When you find yourself in a jam, she’s the first one you call. She’s the glue of your family, the wiper of tears and the one who keeps everyone going. Her love is a love that fiercely protects, wisely counsels and lasts forever. From fixing your boo-boos to reminding you of your worth, there’s nothing like the love of a mother.
But enter in the ‘livestock’ mom and you get just a little more. She’s not afraid to make you work because she knows the hard work and extra responsibility will make you more prepared for life. Her sensitivity and perspective extend beyond others because she knows the heartaches that only livestock production can provide. She knows just when to celebrate the wins and when to push you just a little more.
Here’s a look at six moms through the eyes of their sons and daughters. They share how their moms helped inspire a life-changing love for agriculture and livestock.
Jodi Sterle
By Jake Sterle, her son
Growing up on a family farm, my passion for animal agriculture developed naturally at a young age. But the official beginning came when my parents decided to get a few pigs for my brother Jackson and me to show at the 2005 National Junior Swine Association (NJSA) Summer Type Conference in Louisville, Ky. At the time, Mom was serving on the NJSA Youth Advisory Board, and one of her responsibilities was to attend the Summer Type Conference. Since she was going anyway, she figured why not bring the family and a few pigs? This was the foundation for my passion for the swine industry. Fast forward 20 years. Both Jackson and I are still actively involved in the industry. Jackson is beginning a master’s program at Iowa State University in swine production data management, and I continue to remain active in my role at NPPC. Our mom has supported and encouraged us every step of the way and I truly believe there’s no better industry my parents could have raised us in.
For as long as I can remember, she has gone above and beyond. She continues to serve and give back her time on advisory boards, county fair boards, and even serving as the 4-H swine show superintendent at the Iowa State Fair. She comes from a rich pedigree of servant leaders, and that mindset has been instilled into me. Service can be demanding and often thankless, but, at the end of the day, service is all about one life positively impacting another, and this, my mother is no stranger to.
Jake Sterle serves as director of industry resource development for the National Pork Producers Council.
Kim Caldwell
By Maddison Caldwell, her daughter
My mom grew up on a row crop operation and showed Angus cattle, so agriculture was part of her DNA. But she never forced it on us. Instead, she gave us the tools and space to figure out what we loved, and it just so happened that agriculture kept showing up in the most meaningful ways. I don’t think that was by accident. My parents’ love story was rooted in agriculture—they met through the livestock industry and built a life around it. They never had to tell us to pursue this industry; they showed us what it meant to live and love in it. Watching them pour their hearts into something bigger than themselves, something that brought people together — that’s what made us fall in love with agriculture.
My mom has truly done it all — not in terms of careers, but in the number of lives she’s touched. She started as a NICU nurse, taking care of babies every day — some of whom she held as they took their final breaths, all while quietly walking through her own journey with infertility. Today, she does something completely different. She runs The LulaBarn, selling clothing out of a machine shed in our backyard — and she’s one of the top five sellers in her company nationwide. That might sound like a huge shift, but the heart of it is the same: she continues to serve, to care, to bring joy to others in her own unique way. No matter what chapter she’s in, my mom shows up for people, and that’s what makes her unforgettable.
Maddie Caldwell is the Inside Sales Team lead for Compeer Financial.
Dorthy Jean Stateler
By Duane Stateler, her son
When I was about 5 years old, we had an International 300 utility tractor that I could drive. Mom could not find me one day and when she came looking, she found me behind the barn. I had hooked up an old three-bottom plow with a rope trip behind the tractor to help dad plow. But I couldn’t figure out how to trip the rope because it was too short for me to reach. She went and got a blanket, put it on the toolbox behind the seat and told me, ‘Let’s go find your dad in the field.’ When we got back to the lane, we pulled over to where dad was and he got off the tractor and exclaimed “What are you two doing? That hasn’t been used in years. Mom replied ‘Now Merrill, I will pull the rope at the end of the field if you help set the plow.’ Dad’s irritation turned into a smile and mom rode back there for two hours as we helped Dad finish the field. Need I say any more?
My mom touched so many individuals and families in our community through her music. She was an organist at church since high school. I have no idea how many weddings and funerals she played for over her 70 years of playing. I am frequently reminded by community members thanking me for mom’s contribution to their memories.
Duane Stateler is an Ohio pig farmer and president of the National Pork Producers Council.
Mary Bloomberg
By Blake Bloomberg, her son
Mom instilled in her children the values of responsibility, attention to detail and resilience – traits essential in both medicine and livestock work. But beyond that, she encouraged our early curiosity by bringing us to the barn before or after shifts, supporting 4-H or FFA involvement, and simply treating our passion like it mattered. She never said no!
She is extremely resilient and does not know a stranger. She is wonderful with people and leaves a lasting impact on all those that come in contact with her. She has dealt with a lot over the last three years since dad’s tragic accident, but I am proud of her resiliency and of being her son.
Blake Bloomberg is a professor at Black Hawk College – East Campus.
Tammy Miller
By Hannah Miller, her daughter
From the second I was born, my mom has surrounded me with the agricultural world. As a sixth- generation purebred swine producer, my mom helped me grow my love for the industry. I remember some of the first times I started helping her in the farrowing house. That’s where I truly started growing a love for production agriculture. She is always the first person I know to advocate and use her voice to positively promote agriculture. She utilizes every opportunity to educate others about agriculture and I aspire to do the same.
I wish people knew how hard she works and how much time she puts into things while still having a servant’s heart and being there for others. In my life, I truly hope I can be half the woman that my mom is. She is constantly working and getting things done for her jobs as well as our family while still helping me with anything I ask for and having time to help others.
Hannah Miller is a senior at Prairie Central High School in Illinois.
Jeantee Keppy
By Kaylee Keppy-McDonnell, her daughter
For someone that moved to a farm in eastern Iowa after getting married and grew up a city girl, I can only imagine the adjustment. I’m thankful my mom is a strong woman who has encouraged us all to embrace the farm. She has always allowed my dad to dig deep into his farm roots and has stood right by his side in every new ag adventure they get into. From pork producers’ meetings to running meals to the field, she has certainly embraced the lifestyle that ag brings. I love how she has always supported our love showing and judging livestock in the ways she knew she could help, like collecting ribbons, taking pictures, ironing clothes, having food prepped and cheering us on from the sidelines. You know, the things behind the scene you don’t really take time to appreciate until you’re a parent yourself!
She’s seriously the best cook around, you think you don’t have any food in the house and the next thing you know you have the best meal you’ve ever had and she made something out of nothing. To know Tee Keppy is to love her, her genuine heart makes her one of the good ones. And we still don’t know how she ages backwards but we love the fact she is ours.
Kaylee Keppy-McDonnell is director of retail business at United Animal Health.
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