4 • Saturday, October 23, 2021 • Modern Farmer
Social media-savvy farmer takes fields to fandom
By Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree
smcdaniel@myjournalcourier.com
RIGGSTON — For one Riggston resident, the farm is her quiet, happy place. Whether it’s feeding her cows or tending to her plants and crops, or just walking the fields she is in her own oasis. Jenny Sauer Schmidgall grew up in Riggston and though she spend several years away from the farm after growing up to explore the careers of an actress and research scientist, she returned home because she felt that was the best place to be. “I live in enough cities to know this is where I belonged,” she said. “Every time I came back home, I just got this relaxed feeling.”
Photos by Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree | Journal-Courier
Jenny Sauer Schmidgall talks about the plants she grows outside her home in Riggston. This one is a black-eyed Susan vine.
Schmidgall has shared her love of her farm with her family and had begun to expand the number of people with whom she
shares it. Known as the Witty Farmer, Schmidgall has been sharing glimpses of her paradise with her
WHALEN TRUCKING
followers on Twitter and TikTok. Though not an avid social media person, she said she does enjoy making some of her posts about her farm online, but she doesn’t really do
it for the followers. With just more than 8,400 followers on Twitter and 10,200 followers on TikTok, Schmidgall said she just loves to the life she leads and wants others to see the joys of agriculture. Her family’s operation, which she works with her dad, mom, uncle and husband, include the raising of cows, pumpkins, soybeans and corn. Schmidgall also raises sweet corn and flowers in her own flower garden outside her home and is establishing a greenhouse. For Schmidgall, she is about accepting the old with the new, making changes where needed but also realizing that not everything needs to be new. “A lot of our stuff is older,” Schmidgall said. “It’s all paid off and it puts us in a good position. When it comes to harvest, you aren’t going
“Haulers of General Commodities” VAN - DUMP - TANK - HOPPER 217-435-2231 800-397-6469
Jenny Sauer Schmidgall checks her pumpkin patch for late blooms.
to know what type of combine harvested the corn.” However, she said she is helping her dad adapt to needed changes and growth. Using her test plots at home, she said she has been trying some new things and making some changes to her pumpkin patch and plants. Her garden is one of her favorite spots. “It’s so quiet here and I get to see something new almost every day,” she said. “It’s always changing.” It’s these changes and her love of the various aspects of her farm that she is sharing through videos and pictures on her social media pages. Her history in agriculture is also transitioning to clothing. The Witty Farmer is an online store that has a focus on agriculture themed clothing, See FANDOM | Page 22