food for the world. She wants to share her knowledge with consumers.

Blog: Suzanne’s Common Ground

While you may not see Emily working in her family’s corn and soybean fields each day, she definitely takes on an important job in the farming operation. Emily serves as the chief meal planner, grocery shopper and food and kid delivery person. In addition, Emily manages the farm financials and works in town at a law office. Emily says she likes to get to the heart of the matter quickly and efficiently and also likes to better understand the way people feel and think. Sounds like Emily would be a great person to talk to about food and farming.

Katie met Bart in college. He and his family raised turkeys and row crops. It wasn’t long before Katie and Bart married and started their own turkey farm. In 2009, they purchased new barns that include a brooder site and two finisher sites. A brooder site is a safe, dry place where young turkeys spend the first weeks of their lives. A finisher barn is a place where turkeys can grow to market weight. The Olthoff family raises up to three flocks of turkeys at a time, each at different stages. Each flock consists of 20,000 birds. With that many birds, Katie and Bart employ a crew to help unload the young turkeys and move them from barn to barn. Since helping her husband on the farm, Katie has become aware of the need to help inform people about the life of a farmer and the business of family farming. In addition, she says she loves the chance to connect with people who eat the turkeys her family grows.

Twitter: @katieolthoff
Facebook: On The Banks of Squaw Creek
Blog: On The Banks of Squaw Creek
You Tube: MrsOlthoff’s Channel

Stephanie and her husband graduated from Iowa State University with degrees in Agricultural Business. Stephanie puts that degree to good use every day on the farm. Working alongside her father, she is the fourth generation to produce corn and soybeans on her home farm.  Stephanie says she loves her job because each day is different. She plants seed, harvests crops, hauls grain or bales hay. She says her main goal while serving as a CommonGround volunteer is to provide urban consumers a chance to see where their food comes from and to trust the farmers who grow it. Stephanie’s other interests include boating, biking and snowmobiling with her family.

Twitter: @IAFarmLife
Facebook: Life on an Iowa Farm
Blog: Iowa Farm Life