Friends and Neighbors: Jennifer Blanke

Home is where the heart is... this motto rings true to many, no matter their differences. For Jennifer Blanke home is where ever the life and love for agriculture may take her.

Born and raised just down the road in Sidney, Jennifer grew up in a farming and ranching lifestyle, from the love of the open ranges to 4-H during high school and beyond.

She graduated from Leyton High School in 2010 then began to further her education at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colorado. She graduated NJC with an Associates degree in Ag Business and Animal Science then moved on to attend Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. Jennifer graduated CSU in 2018 with a Bachelors degree in Agriculture Education and concentrated in Agriculture literacy.

Also while attending CSU she was part of the Professional Agriculture Sorority, Sigma Alpha and had the opportunity to volunteer in many aspects of agriculture.

"We volunteered in a lot of agriculture classes, we had the chance to plan programs and present them into different school systems," she said.

Over the past two years Jennifer has been a jack of all trades as she explained, from a cowboyin' lifestyle with her two horses Ace and Coley, to a coffee barista, and a paraprofessional. However as of Monday, Nov. 5, her heart may have finally found home.

Jennifer accepted a position as the new Extension Program 4-H Assistant in Kimball and Banner Counties.

"I am thrilled to get to work with kids of all ages, and I want to focus on empowering the younger generation to want to do better," she said.

Jennifer is thrilled to have been greeted with open arms from the Kimball community thus far, and being familiar with the small town atmosphere she can't wait to dive right in.

"I want expand what great improvements the community of Kimball has made in the past and to get more engagement between Kimball and Banner Counties and 4-H," she said. "I think it is vital for people, young and old, to learn how we, as a country and a community, need all of the different aspects of agriculture in every day life and the major importance of agriculture as a whole. These kids are our future of agriculture and I want to improve and continue to educate all that want to learn."

The community of Kimball would like to welcome Jennifer and wish her all the best in her new career.