By Molly Zentz
Animal agriculture still generates a substantial amount of sales for the state of Indiana. As of the 2012 census, nearly 21,200 animal agriculture operations called Indiana home, generating nearly $3.7 billion in sales annually.
Indiana ranks among the nation’s top producers of hogs, eggs and turkeys, and also boasts many beef cattle and dairy farms. It comes as no surprise that women play a vital role in supporting animal agriculture operations that make up the state’s livestock industry.
In 2018, Indiana Prairie Farmerand the Purdue University College of Agriculture honored a woman and her husband who have developed a large hog operation from scratch near Roann in Wabash County. Christine York and her husband, Mark, insist it’s a joint operation that wouldn’t have happened without both working together. These first-generation farmers are also active in Indiana Farm Bureau, beginning at the local level with the Wabash County Farm Bureau.
Indiana Farm Bureau spoke with two other female livestock producers — one in turkey and hog production and the other in egg production. Jenny Wagner, Jay County, and Emily Studebaker, Whitley County, are leaders on their farms and in their particular sectors of animal agriculture. One is pursuing her lifelong dream to expand the family farm, while the other stumbled into an unexpected passion. Here are their stories:
Jenny’s journey
As owner and operator of CW Homestead Farms in Jay County, Jenny Wagner oversees all aspects of the family farm, including grain, hog and turkey production. The farm has been in her family for more than 100 years.
“I was drawn to the industry because it is always changing, and there are always new challenges,” she says. “I am able to look around and see that I am making a difference in the world.”
When Wagner was in college, she spoke with her family about her interests in joining the family operation. “I came home over Christmas break and told my dad that we were going to have to get bigger or we are going to have to get out,” she said. “We started looking at how we could change the farming operation, including egg-laying houses and hog barns.”
At 19 years old, Wagner walked into the bank and asked for more than half a million dollars to expand their farm. She received that loan.
“In 1997, we decided to build our hog barn,” she says. “In 2003 we built a quad hog barn, and then in 2007 we purchased turkey barns and started our turkey operation.”
But her farming journey hasn’t been without challenges.
“On Nov. 5, 2017, our turkey farm and hog farm were hit by a tornado. We lost both farms, which are 5 miles apart,” she explains. “Though we thought we had it all planned out — two farms in separate locations in different areas of production — we know we’re lucky to be alive, and we’re grateful for our family, friends and our amazing community.”
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OVERCOME CHALLENGES: Some challenges simply can’t be planned for. A tornado wiped out Jenny Wagner’s family’s two livestock operations, located 5 miles apart. Yet she is working to overcome this challenge.
Emily’s story
Emily Studebaker takes care of 23,000 cage-free laying hens in Whitley County, picking and stacking all their eggs while also managing the office.
“When I was 21, my husband and I were offered an opportunity to purchase a 40-acre chicken farm,” Studebaker says. “We knew we wanted to farm, and after much consideration, we committed to this opportunity. I quit my job at the dental office to become a full-time chicken tender since my husband works for his dad on his dairy farm.”
Having not grown up on a farm, Studebaker says her biggest challenge has been learning to care for the hens.
“Coming from a nonfarm background to caring for 23,000 laying hens has definitely been a challenge for me,” she says. “Thankfully, there are many helpful people I can call, including my husband.”
Studebaker says she’s proud of her ability to turn the farm around in a short amount of time.
“I am proud to have taken over a ‘failing’ operation and turn it around enough to get 100% on our first audit, which came only a few months after we took over the farm,” she says.
![Emily Studebaker]()
PASSION FOR POULTRY: Although she didn’t grow up in farming, Emily Studebaker loves tending to chickens in her and her husband’s operation.
Studebaker was introduced to agriculture when she started dating her husband. She quickly began tagging along for chores on his dad’s dairy farm.
“My flip-flops and white shorts were soon replaced with boots and jeans,” she says. “He taught me a lot, and when the opportunity came for me to work for our own farm, I took it. His dream has always been to farm, and I now share that reality with him.”
Zentz is manager of publicity for Indiana Farm Bureau Inc. Tom J. Bechman contributed to this story.