Beth & Isabella Foltz: Appreciating Agriculture Opportunities Twice As Much, Together

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The members of the Foltz family have a lot in common, but twin sisters Beth and Isabella share things with an unmatched connection. The sisters grew up on their family’s cow-calf farm near Sedgewickville in #Agri-Ready Designated Bollinger County. Their childhood home, where their grandfather and mother were also raised, was built by their great-grandfather. The duo attends the University of Missouri-Columbia and appreciate their shared agricultural experience.

Choosing Veterinary Studies

Beth and Isabella are sophomore animal science students participating in an Ag Scholar Program through the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR). This program helps serve as a springboard for admission to the College of Veterinary Medicine. The sisters plan to become large animal veterinarians, and their lifetime partnership may continue to prove advantageous. The sisters work so well together that they regularly complete each other’s sentences in conversation.

“Ag Scholars is for rural kids…” started Beth, “…with large animal backgrounds,” Isabella continued. “For a long time we never considered veterinary studies until we were at State FFA Convention our senior year,” Isabella started. “But then,” Beth continued, “our FFA advisor signed us up for a tour of the large animal portion of the vet school at Mizzou. And it just clicked. It made sense.”

“Yeah. I love cows and I wanted a career…” Isabella started. Beth joined in, “…in agriculture. That was a sure thing. But we hadn’t quite locked down what we wanted to do.”  Isabella continued, “It made sense because I knew I wanted to do something agricultural and hopefully animal related, I just didn’t know what yet, and having that tour made it look like a real option.” Beth finished, “I was into ag business, and I was so sure, but after she had decided to become a vet, I thought that that sounded way better.”

Experiencing the New Century Farmer Conference

Beth and Isabella were both selected to participate in the New Century Farmer Conference this past summer, hosted by the National FFA Organization. The event welcomed an elite group of FFA members aged 18-24 from across the United States to Des Moines, Iowa to learn from each other and industry experts, discussing the topics and issues affecting agriculture today. Beth and Isabella heard from guest speakers on topics ranging from farm finances to farm succession and toured agribusiness facilities to explore the latest in agriculture technology from mechanics to crop science. They interacted with young agriculture professionals that have launched their careers in the agriculture industry just like they plan to do. And besides getting to visit Iowa for the first time, Beth and Isabella agreed that the most impactful part of the conference was getting to develop vision statements for their intended agricultural careers. The New Century Farmer Conference was an excellent opportunity that helped them to grow personally. 

“The big thing they had us do was dig deep into the ‘whys’ of why we’re doing things,” Isabella shared, “…and how we are going to do them,” Beth finished. 

Isabella continued, “Why do you want to be in agriculture? Specifically, for us, why do you want to be a vet? How are you going to achieve your dreams?” Beth broke in, “What are you going to do to make it a reality?” Isabella jumped back in, “And then we broke everything down into chunks of what we wanted to do in our career choices. What makes you want to do this…” Beth continued, “…and can you manage it on your own? Are you ready for this? The questions made you really think about it.”

“We would start with one question and keep asking why to get to the deep root answer. We really dug deep,” started Isabella. Beth finished, “…into the why and the how of your dream.” “And then we talked about different struggles that we all face. Unique struggles for distinct aspects of agriculture and struggles that we all face,” Isabella started, “…and how we aren’t alone in our similar problems,” Beth finished. “It was a connective experience for all of us,” Isabella said. “We got to talk about agriculture in an open, communicative space. I heard people my age bond over agriculture.” 

Sharing Uniqueness 

Beth and Isabella are excited to receive their American FFA Degrees together this October. While they appreciate enjoying so many opportunities in synchrony, unique details define their personal identities. Beth is left-handed and loves pink. She enjoys music, which she expressed by playing the saxophone in high school marching band. Meanwhile, right-handed Isabella detests pink, preferring blue. She has always enjoyed rocks and geology, which is advantageous since they are so plentiful at home in Bollinger County. Beth and Isabella are the youngest of six children. Their parents are Jim and Traci Foltz. The family are members of Missouri Farm Bureau, a partner of Missouri Farmers Care.

Agri-Ready Designated Bollinger County

Bollinger County is one of 74 Agri-Ready Designated Counties in Missouri. Agri-Ready Designated Counties embrace agricultural opportunity, literacy, and economic development. The Agri-Ready County Designation program connects counties with Missouri Farmers Care to encourage and protect agriculture and secure it as a thriving component in our state’s economic future. Missouri Farmers Care is a joint effort by Missouri’s farming and agriculture community to stand together for the men and women who provide the food and jobs on which our communities depend.