Thanks for dropping in! I’m Britany, The Farm Girl Next Door.
Agriculture has always been a big part of my life. I grew up on a row crop farm in Nebraska, but neither farming or a job in the agriculture industry were on my radar when I headed off to college. Sometimes though, your roots pull just hard enough to bring you back in.
I am back living in northeast Nebraska with my husband, The Farm Guy Next Door, where we farm corn, soybeans, and alfalfa and sell Pioneer seed. Outside of helping on the farm, I run the Farm Girl Next Door, am working on another entrepreneurship venture, and am a real estate broker.
What compelled me to start this blog?
- I’ve had the opportunity to work in the ag industry and gain first-hand experience helping farmers, primarily in Iowa and Nebraska, manage risk and market their grain. As I learned more and developed a love for it, I recognized the need for a good resource to break down the basics of grain marketing in a quick, easy, unbiased, and relatable format.
Most marketing sources use a lot of jargon and require a certain amount of baseline knowledge to truly comprehend the content. I would get asked questions about things like basis, the mechanics of different contract types, etc., and that’s when it occurred to me, there really wasn’t anyone I could find that was truly explaining the basics. As a solution to that problem, I created Farm Girl Next Door! - I’ve loved entrepreneurship ever since starting a cake and cupcake business in high school. I thrive on starting and building something that can make an impact, and I hope this blog does just that for you.
Why is there a focus on women in ag?
When it comes to grain marketing, many women I’ve spoken with wish they had a better understanding of grain marketing, but are unsure of where to turn. Additionally, I was discouraged by how few of women would take part in grain marketing discussions when I worked in grain origination. What I really want to is empower more women to take part in the marketing decisions.
All too often, they become uninterested and discouraged by the learning curve. And that’s where I want Farm Girl Next Door to come in and equip them with the knowledge and confidence they need to get started. Considering selling grain is your source of revenue on the farm, it’s one of the most important things for everyone on an operation to understand.
Because I’m your girl next door, you should probably know some fun facts!
- I live for a good cardio workout. I’m a certified Body Attack instructor, but we live a little too far out of town for me to teach anymore. Even though I no longer teach classes, I still get in plenty of workouts early in the AM either down in our basement workout area or outside running on the gravel roads!
- I’m a total foodie. I love trying new restaurants and experimenting with cooking and baking. Living in Omaha for several years was fantastic for the food scene. If you ever find yourself in Omaha and need restaurant recommendations–I’m your girl!
- I love to golf and briefly played at the collegiate level. These days, I try to play in as many scrambles as I can and probably (definitely) get more competitive than I should.
- I’ve always had a soft spot for Labradors, and a couple of years ago we got the best Labranese puppy, Norman! Every farm needs a good farm dog, and Norman is just that.