Imagine, you are in an elevator with someone else and you have a couple minutes to talk. What do you say? I kind of feel like that’s where I’m at here. Although I am not in an elevator. Actually, far from it.
Hi, I’m Karen and I am a dairy farm wife, dairy farm mom, a dairy cheerleader and the newly appointed Dairy Editorial Director for Farm Journal. My pride and passion for everything dairy could easily fill a barn. My past roles include working at the American Jersey Cattle Association, Swiss Valley Farms and, most recently, as a dairy freelance contributor, a role I have held for the past 12 years.
For those of you who do not know me, or don’t know me well, I hope we get to know each other better. Like many of you, I am proud to say I was born and raised on my family dairy farm. My childhood farm was in Bend, Ore., and my life turned east after I graduated from Oregon State University more than two decades ago.
My husband, Scott, and I, along with his brother and parents, own and operate a 550-cow registered Jersey dairy and farm 1,300 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat and rye in East Moline, Ill. Together, Scott and I live and work on our family dairy with our three children, Tyler, 16; Cassie, 14; and Jacob, 10, who are very much hands-on farm kids, helping with the dairy and crop side of the business. Hang out with me long enough, and you will get to know more about my life and what’s happening outside my farmhouse office window.
Someone might pause and question what my hobbies are. Answering this might be the same challenge that is presented when my husband and I go out on a date and I say we cannot talk about cows or kids. We draw a blank stare. So, the answer is, yes, we work a lot, and in our spare time, we can be found cheering on our kids at sporting events or when they are showing Jersey cows.
One more thing, before you get off the elevator, I want you to know I truly live on all sides of dairy — with my family dairy farm or as a consumer, mother and communicator. Yes, I do wear a lot of hats, but at the end of the day, I’m very much a proud dairy supporter.
So, every engagement I have here at Farm Journal, whether it is internal or external, I will have the same focus. I am committed to you, as dairy producers, and will always keep you in mind when producing content for Farm Journal. I understand your life all too well and know the challenges you face are far from easy, and far too real.
I’m excited about this new life chapter for me, here at Farm Journal, and I pledge to tell the stories that dairy farmers, such as my husband, Scott, want to read and learn about. Please feel free to reach out to me with a story idea, comments or questions. I can be reached at kbohnert@farmjournal.com or (563) 320-2895.
