Today’s woman in ag is Darcy (Dougherty) Maulsby, who runs her own ag marketing communications company in west-central Iowa, between Lake City and Yetter. While she helps clients share ag’s story through print publications, electronic communication, photography, video, and the social media, she also loves the farm-to-fork connection and is an avid home cook.
Question: Tell us a little about your background.
I grew up on a corn, soybean, and swine farm in west-central Iowa, between Lake City (http://www.lakecityiowa.com) and Yetter. Like many farm kids, I learned early on how to work, whether I was feeding the sows on our farm, riding the bean bar during the summer (sounds so old school, I know—ask me if you don’t know what I’m talking about!), and detasseling corn for Hobart Brothers, a local seed company.
My competitive streak emerged early on. As a member of the Lake Creek Go Getters 4-H Club, I showed hogs, baked cookies, and entered photography exhibits at the Calhoun County Expo each summer. In high school, I competed on the Southern Cal FFA horticulture team and earned a silver medal at the national FFA competition.
I never understood the complaint that “there’s nothing to do around here,” because I always had plenty to keep me busy. I wouldn’t trade growing up on my family’s Century Farm (http://www.iowaagriculture.gov/centuryFarmsProgram.asp) for anything else in the world.
Question: How are you involved in American agriculture today?
Since 2002, I have run my own marketing/communications company (www.darcymaulsby.com) and work with ag clients around the world. I help them with everything from magazine articles, advertorials, sales materials, and newsletters to feature stories for their websites. I also help out with photography and video assignments.
As a 2010 graduate of the Iowa Corn Growers’ I-LEAD ag leadership program (http://www.iowacorn.org/en/corn_use_education/ilead/), I’ve sought out new opportunities to help tell agriculture’s story. I invite you to follow my updates on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/darcy.maulsby and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/darcymaulsby.
Question: Why did you decide to make ag your career?
My dad, Jim Dougherty, is a guy whose heart has always beat for agriculture and who bleeds John Deere green. When I was trying to pick a major in college and expressed an interest in communications, he suggested I pursue ag communications at Iowa State University (ISU). He reasoned that with farmers making up less than 2 percent of the U.S. population, my farm background would give me a big competitive advantage. He was right.
I earned my bachelor’s degrees in journalism/mass communication and history from ISU in 1996. After working as an editor at various companies, including the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation and AgWeb.com, I earned my master’s degree in business administration (MBA) with an emphasis in marketing from ISU in 2004.
Since 2006, the world headquarters of Darcy Maulsby & Co. have been located in rural Yetter, Iowa. After all, “everything’s better in Yetter!”
Question: What would you tell a young person considering a career in ag?
There are easier occupations than ag, but very few are as rewarding. Agriculture is the place to be for the best and brightest today, and careers can range from genetics to engineering to food science. After all, it takes a mountain of knowledge to maximize crop yields, care for livestock and ensure their well being, and protect soil and water quality—all while producing a safe, abundant food supply.
Question: If you could tell the average consumer one thing about agriculture, what would it be?
The list of essential professions is a short one. While our culture focuses a great deal of attention on future NFL athletes and Hollywood celebrities, I’m thankful for America’s farmers. In the words of cowboy poet Baxter Black, for every 100 rock stars and Heisman trophy winners our country produces, we better make sure we spend enough to train at least two future farmers, so the rest of them can eat. Thank goodness for our farmers, because they hold our future in their hands.
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