We'd Like To Mention

Not everyone has a calling, and those who do don't always realize it.

I'm one of the lucky ones. I've known since my freshman year of high school that I wanted to be a journalist, which to me means telling the stories that bring us together, spark new ideas or perform a service.

More than 20 years after I found my calling, the work I do looks nothing like what my younger self had envisioned. It's infinitely superior.

I grew up in Rockton, Illinois, surrounded by corn fields, yet I knew nothing about agriculture or the thriving sector of journalism serving the industry. My father worked in banking and brokerage, my mother in marketing. He came from an immigrant family in Chicago; she was adopted. And, to my knowledge, no one on either side farmed.

My curiosity started when former President George W. Bush signed the Renewable Fuel Standard into law. I was about to begin a high-level reporting class at University of Missouri's journalism school and needed a project. I wondered: "What would this law mean for Missouri?"

That question turned my career in an entirely unexpected direction. That story eventually landed me an internship at DTN and set me on a career path covering agriculture, commodity markets and the dynamics of family business.

Before that internship, two of my professors confessed they thought I was headed to graduate school and toward a different career. I'd grown cynical about the business of newspapers and the struggles adapting to a digital environment. I didn't want to write clickbait. I wanted to write something that mattered to the reader.

Finding agriculture was like walking out of city smog and into fresh air. I'd found a place where journalism had a purpose, where my words could provide a service.

DTN sent me to farms, crop tours, field days and conferences, putting me in a position to learn about agriculture from those who practice it. I'm humbled by how honestly everyone I've met through the years has answered my questions, especially when I admitted my nonfarm background and a desire to get it right. My view of agriculture has been formed by every farmer, rancher, commodity organization, government official, banker, broker, educator and business operator I've interviewed during the last 15 years. I wouldn't be writing on this page without all the wisdom they shared with me.

Farming is one of the hardest jobs out there but also one of the most important -- feeding, fueling and clothing our rapidly changing world. Whether they recognize it or not, most farmers I've met express that farming is a calling, one that gives them a deep sense of purpose, identity and connection to something greater than themselves.

That's certainly true of the 16th class of America's Best Young Farmers & Ranchers, who are profiled on the pages of this issue. I had the pleasure of meeting them at a workshop in Texas, and I left impressed by how the calling can be similar yet the paths so different.

It's a bright reminder that while there will always be challenges in agriculture and in life, creative, purpose-driven people will always find a way. I hope you enjoy their stories and the stories yet to come.

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-- Email Katie Dehlinger at katie.dehlinger@dtn.com, or follow Katie on social platform X @KatieD_DTN

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