Harvest is a busy time of year in rural America. While tractors are rolling through the fields, there’s a team behind the scenes who are keeping the field crews fueled. At Katzman Farms, Katy Katzman prioritizes providing good meals for their harvest staff. Katy farms in the Whitewater area with her husband, Wes, and their two adult sons, Jake and Aaron. In their business model, she holds the title of Business Manager.
Every day is different for Katy. In her role she is much more than a “lunch lady.” She explains her role is to serve as the HR department, parts runner, PR department, bathroom cleaner, bookkeeper and everything in between.
At Katzman Farms, they prioritize feeding their team at least one meal a day during harvest season. In addition to her morning preparations, Katy spends 2-3 hours in the middle of the day preparing 15-20 meals.
To keep moral high, Katy ensures that the team is, not only fed but also, has the necessary equipment and supplies. She keeps trucks and tractors stocked with things like garbage bags and phone chargers, to name a few. She has also learned that sodas in bottles with closeable caps, instead of cans, are easier for the crew to use throughout their day.
Recently, Katy was filling out an online questionnaire. When she came upon the question, “As a woman in agriculture, do you consider yourself a farmer?” Her answer was instantaneous. “Heck yeah I do!” She responded. She continued to explain that while she isn’t milking the cows everyday, she wears many hats that are crucial to the farm’s success.
Katy’s definition of a “farm wife” is simple. “She is the glue. She is the one that keeps it together, all day, everyday.”
