Unsure of her ideal career, Burgess enrolled in the University of Wisconsin, where she studied agricultural business management. Speaking about her choice of major, Burgess shared, “It seemed like a nice middle ground to figure out where I was going,” but she ended up really loving it.
After graduating, she stayed in Madison to earn a master’s degree in agricultural and applied economics.
During the master’s program, one of Burgess’ professors introduced her to someone on the Blimling (now Ever.Ag) team. Although she began her career in Cooperative Extension, Burgess said when she heard about an open position at Blimling, she jumped at the opportunity to take it.
Today, she continues supporting dairy producers and commercial accounts in navigating and managing the ups and downs of the volatile dairy market.
Combining her past and present
Throughout her twelve years on the Blimling and Ever.Ag teams, Burgess’ role has evolved and changed, but throughout her career, she has valued the knowledge she gained growing up on a dairy farm. “Coming from a dairy has been a big advantage because it really gives me insight into what’s going on on the ground,” Burgess said.
Burgess’ first-hand experience with dairy farming benefits her work with producers in three distinct ways.
First, Burgess fully understands the daily tasks, concerns, and routines of dairy farmers, which drives the character of her work.
With their demanding schedules in mind, Burgess knows to sum up the complexities and fluctuations of the market into “bite-sized topics that get them what they need to know.”
Second, Burgess’ background helps her to notice the minute nuances between customers. Her acute attention to detail helps her guide every customer to make the best decision possible.
“Just because you’re a 500-cow dairy in Wisconsin doesn’t mean that you’re exactly the same as a different 500-cow dairy down the road,” Burgess said.
Lastly, due to her familial ties to the industry, Burgess has a deep level of care and commitment to customers. Burgess said she often thinks, “If this was my dad or my sister, how would I advise them on managing price risk?” Burgess consistently looks beyond the data and numbers to truly consider the person behind them.
Finding a balance
Although she spends many days reviewing market prices at a desk, Burgess maintains a tangible connection to the dairy industry.
“I always joke that I sit behind my computer screen all day so that [my family doesn’t] have to,” Burgess said.
Burgess enjoys visiting dairy farmers and taking her son to watch her brother-in-law drive tractors and feed cows.
Another favorite activity of Burgess is checking the price points in the cheese case of her local grocery store.
“It is really fun to see the connection – from the decisions being made at the dairy all the way down to the end consumer,” Burgess said.
Ever.Ag Financial Services
Burgess is part of the Ever.Ag Insights and Risk Management teams. She advises and executes risk management strategies for producers, processors, and multi-national end users. The Ever.Ag Insights platform provides dairy market news, information and commentary to a U.S. and international audience.