It is not as common to hear of a daughter going back to take over the family farm, but that is exactly what Lillie Beringer-Crock did. Hailing from Cascade, Iowa, Lillie has been farming full-time since February of this year. She recently started a direct-to-consumer beef business and is a young voice for agriculture through her social media accounts, where she regularly shares educational content and videos of her daily tasks.
Ever since her junior year of college, Lillie knew that she eventually wanted to end up back home. As a little girl, she was always involved and spent as much time as she could outside. “My punishment for getting in trouble was that I had to stay inside,” said Lillie. She credits her grandfather for being her inspiration and mentor as she grew up and became involved on the farm.
Lillie transferred to Iowa State in 2016 from Black Hawk College, where she was on a horse judging scholarship. She immediately got involved in Block and Bridle, the Beginning Farmer Network, CALS Ambassadors, and Collegiate Cattlemen. Staying true to her roots, Lillie also worked at the Beef Teaching Farm. She secured an internship with Purina during her junior year, which led to her position with them after graduation. Lillie was a livestock production specialist and did nutrition sales work until earlier this year when she decided to commit to her family farm full-time.
Lillie started her direct-to-consumer beef business by accident. Since she spent most of her college weekends back home helping on the farm, her friend encouraged her to share what she was doing online because it was so unique. Lillie became passionate about sharing the farm-to-plate story. “I knew if just one person could learn something from my social media page, it would be beneficial.” After about five months, people started inquiring about where they could buy her beef. This spurred Lillie to start the process of creating her business. “I am able to control the price of my product, diversify my business, and add more income,” said Lillie.
It is fitting that Lillie’s favorite class was AN S 270L: Foods of Animal Origin Laboratory with Dr. Sherry Olsen. Lillie said, “I loved her approach to what she taught. It was so hands-on, and a lot of it came back to me when I started selling my beef.”
When asked if she had any advice for current students, Lillie said, “Take any and all opportunities given to you. Don't turn down anything. The agriculture world is very small so make sure you are always being professional.”