Hello! My name is Kara Wulfekuhle. I grew up on a small cow-calf operation and was very involved with 4-H during my childhood. My sister and I showed cattle, participated in livestock and land judging, and attended many 4-H meetings. I currently work for AgCountry Farm Credit Services as a Loan Officer, and I am married to a fourth-generation farmer. My husband, Tyler, currently farms with his dad where they grow corn, soybeans, wheat, and sugar beets in the Red River Valley. Tyler and I also have a small herd of cattle which keeps us busy traveling to cattle shows. We have a 2-year-old daughter and another baby on the way.
Agricultural has always been a part of my life. It’s a part of everyone’s life whether they realize it or not! But for me, it’s a way of life and one I am very proud to be a part of. So many life lessons have been learned through agriculture. I’m confident that any farmer or rancher you meet will be passionate about what they do, and that is something that is learned through the livelihood of farming and ranching. We work hard to provide for ourselves and our families and in return, it’s extremely humbling. Farmers and ranchers don’t just do a job, they do a job well. Land and animal husbandry is a top priority for most producers, because the land and animals are what provide us a way of life. We want to do the best we can to take care of our land and animals in the same way they take care of us.
One of the biggest struggles we see in agriculture is misinformation. Working in the ag industry, I can’t imagine walking into a hospital making assumptions about a doctor’s decisions. But I’m sure they see it all the time, as do we in agriculture! It’s important to ask questions, no matter what the specialty is. Volatility is also a major struggle for any producer. We rely so much on weather, grain and livestock prices, interest rates, and input costs, all of which we have no control over. Just like any business, we have to learn to recognize and mitigate risks to make sure we can operate another year.
I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up, but I do have a love for animals and agriculture, and appreciate a job well done, so I believe as a farmer that I am right where I need to be.
We are all on the same team. We all want to provide healthy and safe food for our families. Just like any other business, there are different opinions on how to achieve the desired end product, and we live in a world where we are fortunate enough to choose the resources to get us to our desired outcome. Do your research and ask lots of questions. We certainly do as farmers and ranchers to get to our goal!
Kara is the District 3 representative on the NDFB Promotion and Education Committee.