My name is Lisa and I've live in the small town of Sleepy Eye, Minnesota. While I only had smaller pets growing up, I've always loved all types of animals. I was the kid who had Zoobooks, checked out library books on all sort of animals, watched animal shows on the Discovery Channel, National Geographic, or Animal Planet. I immediately gravitated towards peoples' pets or livestock, finding more company with them than people. I was otherwise a very shy, stoic, and untalkative tomboy.
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In 4th grade, I joined 4-H and started off "showing" my hamsters at the pet show and entering photos, paintings, or drawing exhibits at the fair. I would also volunteer to work at the horse shows handing out ribbons.
In high school, I started showing larger animals such as pigs and sheep. I did very well with the latter - winning several of my breeding ewe classes every year - even going to the state fair and winning our class with my yearling Suffolk breeding ewe, "Annabelle", in 2000. I also joined Future Farmers of America (FFA) and participated on the poultry and horse judging teams. I even won regional individual champion for poultry one year! And I started my first part-time job as kitchen help at the age of 14 washing dishes, making pizzas, and doing prep work at a restaurant. At 17, I worked at a nursing home as a nursing assistant until high school graduation in 2004.
In high school, I started showing larger animals such as pigs and sheep. I did very well with the latter - winning several of my breeding ewe classes every year - even going to the state fair and winning our class with my yearling Suffolk breeding ewe, "Annabelle", in 2000. I also joined Future Farmers of America (FFA) and participated on the poultry and horse judging teams. I even won regional individual champion for poultry one year! And I started my first part-time job as kitchen help at the age of 14 washing dishes, making pizzas, and doing prep work at a restaurant. At 17, I worked at a nursing home as a nursing assistant until high school graduation in 2004.
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I used to radar race snowmobiles; vintage, stock, improved stock, and mod stock.
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I graduated Minnesota State University in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in biology (emphasis in animal sciences) and a minor in chemistry. I developed a special interest in genetics and reproduction. And I was able to do several independent study courses for credit with a favorite biology professor; the parasitic controls in a swine gestation and farrowing barn, the development of staining techniques of the Cyathocotyle bushiensis parasite I extracted from segments of deceased water fowl, and as a pre-veterinary intern at the vet clinic I worked at.
During college, I also worked several part-time jobs. One was at a sow farm near home as a farrowing technician and, occasionally, as a breeding technician over semester breaks. I also worked part-time during the school year as kennel staff at a veterinary clinic. I picked up many pet and livestock-sitting jobs for a couple of the vets as well as jobs through referrals to their clinic clients.
In my last year of college, I was able to work a temporary position at a swine research nursery barn through a vet clinic in a neighboring town. After graduation, I moved back home and changed jobs from the sow farm to working at a boar stud. Within 2 years, I was promoted to a full-time farm manager.
In my last year of college, I was able to work a temporary position at a swine research nursery barn through a vet clinic in a neighboring town. After graduation, I moved back home and changed jobs from the sow farm to working at a boar stud. Within 2 years, I was promoted to a full-time farm manager.
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As the manager, I was able to attend several expos, trade shows, symposiums, and listen to several speakers from all over the world. I learned quite a bit on (swine) reproduction, artificial insemination, genetics, health, welfare, and more. I also picked up some very useful skills from working on the farm; maintenance, carpentry, and electric.
I had spent the last 12 years in pigs. But the hard work was beginning to take a toll on me physically. By November 2016, in addition to other health issues, I decided to leave the swine industry. That December, I was hired at a manufacturing plant in a neighboring town. By the end of February, about 2 months after hiring, I was awarded the Environmental/Safety Coordinator job as the current one was retiring. |
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In December 2016, shortly after I left the farm, I was contacted by the overseeing veterinarian of the boar stud that I had worked at. He was starting up his own practice and wanted me to run his swine andrology lab - which is an independent lab that examines boar semen quality sent in from different boar studs.
