Jenni Peters' job duties vary on any given day, and often, several times within the day. One moment she may be found out in the elements feeding cows and hauling manure, and the next, balancing the books while popping a pot roast in the oven.
No matter what Jenni is doing, one thing’s for certain: She is valued.
Jenni proudly wears the many hats of “farmer,” “wife,” “mother,” “accountant” and “head chef,” not because she has to, but because she feels honored to play a role in producing quality beef for her family and families just like hers.
"Sometimes we in agriculture don’t realize just how much people look up to us for producing safe and healthy food because we don’t feel like we’re doing anything special, other than caring for our animals and land the way we think it’s intended to be cared for." - Jenni Peters
“But it’s such an opportunity," said Jenni. "I consider what I do as trying to pull it together for everyone else so they have a chance to succeed. And when I mean everybody, I mean my kids, my family, our farm and our community — everybody.”
Jenni works alongside her husband Charlie at their Bellevue-area farm where they run a cow-calf operation, meaning they raise cows to produce calves, which are later sold. In addition to their cattle, the Peters grow corn, soybeans and hay, which then goes back to feed their cows. With so many moving parts, the couple’s four children, Mathias, Michael, Sam and Miranda, also play a role in their family farm operation.
“Each and every day, I’m outside, I’m with the cattle and I get to work with my husband. To have those opportunities — that we’re able to share with our kids and family — there’s nothing better,” Jenni added.
Despite just wrapping up a busy spring calving season and now entering planting, Jenni took time to sit down with us and share a taste of life on the farm: the good, the bad and the life lessons learned along the way.
Between 6-12 months of age, cattle spend time at stocker and backgrounder farms and ranches where they graze on a variety of pastures. Here they gain weight and convert forage and grass into lean protein.
Cattle spend their final 4-6 months at a feedyard being fed a scientifically-balanced diet and receiving daily care.
Cows are bred and calves are born and raised every year on cow-calf farms and ranches, spending time grazing on grass pastures within sight of their mothers.