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Ag Bite: Female Farmer and Rancher- Paige Turek Dvorak
165 Plays3 years ago
This week’s podcast guest is a 6th generation ag farmer who spends her days working on her family farm in South Haven, Kansas, Turek Farms. Paige graduated from Oklahoma State University and worked at a desk job for a year after college until she realized her heart is back at the farm. So, she quit her job and went back to farming full-time. She loves ag, farming, and ranching so much. In this episode, she shares her struggles, growth, and victories in the agricultural (ag) lifestyle. For a full episode transcript, visit our website at https://www.justinboots.com/en/kick-your-boots-up.html
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Transcript
Introduction to the Podcast
00:00:03
Speaker
You're listening to the Kick Your Boots Up podcast, where we swap stories of the West. Whether you're just waking up or getting in for the day, come on in and kick your boots
Guest Introduction and Background
00:00:12
Speaker
up. Joining me today on the Kick Your Boots Up podcast is none other than sixth generation farmer, Paige Turric-Divorek. Paige, it's so good to have you here. Our lives have gone full circle. Thank you for taking the time to
00:00:24
Speaker
To sit with us as a career woman now, you know, you and I have had a lot of history. We started, we got to know each other through college and more specifically our sorority. I was fortunate enough to be your bid. You were fortunate enough to be my little, whatever we want to call it. It was so fun and we'll never take those days for granted. So thank you for taking time out of your busy day and farm life to be here with us.
00:00:46
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. I'm glad that you asked me to be on. It's good to have connections in the right places. So I'm just excited to share my story. And speaking of your story, let's get right into
Life on the Farm and Career Decisions
00:00:58
Speaker
it. Talk to us a little bit about yourself, your background, how you got started in Ag, and basically it's all you know, so tell us about it.
00:01:04
Speaker
Yeah, it absolutely is all I know. I was born and raised on a farm here in South Central Kansas. Went to a really small school. There's like 300 people in my hometown. And I went off to call. I always had an interest in ag. Growing up, I always worked on the farm. So when I went to Oklahoma State University, I studied agribusiness and kind of stayed within the industry. Didn't know what I wanted to do yet. So I kind of kept it broad with that agribusiness degree.
00:01:31
Speaker
I graduated, worked at a desk job for a little over a year, and then decided I'd go back to the farm. And I've been at the farm for a little over a year now. And this has been my first time working on the farm full time. So that's a little bit about me.
00:01:47
Speaker
I'm so glad you threw that in there that you graduated from college you got that degree that piece of paper you became a career in for a year and then decided you wanted to come back to the farm talk to us about that a little bit because a lot of people would have thought i want to seek the freedom and go to a big city and learn what big city life is but you did and then you decided no thank you.
00:02:04
Speaker
Yeah, it's something my parents were always really big about. They never wanted us to, us being me and my sisters, never wanted us to feel like we had to form. They wanted us to do our own thing, choose our own career path. But I was always interested in the ag side. But when I graduated college, you know, my parents were like, no, you need to try something.
00:02:24
Speaker
new, try something in town, and if you don't like it, the farm will always be here. So I told myself, I'll give it a year. And if I still, you know, I'm not happy after a year at my desk job, and ultimately farming is still what I want to do, I'm going to find a way to make that happen. And so I did.
00:02:41
Speaker
And I'm so proud of you for that. And I noticed you talked about your family, your parents, more specifically a lot. Let's talk a little bit more about them. Cause even when we were in college, you overcame a challenge with your mother. Talk to us about that and how it was so hard being away from the farm, going through such a strong and hard challenge and how you guys overcame it together as a family.
Family Influence and Community Support
00:02:59
Speaker
Yeah. Um, I think it was a, it was the end of my freshman year in college and my mom was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. Um.
00:03:07
Speaker
get a little choked up about it. But as most of, well, some of you may know farming is like a really big family operation and my mom plays a huge role. My mom grew up in the city in Wichita, Kansas and knew nothing about farm life.
00:03:22
Speaker
But she, you know, brings meals to the field. She Ubers us around. She's a rural Ubers, what we call her. And so whenever she was diagnosed with breast cancer, that was hard on us because, you know, my dad's trying to run this farm that is a full-time, I mean, more than full-time business, while also trying to be at home with my mom.
00:03:41
Speaker
And I was in college trying to, you know, I wanted to be with my mom, but I also wanted to help my dad. And so it was just a lot of busy stuff while trying to balance family and everything in between. But I'm very thankful that we live in a small rural community because these people, I mean, they poured into us, brought us meals, helped us with anything that we needed. So it was awesome. We made it through, but definitely challenging.
