CONTINUING A LEGACY SENIOR DREW PARKER DISCUSSES FAMILY FARM, MINORITY IN AGRICULTURE How did you get into agriculture? My grandparents are farmers. My mom was the first one to kind of get out of that line of work. She wanted to become a nurse. I was just always close with my grandparents, so that’s how I got into it. What lessons has farming taught you? It has given me the understanding and the resiliency that not everything is always going to go your way, and it’s truly about the bounce back. [I’ve learned] it’s not so much about what you do but it’s about what you do with the situation you’re in. What tasks are you responsible for and how often do you work on the farm? I’m pretty much responsible for everything that goes on. In the summer I spend 3-4 days down [at my grandparent’s farm] and during the school year, I usually work 5-10 hours on Saturday or Sunday. What is a misconception within farming? Everyone’s the same and that it is all about the money. People lose track, especially with the Fair Oaks situation and how they were abusing animals, I feel like people tend to think about that instead of the positives. We care so much about our animals because there’s a certain level of pride that goes with your name when you raise animals. What advice do you have for other young minorities who do not see representation in the hobby they are pursuing? My main thing when I was younger was that I thought that I was inferior because I didn’t see any representation. I think the biggest thing is to learn that you are unique and that you don’t have to work up or achieve the main counterparts. Just be yourself and don’t worry about anyone else. What are your future plans to keep agriculture in your life? I am going to Purdue University next year to pursue a degree in Agribusiness with a concentration in Agribusiness management. After college I plan to take over my grandparents’ farm and expand.
Q & A by Emily Crousore. Photo Contributed.
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