I was so honored to be chosen to be a featured guest on the Rural Redefined Instagram account earlier this week. Rural Redefined is an account all about empowering rural women, so I was really excited to share a little about my story.
I thought it might be fun to share those same posts here.
I’m a New Mexico farm kid turned agricultural lawyer! I grew up super involved in 4-H and FFA, including judging and showing. I got my ag business farm and ranch management degree at Oklahoma State (Go Pokes!) and my law degree from the University of New Mexico. I now live in the Texas Panhandle and serve as the statewide Agriculture Law Specialist for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. We raise cattle, sheep, and kids here in the Panhandle of Texas! We are heavily involved in my family’s show lamb business (Dowell Show Lambs). I have found this lifestyle to be a perfect complement to my day job as an ag lawyer for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, because let me tell you, I’ve always got some real-life examples to share! I always thought being a farm kid was my favorite thing…until I got to raise farm kids of my own. Braun and Harper are 13 months apart and our little Texas tornadoes! They love animals and tractors and anything involving water and dirt. The best parenting advice I’ve received is to “say yes more than you say no,” and I really try to live by that! My family has been involved in agriculture for generations. My grandparents bought the farm I grew up on in the 1950s. When my Gran was suddenly widowed at 45 with two boys to raise a job in town, everyone told her to sell the farm. She didn’t, and now I’m proud that my kids are the 4th generation to ride horses in these pastures. One of my favorite things about being involved in a family farm and show lamb business is how close it has kept our family. We talk almost daily about everything from sheep breeding plans to how much we need to feed a certain lamb. That’s been a real gift!My husband and I both have agriculture in our blood. Last year, we made our first land purchase and it has been such a dream to watch our cows……and kids in this pasture! I credit 4-H and FFA with much of my career success. I do not think there is a better way to raise successful adults. I also don’t think there is a better champion for a kid than a good ag teacher.One more piece of parenting advice…get one of these power wheels trucks. My kids have put at least 200,000 miles on ours and love it! Plus, it can be helpful in getting animals fed too. I love running and do most of my training on these dirt roads! The lake is one of my very favorite places. Ironically, we irrigate our fields with water from this same lake! If you know anyone interested in ag law who wants some advice, send them my way. I am so grateful for the people who helped me learn the ropes and am happy to do the same for others. My husband and I went to Canada (Lake Louise) on our honeymoon…but stopped to look at cattle on the way! I gave the city life a try one summer in San Francisco where I worked at a major law firm. As much fun as it was and as much as I love San Francisco, I knew it wasn’t for me and headed back to rural America! Travel is one of my favorite things and can’t choose my favorite country, but this white water rafting experience in Costa Rica is high on the list of craziest adventures.Getting to travel the country & speak to rural landowners and producers really is my dream job. If you’re into agricultural law, I author the Texas Agriculture Law Blog and host the Ag Law in the Field Podcast. To keep up with Tiffany and her family, follow @alwaysafarmkid and check out her personal blog where she writes about her life at alwaysafarmkid.com
Always a Farm Kid 