2025 Board of Directors Elections

Age: 42

Farming Operation

Amanda and her husband raise about 2,000 acres of corn and soybeans, background and finish cattle and have over 8,000 trees in their apple and peach orchard. Their on-farm agritourism market, Mulberry Orchard and commercial kitchen are key to the produce operation and a growing asset to their community.

Education

University of Kentucky, B.S. in Agriculture Economics with a minor in Business

Board Experience

• Farm Credit Mid-America Advocate Council, 2020 to present
• Farm Credit Mid-America Growing Forward Committee, 2018-2019
• Kentucky Farm Bureau, past Young Farmer Advisory Committee member, past Generation Bridge Chair and Board Member
• Kentucky State Horticulture Society, Treasurer, 2014 to present
• Leadership Shelby, past participant
• Shelby County Chamber, past President and Board member
• Shelby County Extension Phase I Board, 2024 to present
• Shelby County Farm Bureau Womens’ Committee, 2009 to present
• Shelby County Farm Bureau, Director, 2008 to present
• Shelby County Farm Bureau, Treasurer, 2025 to present
• Traditional Bank Advocacy Board, 2024 to present

Community and Industry Involvement

• American Soybean Association, past Corteva Young Leader Program
• Kentucky Soybean Association
• Kentucky State Horticulture Society
• Serenity Center Food Bank
• Shelby County 4-H volunteer

Biographical Information

I was born and raised in Shelby County and have a strong family background in agriculture with four generations of farmers before me. I graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture with a major in Ag. Economics and a minor in business.

After 7 years in lending at a local bank, I left my career in 2012 to return to the farm full time. My husband and I started our own farming operation after college raising row crops, burley tobacco and beef cattle. We’ve continued to rent additional farms to increase corn and soybean acres over the years and have moved from a cow-calf operation to backgrounding cattle. We also finish over 30 cattle each year for retail beef through our market. As challenges with the burley tobacco market continued to rise, we wanted to find a niche market that could replace tobacco over time. The first fruit trees were planted in 2010 and we now have over 8,000 apple & peach trees, along with raising vegetables, berries, and melons to sell in the on-farm market. Over 20 Kentucky Proud vendors sell their products at Mulberry Orchard where the focus is on local foods, letting the community experience agriculture, and educating the public on where their food comes from. We have two children, Nick (15) and Abby (12), who enjoy helping out in all parts of the operation.

Why do you want to serve on the Farm Credit Mid-America Board?

Farm Credit Mid-America has been a part of our farming story since day one and continues to be a big part of our operation. They took a chance on us, a young couple, fresh out of college, wanting to plant a couple thousand fruit trees and build a farm market. I’ve seen how they can think outside of the box and how they partner with the Farm Service Agency. I’ve been through the Growing Forward program and seen how much they pour into young and beginning farmers. Through the Advocate Council I’ve gotten to see how they continue to follow their mission and support all aspects of agriculture. I want to give back to an organization that has given so much to my operation and countless others with similar stories. I feel like my operation’s diversity adds a unique insight that would be beneficial to the Board.