00:04:08
Speaker
Yeah, you really did. And it was really inspiring for me just looking as an outsider too, because shout out to mom Jill. She's a fashionista, very positive. She always kept you positive. She kept her, all of her daughters positive while dealing with one of the hardest things probably in her life. But then also being that backbone for you guys, being the role Uber, being the one that brought the food. So that's so inspiring.
Farm Operations and Contributions
00:04:27
Speaker
And kind of speaking more to that, I loved how you said everyone has a role and she has a very important one too. A lot of people don't realize that when it's harvest season or calving season, or no matter what the season is,
00:04:38
Speaker
It's busy, it's time consuming and it takes all hands on deck. Talk to us about the importance of having everyone involved in it. Whenever it comes to busy season on the farm, it's madness. I'm talking, you know, I'm working 16 hour days and so are our hired hands and our family members.
00:04:57
Speaker
And everyone truly plays a huge role in that. And my dad, especially, because obviously he makes all of the decisions at the end of the day. He carries the burden financially and all of that, but also our hired hands. I don't think that hired hands get enough credit because they are spending time here on the farm. Their families are at home. Their wives are at home. And a lot of times I feel for them because, you know, it's just, it's hard. If you're, if you, if you're not raised in agriculture,
00:05:25
Speaker
Um, and you're not on the farm and you have to say goodbye to your husband and you know, it's harvest can be a month long process for us. So, um, the hired hands and the family don't get enough credit. Um, and also my mom being the farm wife, like I said, Ubering us around spending tons of money on groceries to feed a whole harvest crew. Um,
00:05:47
Speaker
And, and everything in between. So it definitely takes every single person. And if, if we see an extra person that thinks they want to help out, we'll, we'll pull them in and get them running the combine or helping us move equipment or whatever it may be. So. That's so inspiring too. And since you've mentioned Turk farms a little bit, let's kind of go into that and talk about the scope of your farm. What all you guys do. I mean, you do it all. So tell us about all of it.
00:06:12
Speaker
Yeah, so I'm actually a sixth generation former, my dad is fifth generation. He can tell you a little bit more about the history, you know, the land rush and how our family got here and the trading, the quarters and all of that to finally end up where we are. I need to learn a little bit more about the history, but essentially, essentially,
00:06:34
Speaker
My dad started when, started Turk Farms, his, his side of Turk Farms, I guess I should say, when he was in college, he helped his grandpa farm. He rented equipment, you know, really kind of started from scratch, essentially. I mean, they had some, but he definitely put in the work. When I was little, I remember my dad coming home the next morning, he would spend the night in the tractor. You know, he'd probably take a two hour nap in the tractor and then come home and
00:07:01
Speaker
do it again the next day. So a little bit about turquoise farms. We have a turquoise seed business, turquoise seed wheat business. We sell certified seed wheat, which takes up a lot of time. So we grow wheat primarily, corn, soybeans, milo, and a little bit of canola. And then we also have a cow-calf operation that keeps us real busy in the winter. And so we also
00:07:25
Speaker
um you know have a hay season we hay alfalfa and prairie hay um as well some crabgrass too and so yeah that's that's we have a lot of irons in the fire um but like i said we have a full team that makes it happen every year so we keep on rolling
00:07:43
Speaker
So you talking about all the different things that you do, it was really fun for me spending the college years with you. Learning about everything that was going on at home for you because you always kept in touch with the family, always knew what was going on. And for me, I learned a lot from you. And similarly, but yet so different from you guys. Our small cattle operation, we just grew enough hay and wheat, prairie hay to feed our own cattle operation.
Challenges and Future of Farming
00:08:05
Speaker
Whereas you guys in Kansas have taken it
00:08:07
Speaker
Big scale, you now are producers and you help provide for all of the farmers and ranchers around you. How does that make you feel knowing that you're able to be a part of something way bigger than yourself and a big picture?
00:08:19
Speaker
Um, it's a great feeling. Um, the past couple of years, you know, we don't really sell our hay, um, so to say, but the seaweed business we do well within the past few years, we've had drought. So that, that kind of cut into the hay a little bit. Um, but I think that's one of my favorite parts about working in this industry is because it truly is something bigger than ourselves.
00:08:41
Speaker
And we are able to help people. I mean, we literally, it sounds cheesy, but we are feeding the world, you know, every, every tiny little seed that we plant grows into an awesome crop, hopefully. And the cattle business, it's just.
