BY CORIE LYNN
As students work their way through college, they come to understand what type of career they would like to pursue. At Fort Hays State, students study in preparation for jobs ranging from medicine to teaching.
For Zoe Schultz, a career in agriculture begins alongside her studies.
Schultz, who graduated from Colby Community College with an associate’s degree in Agriculture Business and took courses in the same field at FHSU this past fall, will attend Kansas State University this coming semester to pursue a degree in Agriculture Communications/Journalism. In the meantime, she has also worked alongside her father, Dan Schultz, on their no-till family farm growing corn, sorghum and sunflowers, among other crops.
“I have been involved on the farm since a very young age,” Schultz said, “when I started to run grain cart, tractors, check cattle and do small jobs to help my dad.” This has led her to form connections within her father’s agricultural community from a young age as well as helped her understand the struggles and rewards of the occupation.
A truck displays the Schultz Farm logo 
The top of a grain bin. 
Hopper bins used for storage on the farm. 
Schultz shows corn kernels taken from a fallen ear.
Today, this passion for farming has expanded beyond helping her family. According to Schultz, her greatest desire is for consumers to understand where their food is coming from, especially for those who aren’t familiar with all that goes into bringing food from a farm to a table.
“I switched my major from Ag[riculture] Business to Ag. Communications for that reason. I just want to be able to tell the story of rural producers, and I want rural producers to know that someone is on their team,” Schultz said.
Schultz herself comes from a long line of farmers, her father being a seed dealer and fourth-generation farmer with his farm situated only a few miles from the one he grew up on. Her mother, Joan, likewise was raised in agriculture on a farm, ranch, and dairy just south of Grinnell.
Their farm also has cover crops to hold moisture, suppress weeds, reduce soil erosion and build organic matter. Schultz believes in the benefits of cover crops as they can be found in both their irrigated and dryland fields.
According to Schultz, children who grow up in farming environments such as hers share similar experiences. The farming experience is different for her, however, because she doesn’t have any brothers wanting to be involved in the industry.
“In that aspect, it’s been a little bit different because I’ve grown into a couple different things that many girls in the area experience, too. So I think it’s important I wear that women in ag. title because there are not many,” she said.
Zoe Schultz crouches in a field of cover crops to explain their benefits. 
A building on Zoe Schultz’s grandmother’s property displaying a Schultz seed dealer sign. 
A field with hay bales. 
The view of the Schultz house and farm from atop a grain bin.
She also stated that the shared experience of farmers is a tough one. Whether it’s a student working on a family farm or a farmer whose family has lived in the area for generations, they need support. For Schultz, helping consumers understand this side of agriculture is why she continues to seek the career.
At this point as a student, Schultz does not yet know what type of role in the agricultural field she would like to take on.
“There are so many different things I want to do, it’s just kind of hard, especially in the agriculture industry,” she said. “From loan officer to seed dealer to farmer to feed yard worker, you know, there’s so many different things.”
As she explained, the agricultural industry is a diverse one, leaving her with plenty of job opportunities following college. One thing is for certain, though, she wants to bridge the gap between producer and consumer, whether through farm visits, writing or some other means, to help others come to a better understanding of what it takes to feed a world.
“I think that’s so important to hear other people’s stories,” she said.