Literally born during planting season, Tera Baker understands the difficulty of “getting away.”
Yet, she wouldn’t have it any other way: Agriculture is life, and life is always sweeter when you can involve your 3-year-old daughter, Violet.
That’s her farm plan, anyway, and part of the reason why the Bakers are always adding on to the farm, always taking on new jobs, always … growing. Her hard work was recently recognized by the Michigan Farm Bureau with the Excellence in Agriculture Award, which honors young farmers for their involvement in agriculture, leadership abilities, and participation in Farm Bureau.
“As we build our farm business, we're always trying to add pieces to it that can get her involved while thinking about the structure of the business so that it is sustainable for another generation,” said Baker, who serves as Promotion and Education chair for Berrien County Farm Bureau.
“Something new that we introduced this year — because she’s becoming so active — is a U-pick flower patch and pumpkin business.”
Something new is always top of mind for Baker, who, alongside husband Shawn and parents, owns a cash-cropping farm and precision agriculture dealership.
“This is all so that (Violet) could really get involved by helping to plant, helping to harvest, and talking to customers who would come to the farm,” added Baker, who also works for Nedap Livestock Management as a marketing manager.
Nedap is a global leader in automated dairy and swine herd management technology.
“It's been really fun to add pieces to our family business that she can be involved in and proud of,” added Baker, who grew up on her family’s dairy and crop farm in Southwest Michigan and was active in 4-H and FFA. Baker also earned a Bachelor of Science degree in agri-business management from Michigan State University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Central Michigan University.
“(Nedap’s) mantra is to create technology for life,” she told Michigan Farm News.
“So, in the dairy business, we do that to improve life on the farm — for the people, for animals, and for the bottom line of the business.”
That includes using artificial-intelligent camera systems on dairy farms that monitor cows 24/7, according to Baker, “signaling to the farmer when she needs an intervention for hoof care.”
“People always need to eat,” Baker continued. “And as the world population expands, there's an increasing need for farmers who are thinking from a futuristic standpoint, not what were yesterday's practices, but what … five and 10 years from now the practices need to be.”
Baker credits Farm Bureau’s Young Farmer program, specifically Discussion Meets, for developing her leadership skills and love of agriculture. She said young farmers should always promote and advocate for agriculture.
“We all know it's a vastly shrinking population that has any sort of tie or understanding about farming,” she said.
“Farming is, for me, a passion, and it's a bit of a calling to do right by the land, right by the plants, right by the animals and right by the people involved. It's something you can really be proud to tell your neighbor that you do, and you can be proud to share the bounty of your harvest and your work with your community.”
Learn more about Tera Baker in the video above.