Hey NSR! My
name is Katie Powers and I am very excited to be the Pedigree Department Intern
this summer. We are busy in the office preparing for the upcoming shows, and I
cannot wait to attend these incredible events! Time is flying and they will be
here in no time.
Please allow
me to introduce myself. My background is diverse – I am a native of Townsend,
Delaware, and a proud alum of Oklahoma State University. I just entered the
“big kid world” on May 5th, when I graduated from OSU with my bachelors
degree in animal science with an emphasis in livestock merchandizing.
Raising
livestock and working on my family’s farm throughout my childhood fueled my
passion for the agriculture industry and still burns steady to this day. I grew
up raising and showing all four species of livestock. My first show project was
a crossbred lamb at the age of eight, and then I acquired my first show pig
project – a Duroc gilt – when I was nine. As I got older, my devotion to
showing continued to grow.
What started
as a small farm operation of commercial sheep, hogs, turkeys and steers for ‘farm
fresh’ meat sales quickly expanded to a small herd of purebred Duroc, Yorkshire
and Poland China sows, 100-head purebred flock of Dorset and Hampshire ewes,
along with a few goat and club calf projects.
Breeding and
raising my own livestock and showing at the local, state, regional and national
levels has allowed me to make many connections with industry leaders. My
brother, Will, and I have experienced much success with our projects. We were both
active in FFA and 4-H growing up and attribute many of our accomplishments to
these agricultural education organizations.
The
countless hours spent in the barn with my family taking care of livestock,
getting ready for stock shows and managing our family farm was a full-time
commitment. However, the memories made and time spent with my family,
especially with my brother, and the friends I met through showing can never be
replaced.
Growing up
in this tremendous industry has taught me countless life lessons. These lessons
truly helped me succeed in my college career, and are now helping me take on
the challenge of pursuing a career to make an impact on the livestock industry.
To our junior members, I encourage you
to appreciate the guidance and support of your mentors – ranging from parents,
ag instructors and 4-H or industry leaders – these individuals will influence
and shape your life.
I am very
excited to be part of the NSR team and look forward to what this summer will
bring. Best of luck in the upcoming shows – I look forward to meeting our breeders
and seeing all of the entries at World Pork Expo!
No comments:
Post a Comment