Meet the Candidates: Charitee Seebecker - Find Your Rhythm in Agriculture

When I think of growing up on a Wisconsin dairy farm, I remember the beat of life around me. The steady rhythm of the pulsators milking our cows. I know that steady sound wasn’t just on our farm in Mauston. It's also found across the dairy state, among the 95% of Wisconsin dairy farms that are family owned.

The thump of the basketball on the court, the crack of a bat on the softball field, the crunch of gravel under my heifer’s feet and the sound of a pig settling in for a nap at the county fair. Those were the melodies of my life as I learned first-hand the work ethic and dedication of Wisconsin farmers while also learning to balance my priorities and commitments. That start helped me find my voice in life and in agriculture.

I may not have led the band, but I did lead as president and secretary in 4-H and FFA, where the pulse of my life in agriculture went from just a chorus to a song. Like farmers who work to the “beat of their own drum,” I used this dedication as my instrument to enhance my knowledge about the industry.

I wanted to no longer just be in the agriculture industry but stand for it and be a voice for our farmers. This goal led me to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville where I obtained my Agriculture Business degree with a Communications and Marketing emphasis. During my time there, I listened to the music of other’s journeys in agriculture through my involvement in the Pioneer Dairy Club, Agriculture Business Club, Ceres Women’s Agricultural Fraternity, and the National Agri-Marketing Association. These offered experiences of direct and non-direct farm involvement and enhanced my ability to share the story of Wisconsin’s farmers and processors.

After graduation, my tempo only increased as I served as an Ameri-Corps Farm to School Specialist. Creating and teaching nutrition education lessons, working with local farmers to do presentations, and bringing local food into the schools allowed me to share the diversity of Wisconsin’s $104.8 billion agriculture industry.

From working at the Wisconsin Holstein Association to now being at the Mid-West Farm Report, I have heard the cadence of Wisconsin’s farmers and what keeps them going every day. It isn’t a job, but a passion and that’s exactly why I want the next verse of my life’s song to be as Alice in Dairyland.

It would be an honor to learn from Alice’s strides in agriculture to help cultivate a positive learning environment for all to share the stories of our state’s producers and how they found their harmony in the industry.

I encourage you to reach out to farmers in your area and learn about their rhythm of finding a place in agriculture.