I love agriculture and family. This short five-word sentence perfectly sums up everything in my life that I care about. I was born the first year my family, who was relatively small at the time, moved to our farm south of Seneca Kansas. I have lived on that farm for 18 years and I have loved every second of it. We raise corn and soybeans along with multiple other businesses that my Dad has started over the years.
Earlier when I said that my family was relatively small it was because at that time it was just me, and my three older sisters: Maggie, Hanna, and Ashley. Since then I have gained four more younger siblings: Josh, Natalie, Grace, and Isaac. Our family is extremely close to one another and we do everything together, which is surprising for a family of 10. We always enjoy a big Sunday breakfast together. I always love family gatherings with our cousins because there were always plenty of people to make teams.
Growing up with eight siblings was never easy. I have shared a room with my brother for 18 years. I learned to share everything and never had anything that was just mine. However, when I had to share a room with someone I created a bond that I don’t have with anyone else, which is nice because someone always had my back. I remember spending hours playing outside and making forts out in the forest by our house. It was also fun driving around on the four-wheeler. This love of the outdoors is one of the many reasons I love farming.
Growing up on the farm was one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me. I remember going to the shop every day to help with whatever was going on, this mainly consisted of grabbing tools and picking up dropped nuts and bolts. This may sound boring to many people, but it was a blast for me and shaped me into the person I am today. I love being the one working on the equipment and being able to operate it.
Today I work for Hammes Family Farms and also do work for Hammes Seed and Agsynergy. During the spring and summer, I help with planting and spraying. This consists of pulling the planter and running chemical reloads to the sprayers that we have running around the county. During the fall, I help running the combine after school and on the weekends and also running the grain cart when needed. Fall is my favorite season because getting the grain out of the fields is always fun and many memories are made every year. Finally in the winter I enjoy cleaning the equipment we use all year and rebuilding planters.
Agriculture has also played a large role in my school career as well. I have been in the National FFA Organization since freshman year and have been an officer for the past two years. My junior year I decided to run for an officer position and was elected to be the vice president, after having that role for a year I decided I wanted more of a challenge and responsibility. My senior year I ran to be the president of the organization and was elected. This role has taught me many things about what it takes to be a leader and how to run a successful chapter.
After high school, I plan to attend Kansas State University and major in agribusiness. I have wanted to go to K-State ever since I was young. My family has always had season tickets and it was always fun to go watch the football games, and I loved the feel of the town. I also believe that with a degree in agribusiness, I will be able to come back and help grow our farm and other companies.