Kent Mowrer of Perry, Iowa, graduated from Iowa State University with his degree in animal science in 1992, not realizing how many different paths his degree would allow him to take. While at Iowa State, Kent participated on the Livestock Judging Team and held the position of the 1990 Block & Bridle Sergeant in Arms.
As Kent looked back at his time at Iowa State, he realized just how much he appreciated the broadness of the animal science major, saying, "When I was a freshman, animal science prepared me for many aspects of the industry and I'm grateful for that as I have taken many different paths in my career." Kent further explained that he has had career opportunities in crop research and has been the Agriculture Account Representative for energy companies. He more recently worked for Prestage Farms where he was the Site Development Manager responsible for identifying producers interested in constructing new swine finishing barn sites, assisted producers in finding proper barn locations, and finalized new site purchase and manure easement acquisitions. His favorite class while at Iowa State University was AN S 226 - Beef Science, taught by Dr. Gene Rouse, where he appreciated the amount of practical knowledge taught in class and the field trip opportunities Dr. Rouse provided, allowing his students to make valuable connections in the industry.
Kent is currently the Senior Field Coordinator at the Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmers, where he performs on-farm consulting about environmental rules and regulations, including those enforced by the DNR and the EPA. He meets with multi-generation farms that are looking to find their path forward in the industry. Kent helps farmers understand how the rules apply to their farms in their current state and how they could apply to them in the future with potential growth or changes to their operation. After working with the Coalition for 11 years, the most meaningful part of the job for Kent is when he gets to help young farmers and continue to see them grow their farms, their families, and ultimately become meaningful members of the industry.
Kent is proud to see how far Iowa State and the animal science major have come since 1992 and supports the fact that Iowa State graduates provide a bright future for the agriculture industry.
Kent's advice to students:
"Get involved in those collegiate opportunities because you never know where they are going to lead you."