By January 1st of 2017, the lab opened for business with very primitive beginnings. Through trial and error, I had developed analysis procedures based off my experience working at the boar stud. Within a couple months, the total number of submission samples had grown fairly substantially, and I had to hire on another person. |
As we were fairly new, the genetic company I worked with at the boar stud had approached the vet about using us as a foundation andrology lab to help develop procedures to set up their own additional reference labs in various other countries. We agreed as they brought a substantial amount of business to the lab and continue to do so today.
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A Dutch veterinarian, Dr. Hanneke Feitsma, became the overseer of the program development for the genetic company. Over the next couple of years, we worked closely together to make our lab better. Not only did her contribution help establish the procedures needed for reporting results back to the genetic company, but it also helped our lab fine tune our current procedures and develop better result reporting to our other clients.
She was a frequent speaker at several of the conferences I had been to in the past, so I was excited to begin working with someone very well-known in the field of swine reproduction. Dr. Feitsma was also from Leeuwarden in the Netherlands. And, given my love for Friesians, she played a big role in helping me correctly pronounce the names of Friesian stallions. Unfortunately, Dr. Feitsma became very ill and passed away in early 2020. |
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Hobbies and interests ..
Outside of my non-stop horse hobby, I’m an avid outdoor person, love to bake and cook, animal caretaker, gardener, researcher, and history fanatic.
I love to hike. I must warn people in the beginning when they hike with me, “Dropping dead is not an excuse.” When I say we are hiking, I mean we are just shy of needing climbing equipment. Pack plenty of survival gear and water because we are going out of cell service on a one-lane, sketchy forest road in a high clearance vehicle with a sheer drop off on at least one side and car-sized potholes. Those are where some of the best trails are, where few dare to travel.
My favorite location is out in beautiful Washington state - especially in the Cascade Mountain range. All the waterfalls, forests, beaches, mountains, and there's also Mt. St. Helen’s, Mt. Shuksan, Mt. Baker, and (my favorite) Mt. Rainier.
I love to hike. I must warn people in the beginning when they hike with me, “Dropping dead is not an excuse.” When I say we are hiking, I mean we are just shy of needing climbing equipment. Pack plenty of survival gear and water because we are going out of cell service on a one-lane, sketchy forest road in a high clearance vehicle with a sheer drop off on at least one side and car-sized potholes. Those are where some of the best trails are, where few dare to travel.
My favorite location is out in beautiful Washington state - especially in the Cascade Mountain range. All the waterfalls, forests, beaches, mountains, and there's also Mt. St. Helen’s, Mt. Shuksan, Mt. Baker, and (my favorite) Mt. Rainier.
I also love to garden for tons of flowers as well as fruits and veggies. I try to plant or grow pollinator friendly plant species to attract as many of those little busy bodies as possible, especially bees. I mean, who in their right mind doesn't enjoy bees - they make honey!
And I enjoy being in the kitchen when I can. I don’t usually get to cook big meals or make a lot of sweets so it’s always a pleasure to be able to share it with friends and family.
Reading and research is also one of my favorite things. I’m a curious person by nature. I’m not much of a story reader but you will almost always find me reading or watching videos about a topic on human/animal-health, horse-related (bits, horsemanship, training, etc.), or the history of horse breeds or back in the old-world and medieval times. From ancient Egyptians to Teutonic Knights, to Vikings and everything in between.
I've found that in order to understand the present, we must learn from the past to ensure a better future. I’m always treading along on the continuous path of knowledge and education.
And I enjoy being in the kitchen when I can. I don’t usually get to cook big meals or make a lot of sweets so it’s always a pleasure to be able to share it with friends and family.
Reading and research is also one of my favorite things. I’m a curious person by nature. I’m not much of a story reader but you will almost always find me reading or watching videos about a topic on human/animal-health, horse-related (bits, horsemanship, training, etc.), or the history of horse breeds or back in the old-world and medieval times. From ancient Egyptians to Teutonic Knights, to Vikings and everything in between.
I've found that in order to understand the present, we must learn from the past to ensure a better future. I’m always treading along on the continuous path of knowledge and education.
Interesting Fact: I'm also an ordained minister through the Universal Life Church. (I have removed by middle name for security purposes.) I am legally able to officiate several functions such as weddings, funerals, and baptisms in the state of Minnesota as well as most other states and U.S. territories.
