Christy Achen
Utah State university
Christy Achen served as the 30th Hoard’s Dairyman summer editorial intern. As part of our team, Christy contributed weekly to our HD Notebook blog, compiled the top 50 dairy co-ops list, helped prepare the 2018 World Dairy Expo supplement, wrote the Farm Flash page, and prepared other articles for the magazine based on farm visits and meetings she attended. Christy comes to us from Lakin, Kan.
After graduating from Warner High School in Warner, S.D., Christy pursued further education at Utah State University in Logan, Utah. She graduated with a major in agricultural communications and journalism.
The Achen family currently milks 3,000 cows. They have mostly Holsteins, plus a few Brown Swiss, Milking Shorthorns, and Jerseys. They also raise calves and heifers on their feedlot in western Kansas.
On campus, Christy was active with the Utah State Dairy Club, served as president. She was a member of the Dairy Challenge team. She was also a member of the Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow organization. In addition, she produced and hosted a podcast called “Chewing the Fat” on the university’s radio station. Her work experience included a role as program producer for Utah Public Radio. She was also a research assistant, working with graduate students at the school’s ruminant nutrition lab. In addition, she works on her family’s farm when she is home. One day, she would also like to own a dairy or work on her family’s farm, creating an educational learning experience for visitors.