00:08:55
Speaker
It's awesome to see everything that you put in here on the farm is exactly what you're going to get out. Obviously mother nature plays her large role in that as well, but it's just, it's unreal. I can't even put into words how awesome it is to work in an industry that is, that is just so life changing and so important for the world. Um, I know it sounds really cheesy, but honestly, that's, that's how it is. So.
00:09:21
Speaker
Hey, we're here for it. We love the cheese around here. Um, and one thing that you mentioned was the drought and we'll get to that in a second, but I remember you saying you and your sisters, you referenced them earlier in the, in the beginning part of this podcast. It's so interesting to me that your dad is a fifth generation farmer. He had three girls was probably wanting a boy. I know we always joke that you and I were raised as the boys in our family, but it's so nice and inspiring for me to see that you're going on to continue the name and the brand. What's it like for you?
00:09:48
Speaker
being a woman in the industry that's soon going to be taking over that role of running the farm on down the line one day? Lots of things with that question. I saw a question and it said, how did you grow up? The first thing that came to mind is I
00:10:05
Speaker
I grew up like a boy, like a man. My dad saw no difference between girls and boys. You were going to do the work. He didn't care who you were. He actually did mention, someone asked him one day if he wishes he had a boy and he said, I'd hire a woman or a girl to be on this farm over boy any day because we don't tear as much stuff up.
00:10:31
Speaker
So we pay attention to the details a little, maybe a little bit too much. And sometimes my nerves get the best of me. Speaking on that a little bit more, you being such a strong role in the family, tell us a little bit about what you see the future of Turk farms doing. I know you guys probably have huge plans in the future.
00:10:49
Speaker
Yeah, the future of Trey farms, whenever someone asked me, it's a little bit scary because I want my dad to be around forever, even though I know that's not possible. We do also farm with my uncle and my grandpa, and my uncle has two boys and one girl, and they're significantly younger than me. My uncle's the youngest of four kids.
00:11:11
Speaker
We, I think we have a pretty good future. The boys are super interested in the farm, and they're very a lot more mechanically inclined than I am. So hopefully the future of trach farms, you know, if it does fall in our laps one day. I think we can handle it I think we'll, you know, we'll adapt to the position or the ownership changes. And we'll also adapt with the ever changing technology that the Ag industry.
00:11:39
Speaker
is showing, you know, it's changing every single day. It's a lot to keep up with. But I think as long as you keep adapting and keep going to those meetings and conferences and stay with the technology, I think the future of Drake Farms has a very positive outlook.
00:11:54
Speaker
That is a lot to keep up with and you guys have adapted so well, but we've got to give Colton a little shout out too. I feel like your husband Colton, anyone who follows you on social media knows that he's a big part of your story, but also your guys' success on the farm too. What's it like marrying a farm boy and letting him come into your family and pick up help pick up the slack as well?
Role and Support in Farm Life
00:12:13
Speaker
Yeah, I don't give Colton enough credit.
00:12:16
Speaker
I have a little bit different of a situation going on because a lot of people, a lot of women in ag, they work with their husbands or, you know, the husband at least works on the farm with them or owns it, whatever it may be. Colton is actually the reason I was able to come back to the farm because as most of you know, financially, it's really hard to come back to your family farm and there's not a ton of money, you know, to provide for
00:12:42
Speaker
you know, a large salary like you would get in Wichita, Kansas. So, Colton works off the farm. He works in Wichita and he also farms with his dad part-time. And whenever he's done with his first job and his part-time job, he comes back and helps us on our farm with my dad, helps run equipment, you know, what with the cattle, whatever it may be. And I think that's really awesome. He
00:13:07
Speaker
He plays a lot of roles and he helps me out a lot and I will never be able to thank him enough for letting me come back to the farm. I say letting me, but allowing me that opportunity I guess is a better way of putting it. So yeah, he does play a large role and I'm forever thankful for that.
00:13:24
Speaker
Oh, without a doubt. It's so good to see your heart. And actually, to see you guys on social media, I feel like you guys are up till wee hours of the night outside working still, and then same thing right back at it up in the morning again. So that's inspirational as well. But moving on to my next question. You mentioned earlier the drought. And I think we should go back and talk to you a little bit about this, because it's so important for everyone to see the hardships that farmers face in any industry, in any era, any scope.
00:13:51
Speaker
What is it like for you guys overcoming the hard times and then how do you guys celebrate the high times as well? I think my dad is a pretty good job at keeping an even outlook on everything no matter what the year is.
