Q&A with Melanie Bruck

1)  Why did you get involved with your agriculturally-based career?
    “I married a farmer.  And when our sons were born it made more sense for me to stay at home with them than to work and pay for day care.  I volunteered in their classes at Tri-Center and was amazed. I knew I was a “city” girl who didn’t know anything about the farm, but for the students in a rural district to not know where hamburger came from was shocking to me.  I continued to volunteer, bringing programs (and my sons’ baby chicks, and corn stalks, and soil samples) to schools when the Farm Bureau offered to support me on a per program basis.  That grew into the full-time position I have today.”
2)  What are the greatest challenges with your career?
    “Not being home when my youngest gets off the bus from school some days.  He’s not as concerned about educating Iowa’s students about the importance of agriculture in their lives.  He knows why farming matters.  I try to convince him it is important for other kids to know as well.  That and only having so many hours in a day.  The teachers that I work with are extremely responsive to our programs and I feel that it is important to develop partnerships with what I call ‘ag rock stars.’  Teachers who can take the resources we provide and continue daily lessons, building agriculture importance into each aspect of a student’s day.”
3)  What were your greatest rewards?
    “Seeing that spark, that moment when a student says OH! and a connection is made.  To help them understand that agriculture is about more than a farmer driving a tractor.  When kids realize in Iowa we all have our roles to play.  If not as a producer, then as an educated consumer.”
4)  What do you have to do for an on-going education?
    “The Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation provides many workshop opportunities for me to attend to continue building my skills as a classroom presenter.  Part of my role as Education Program Coordinator for Loess Hills Agriculture in the Classroom includes creating workshops for teachers in Crawford, Carroll, Harrison, Shelby and West Pottawattamie Counties.”
5)  What do you wish people knew about your career?
    “It is the best job that I have ever had in my whole life!  I walk into a classroom and I see future agronomists, veterinarians, research analysts, grain marketers, truck drivers and teachers (even if they don’t know it yet).  And I get to be part of them discovering who they might grow up to be.  I get to see into the future!”