We’re excited to introduce you to MDI Coordinator, Brittany Moorse who serves the southwest region of Minnesota which includes the counties of Blue Earth, Brown, Cottonwood, Faribault, Jackson, Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, Martin, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, Rock, Watonwan and Yellow Medicine. Brittany has been with MDI three years and has her office in Minneota, MN.
Tell us about your farming background…
I farm with my family, and I also work for the I-29 Moo University as their Communications Coordinator. I farm with my parents, brother and uncle. We milk about 100 cows near Minneota. I am a fourth- generation farmer. My great-grandparents on both sides of my family farmed, both sets of my grandparents were dairy farmers and my parents. My parents actually met at the Minnesota State Fair showing dairy in 4-H.
Why did you choose dairy farming for a career?
My love and passion for dairy started as a farm kid growing up on a dairy farm. It really grew with my involvement as a 4-Her, dairy princess and through my experiences in college at SDSU. From 4-H, I grew my own line of Jerseys, and I still own descendants of my first Jersey cow Frito, today. On my family’s farm, calf care is one of my main responsibilities, and I’m very passionate about calves.
What influenced your decision to be a coordinator with MDI?
What attracted me to MDI is the team concept. It intrigued me, and as I’ve grown as a coordinator, I’ve come to enjoy the on-farm team meetings and the way farms can flourish from the team concept.
What is your favorite aspect of what you do at MDI?
Working with farmers is my favorite part of my job. I really enjoy facilitating team meetings and working with farmers and their teams. It’s very satisfying facilitating and coordinating meetings that yield action plans to keep farms reaching their goals and moving forward.
If you could go back in time and give yourself a good piece of advice, what would it be?
Run your own race.
What is your favorite dairy product or dish made with dairy?
Cheese, chocolate milk, and sour cream are my favorite dairy products. I love making tacos with a ton of cheese and sour cream. Some of my other favorite dishes I make with dairy are lasagna, tatertot hotdish, homemade pizza, cheesy potatoes and taco pasta.
What invention/technology do you feel has been the biggest advancement in dairy farming?
There are a lot of great things that can be discussed here. In my opinion, one of dairy’s greatest strengths is its drive to keep improving and keep discovering new ways of doing things. Dairy farmers all produce the same product, but it’s fascinating to me how everyone goes about it differently. I think smart phones have really been game changers for the dairy industry. From cow activity monitoring to watching the markets, to checking bulk tank samples, to using phones to help translate, to entering in cow data and everything in-between, smart phones have had a profound impact on how dairies operate.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I recently got a Rat Terrier puppy named Jimmy, and he is full of energy. I enjoy spending time with family and friends. I also raise and show Mini Lop,
Jersey Wooly and Dutch rabbits. If I could explore a part of Minnesota I haven’t been to before, I’d like to explore the Boundary Waters
area.
Stay tuned for more future Coordinator highlights next month. If you’d like to contact Brittany, call (507) 825-1190 or email: [email protected]
