Lorilee Schultz, 2005
Iowa State University
I graduated in 2007 with majors in agricultural business and economics, and minors in animal science and journalism. Since then, I've been managing my grandparents' dairy, Mil-R-Mor Farm, in Orangeville, Ill. We milk about 140 cows and focus on developing profitable cow families that can classify Excellent, breed back consistently and achieve high lifetime production records. Last year, I spearheaded a 50th Anniversary Sale for our farm that averaged $3,925 on 79 lots and drew a crowd of over 500 people. I am also proud to have bred the heifer that was recently named Honorable Mention Junior Champion at both the Mid-West Spring National Red and White and Holstein Shows.
I am actively involved in our district Holstein Association and currently serve as the treasurer. Starting this summer, I will also be the new Young Leaders Co-Chair for our county farm bureau. I am a graduate of the Young Dairy Leaders Institute and the Illinois Ag Leaders of Tomorrow program.
My internship at Hoard's was one of the most enjoyable jobs I've ever had. I got to work with some truly outstanding people and appreciated the collaborative nature of the job. Everyone had their area of expertise and level of experience, yet we all had an opportunity to make comments and suggestions before an article was published. This allowed us to create the best possible finished product, and I think this lesson in teamwork translates well to any other career.
I also enjoyed researching topics or reading technical papers and then presenting that information in a way that made it useful to readers. I still use this skill today, whether it is in developing an ad for our farm or giving a presentation about dairy farming to a local community group.
I still love to write and would probably be in a communications-related career today if there wasn't something I love more - dairy farming. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to be part of my family's farm and play a role in preserving and expanding our farm's legacy into the future.
