A Life Rooted in Agriculture with a Passion to Make a Difference

I’ve never known life outside of the agriculture industry. I grew up in southern Kentucky where tobacco and cattle are plentiful. As a young child, I pulled tobacco plants, begged to ride the tobacco setter, and bottle fed calves. As I got older, I hoed tobacco, begged not to ride the tobacco setter, and would do about anything I could to stay out of the barn when it was time to strip the tobacco. I also drove the tractor when we got up the hay bales and helped to feed the hogs and cattle. After attending college and getting married, I was fortunate to remain in my home county in Kentucky, where I was hired as the 4-H Youth Development Agent with the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service.  

For nearly 25 years, I served as the 4-H Youth Development Agent working with incredible volunteers to build a versatile, successful 4-H program. During this time, I also served as a Progressive Agriculture Safety Day (PAF Safety Day) Coordinator with the PAF Safety Day program, first as an assistant coordinator working with a neighboring county to host a joint PAF Safety Day. Later, offering the PAF Safety Day program independently in Monroe County, Kentucky.  

When the position opened with the Progressive Agriculture Foundation for the outreach specialist, my co-worker printed the job description and laid it on my desk. She said, “I don’t want to lose you, but it’s as if they wrote this job just for you. You would be so good at this.” After much consideration, I submitted my resume.

Leaving my official role in 4-H was a tough decision. However, I am enjoying the opportunity to meet PAF Safety Day Coordinators from throughout North America and feel that my years of experience can help new PAF Safety Coordinators feel more at ease when developing their first PAF Safety Day.  

I believe deeply in the vision of helping to educate our youth so that no child would become ill, injured, or die from farm, ranch, and rural activities. And spreading that safety message starts with you. If you are reading this and you aren’t involved – why? I’ll work with you through your first PAF Safety Day and you, too, can share the incredible feeling of knowing you may have made a life changing difference to a family, a community, or a child. Oftentimes, we think that a farming incident only harms the person or child injured. But sadly, that’s not the case. Families and communities are irrevocably changed when a child is critically injured or dies during a farming incident. Lives are forever altered. The education is available, the time is minimal, but the potential impact is forever. And it’s for that reason that I think this is some of the most important work there is – teaching our youth and our families how to do what they do in a safe and healthy manner – providing them with the skills and tools they need to make informed decisions regarding their families and their farms.