Become A-FAN Blog
Discussions regarding farming and ranching in Nebraska
My daughter came home one night last summer and announced that she did not want to be the student manager and practice with the Cross Country team as a 6th grader when school started in the fall. I then asked her if she was planning to play club volleyball instead. When she responded with a resounding, “NO”, I looked at her and said: “Sweetheart, your last name is Burkholder. Burkholders are involved and we participate. You can make the decision as to which sport you would like to do, but you are going to contribute to one of the teams.”
My daughter not only had a fabulous time participating in Cross Country this fall, but she also proved to be a tremendous runner finishing a middle school 1 mile race in 6 minutes flat and taking second place. It was truly a joy for me to watch her confidence build as she became a member of the team.
As a cattle farmer, I spend most of my time working independently with my animals or with one of my feed yard crew members. This is the work that I love, and it is my primary focus. That being said, I am also a member of the team of cattlemen across Nebraska and nationally that works to improve animal care, beef safety, and other issues pertaining to raising cattle. In support of the team, I give my time and my talents. In return, I also receive the latest scientific and regulatory updates that affect my cattle farm.
I spent time last week at the Nebraska Cattlemen’s Annual Convention. As a team, we discussed issues such as cattle health, environmental regulations, taxes, brand inspection laws, and educational issues relative to the University of Nebraska and its animal science outreach extension programs. We also received an update on national issues from Colin Woodall who leads the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Governmental Affairs in Washington D.C.
It is always a sacrifice for me to leave my farm and attend meetings, but I am always so glad that I did because it is such an important part of my own personal continuing education. I learn both how to improve my farm and also to be in compliance with state and federal regulations. Being a part of the team has allowed me to meet some of the best beef farmers and scientists in the country. In addition, I find that my “beef industry” work and involvement continually challenges me to strive for excellence in the everyday operations of my farm.
Perhaps most importantly, I find that the team camaraderie provides support for me, and allows for the growth of both personal knowledge and confidence. I am very thankful that I am a participator (just like my daughter), and hope that my work for the beef team helps to continually improve the industry that I love so much.
Anne Burkholder's Bio
A native of urban Palm Beach County, Florida; I was an athlete fueled by beef for many years before I understood “where my beef came from”.
I spent my junior high and high school years juggling school and training five hours a day as a competitive swimmer and distance runner. Backstroke and Cross Country running were my respective specialties. In the spring of 1993 I graduated Salutatorian from Cardinal Newman High School with two state Cross Country Championships, a couple of second place state finishes in the Backstroke, and several trips to the USS Junior National Swimming Championships.
Looking for a “different” life experience in college, I turned down swimming scholarships and headed to the Ivy League. I arrived at Dartmouth College in the fall of 1993 “a jock”, and I am proud to say that I graduated Cum Laude– having successfully made the transition from jock to intellectual. My parents questioned the practicality of my psychology major, but I have always had a tremendous interest in the way that the brain works. Animal psychology particularly fascinated me and this is an interest that I continue to actively pursue today as the caregiver for thousands of animals.
Although I cannot even begin to describe all of the wonderful experiences that Dartmouth College granted me, meeting a farm boy from Nebraska tops the list. I met my husband Matt only two months after arriving in Hanover, New Hampshire and I knew the moment that our eyes met that my life had changed forever. We were married in June of 1996 and spent one more year in Hanover before making the move back “home” to Nebraska where Matt’s family owned and operated a diversified farm business.
Two days after receiving my B.A. in Psychology from Dartmouth College, I put on my blue jeans and went to work at the cattle feedyard. Although my years as a “city kid” left me with little preparation for working in the cattle business, my years of disciplined athletic training gave me both the mental and physical toughness that I needed to learn to care for cattle and work with Mother Nature. Right from the beginning, I found tremendous satisfaction from the knowledge that I was not only working hard to care for animals, but I was literally ‘feeding the world’.
Fourteen years later, I am the “boss lady” of the cattle feedyard and still spend my days in blue jeans and boots. In 2009, I was awarded the Beef Quality Assurance Producer of the Year Award for the volunteer work that I do promoting beef farmer education in cattle care (animal welfare), and food safety. I am the current Chairman of the Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance Advisory Committee, the Vice Chairman of the Cattle Health and Wellbeing Committee for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, and am an avid advocate for the cattle industry. I greet each day’s challenges with a smile knowing that I am using the gifts and talents that were bestowed upon me to both improve the welfare of the United States cattle herd and the safety of the beef that they produce.
We are a “family farm”, and Matt and I love the personal responsibility that our children learn from taking care of our land and our animals. We are blessed with three daughters: Ashley Grace (11), Megan (9), and Karyn (6). In addition to farm chores, our kids are busy with school, sports and other activities in our community.
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