00:14:08
Speaker
One of my favorite, you know, I'm a nervous Nellie. So anything, you know, if we don't get rain in a couple of weeks, when the weeds, you know, at prime growth periods, I'm like, uh, what are we doing? You know, what's going to happen? And my dad always comes back and say, Oh, I've seen it worse than this. Oh, I've seen it worse than this. Um, and so that always brings a little bit of peace to my mind. Um, except for this last summer, if you're in Kansas, you probably are aware you're within the drought range, um,
00:14:35
Speaker
that we're experiencing. We were in the exceptional drought region this past summer, and I think we still might be. We're not out of it. But my dad, for the first time this summer, he said, I've never seen it this bad. And that freaked me out a lot because I was like, what are we going to do? Whatever. But I think farmers are so resilient.
00:15:02
Speaker
You know, I kept seeing within this drought, I kept seeing, you know, there's nothing, there's not a more hopeful profession than farming because we were literally dusting the wheat in to the ground. There was no moisture in the ground. We were, my dad kept saying we're covering the sweet up so the birds don't eat it and that's, you know, as good as it gets.
00:15:19
Speaker
Thankfully, we have had a little bit of moisture since then, but I think it just comes back to you. You have to be resilient. You have to keep in mind those good yields that you saw in the past. They're going to come back. They're going to come back. But when you have the good yields, you have to keep things on reserve because you know hard times are coming too.
00:15:39
Speaker
um, essentially at the end of the day, mother nature is totally in control of our industry. And I think it's just good to always be prepared for that, but celebrate the wins, but also, you know, just be, I don't want to say, keep in mind that bad things are coming, but you just have to be aware, you know, you have to be smart and, you know, play the system. So hard times are hard, but the good times are good. And it kind of all balances out in the end, really.
00:16:06
Speaker
oh yeah and through six generations you guys there's no doubt you guys have that under control and I really love that you mentioned your dad's perspective on that it's it's probably really easy for farmers to get in their heads about things and so it's so important that you guys continue to go forward like you do but
00:16:22
Speaker
One more thing before we go, we're almost out of time.
Addressing Misconceptions and Educating Others
00:16:24
Speaker
I've got to talk to you a little bit about the common ag misconceptions that women can't farm, that cheeseburgers only come from the store. So let's talk about that. I want to hear your theory on the misconceptions and how you tell people about ag that maybe aren't as informed.
00:16:39
Speaker
I think, you know, we hear a lot about, you know, misconceptions as far as, you know, the beef industry stop blaming cows stuff like that. One of the things I wanted to talk about because I was not prepared when I quit my office job. I had so many people come up and say, Oh, you're just going to farm, what else are you going to do, or you're just going to be a farmer just, I don't think they were meaning it to be you know any kind of malicious.
00:17:02
Speaker
saying, but people just truly don't understand. I don't know where along the lines that farmers got a bad rap, you know, people just think we're uneducated and I don't know where that came from and it cannot be more far from the truth.
00:17:21
Speaker
But I think at misconceptions like this, you know, I that's what I'm sharing on Instagram. I just want people to see the industry. You know, we care about our animals. We care about the land more than, you know, the people that live in the city who are attacking us day by day saying we don't care about the land. You know, we take care of the soil nutrients and we take care of our cattle better than we take care of ourselves right now.
00:17:44
Speaker
So I think it's just, I think we just have to keep sharing and earning people's trust and showing them, you know, why the misconceptions are wrong and doing it in a polite way instead of, you know, attacking back. I feel like everywhere we turn, we're getting attacked as agriculturalists. And I think it's just going to take time and patience for us to show, you know, people who didn't grow up in this industry, what's the truth and what's not the truth or gain their trust and teach them over time if they're not ready to learn about it now.
Conclusion and Engagement
00:18:15
Speaker
Paige, you are such a classy woman. Thank you for taking the time to talk to us today. I wish you all the best, but I have enjoyed most importantly, getting to follow along your journey, getting to see that day in and day out joys, discomforts, I cry with you, I laugh with you, and I want people to be able to do that too. So is there a social media channel or a website that people can come find you at? Yeah. You can follow me on Instagram at page underscore trick underscore Dvorak kind of a long name, but I'm there and I'll show you the day to day. Um,
00:18:44
Speaker
journey of trade farms. Very good, Paige. It's been so good to reconnect. Thank you again for coming on inside, cleaning up a little bit and taking the time to talk with us in the Kick Your Boots Up corner. It's been so fun and again, I wish you the best of luck in everything. Thanks, Taylor.
00:19:01
Speaker
Thanks for joining us on Kick Your Boots Up. I'm your host, Taylor McAdams, and we can't wait to share the next story of the West. Until then, feel free to like, subscribe, and leave us a review. Follow us on social media at Justin Boots to keep up with our next episode, and we'll see you the next time you kick your boots up.