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So many times, farming is rooted in a family, and family farming is the root of a person. A family’s love of agriculture is passed down from one generation to the next—FarmHER Katharine Girone is the perfect example of that.
Today, Katharine is an Ag in the Classroom program coordinator for 4-H Youth Development at the University of Illinois Extension in Pekin, Illinois. She and her family also operate a fifth-generation farm in Varna, Ill.
Rooted in Ag
My visit to Katharine’s farm started with a discussion about roots, and her roots in agriculture are directly tied to her grandfather. He is the person who passed down a love of animals by teaching her to care for sheep at an early age. Katharine grew up just down the road from her Grandfather’s farm and fondly recalls the days spent and lessons learned there.
As I walked up the family farmhouse, Katharine greeted me as if we were old friends...and she wasn’t alone. Cradled in the palm of her hand and held up against her was a teeny tiny kitten that the family had recently found in need of help — this was just one hint at this young woman’s passion for animals.
Passing Down a Passion for Animals
We then joined her dad for a walk up the road to the farm. Katharine explained that while she lives off the farm, this is where she loves to be. We walked into the shed, which once was a dairy, to a flock of sheep not-so-patiently waiting to be fed. Katharine took care of the feed quickly and set out to spread some hay for the animals.
Last but definitely not least, Katharine’s mother joined us. The two women worked side-by-side to administer medicine to the lambs. They explained the varieties of sheep within the small herd and even let me try my hand at holding one! Before we were done with the sheep, we quickly walked out to the pasture to check on the sheep as Katharine explained their use of rotational grazing.
Forging HER Path in the Classroom
Our last stop of the day was the chicken house. There, Katharine explained that the chickens were not something handed down by her grandfather but rather a project she started in FFA and has kept going. The family collects eggs from the chickens, and while they use them as food, Katharine also has a unique use for the eggs! She uses them for a classroom project through her day job, teaching kids about chickens and their growth process.
Katharine is a young FarmHER with deep rootsin family, agriculture, and community—roots that she uses to spread her love of agriculture to others. Young women like Katharine are one of the keys to agriculture’s successful future, and I couldn’t be more proud to share her Rooted in Ag story.
