About 15 years ago, Marji was working in the agriculture industry for a large crop insurance company. Her windy path led her from a creative role in design and writing, up a rung or two on the ladder to a role in risk management. At that time, in that part of agriculture, there were very few visible women. You could count them on one hand. Marji can still remember hearing the name Sara Wyant. As a young woman looking to make her mark in this industry, Sara was a key figure in the agriculture industry that many looked up to. Not only did Sara build a company, Agri-Pulse, but she has left a lasting impact. Sara has blazed a trail for other women in agriculture.
Iowa Farm Family
Fast forward quite a few years, and our FarmHer path led us down another windy road – this time to a sprawling row crop farm in Eastern Iowa town of Marengo. There at the end of the driveway, Sara was waiting. Just based on our past knowledge of her, this was a story we couldn’t wait to tell.
Sara was standing at the end of a driveway leading to her farm, which consists of family land that she recently completed purchase on. The land goes back generations in her family, and Sara proudly carries her century farm designation. She fondly remembers her childhood days spent here.
Women in Agriculture Making an Impact
When Sara was growing up, girls weren’t brought up to take over the farm. So, instead, Sara went to college to pursue a journalism career at Iowa State University. There she worked on various student publications, including the Iowa Agriculturalist, a campus magazine. After college, she landed her first job working for Wallace’s Farmer magazine. Fast forward a few years, Sara went back to the same company to oversee 28 magazines. That experience put a new idea in her head and she launched Agri-Pulse as a fully digital publication.
Today, with Sara at the helm, her team makes an effort to be bi-partisan in their reporting. This gives them access to both sides of the “aisle”. She has even had the opportunity to interview a sitting President!
A Different Perspective on Farming
Sara’s experience and knowledge from writing stories about farm policy give her a different perspective on farming, which helps lead her decisions for the future of her family farm. The land is rented to two tenants, and while Sara lives and works states away, she is closely tied to the land. She works with the tenants, as it’s important her family farm is in good hands.
We spent the rest of our visit walking through the straight rows of tiny soybean plants, talking about how Sara is caring for the land. From a focus on stopping erosion to no-till practices, Sara is a FarmHer focused on leaving the land better than she found it.
The land isn’t Sara’s only legacy. She’s built a resource for farmers by striving to be the best. Sara’s abilities shine in her career as journalist. She made a name for herself on Capitol Hill, but never let go of her roots, keeping them close to her heart by making sure the farmers and ranchers back home stay informed.
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