By Julie Vrazel

While some girls grew up playing with Barbie dolls and dressing up, I was busy riding John Deere tractors and playing in the dirt.

I am Julie Vrazel, the new assistant editor for the Texas Farm Bureau and a name you will likely see from time to time.

Being one of four children raised on a small cattle operation in Central Texas, I quickly developed a passion for everything agriculture, especially when it involved family.

At the ripe, old age of 9, I began showing steers, heifers, pigs and broilers at local and major livestock shows. Exhibiting livestock brought another perspective to my plate. It wasn’t just monitoring the cow herd; show livestock require extensive time and care, more than any 9-year-old can fathom. But with a strong family as my support team, I successfully exhibited my projects and acquired a vast amount of knowledge along the way.

In addition to gaining an invaluable understanding of farmers’ and ranchers’ responsibilities, growing up in an agricultural environment offered me numerous opportunities to practice public speaking skills, network with professionals and discover agriculture was my true passion.

With the majority of my time spent in our pastures or the crop fields surrounding my home, I knew at a young age that I would always remain active in agriculture.

I come to Texas Farm Bureau from the Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association of Texas and the Texas FFA Association, located in downtown Austin. While I lived in Austin for almost two years, I quickly learned my view of growing up in agriculture wasn’t what the locals perceived.

I want to share information about our food and fiber and use Texas Table Top as a platform where consumers can connect and engage with the farmers and ranchers who grow it.

So, here I am readers. I’m excited to be a part of the “Voice of Texas Agriculture.” It’s nice to meet you!