Though she’d always fondly remembered growing up on her family’s farm near Dunlap, Iowa, Jill Melby didn’t envision herself spending her adult years raising cattle and pigs and growing row crops.
But love, family, professional passions and the pull of the vibrant ag industry brought Jill back to her hometown in western Iowa. And without sacrificing any of her goals, Jill has carved out a fulfilling career in agriculture that also has allowed her to inspire the next generation.
Life on the farm
When Jill was a child, she thought agriculture played a central role in everyone’s daily life.
“I thought everyone had rows upon rows of sweet corn outside their house and a big garden,” Jill remembered. “My grandparents, aunts and cousins would all come over to pick and can sweet corn. We would all husk and cook the corn to then bag or can it. I thought every family did this. It was fun to get everyone together at the house.”
And while many of the memories were as sweet as the corn, Jill still experienced the less idyllic parts of farm life. When she was grounded, for instance, Jill had to scoop buckets of corn by hand to feed the cows, pouring corn into the troughs as quickly as possible while the cows pushed and shoved to get to the food.
After high school, Jill headed to Simpson College where she got a degree in marketing and sports administration.
“I wanted off the farm as fast as I could get out of there,” Jill confessed.
Back to her roots
Jill was working in Omaha after college when she learned about her father’s plan for her and her sister to take over the family farm. After considering his plans, she decided to lay the groundwork for her transition back home by opening her own bridal business, Wild Daisy Bridal. During one of her frequent visits to her hometown, she met husband, Doug, and moved back to Dunlap.
Jill found a great farming partner in Doug. It wasn’t long after Jill introduced Doug to her family that Doug lent a helping hand on a big farm project.
“Now Doug and I are getting our feet wet with farming by renting some acres to farm and helping my parents with planting and harvest,” Jill said.
And just like the lessons Jill learned of feeding the cattle by hand while grounded, Jill’s father has a way of ensuring Jill and her sister stay down-to-earth while learning how to manage the family’s farm.
“My father has also been teaching my sister and me the business the hard way, starting with our farthest piece of ground in Glidden, Iowa,” Jill said. “We do the paperwork; help with planting and harvest; and purchase the seed, chemicals, and insurance to learn the business.”
Outside of the family farm, the ag industry still takes center stage in Jill’s professional life. Jill is the marketing manager for Puck Enterprises, a liquid transfer equipment manufacturer, and manages four brands for the company. It’s a role she said she never thought she’d be in but wouldn’t trade now.
“I can honestly tell you that I didn’t think I would ever be posting on social media and creating videos about liquid transfer equipment that is used in the manure pumping industry, but here I am!” she said. “And I love that I get to walk outside the office and see it all being made right here in small town Manning, Iowa.”
Inspiring the next generation
As Puck Enterprises expands, so will its workforce. Jill is eager for the growth and excited to work with young people who have a passion for the ag industry, such as Puck Enterprises’ summer intern, Nicole.
“Nicole is an ag communications major at Iowa State University, and I can’t wait for our marketing team to teach her about the different aspects of marketing,” Jill said. “I’m sure we can learn from her, too.”
In addition to Puck Enterprises’ intern, Jill’s stepson, Devin, has a passion for the ag industry. Unlike Jill’s mindset as a teenager, 16-year-old Devin is planning to farm. During the pandemic, Devin spent a lot of time with Jill’s father on the farm, hauling corn to the grain bin and learning about other farm tasks. Devin hopes to pursue welding or diesel mechanics so he can fix his own equipment when he starts farming.
As a woman in agriculture who leads marketing for multiple ag brands, works the family’s farm and continues to run her own business, Jill knows the success that hard work can bring. She wants to impart that knowledge on the next generation of ag workers.
When she was a young child, Jill remembers having to watch the gate while her family was chasing cows. By standing at the gate, she was able to keep an eye on the action and any errant livestock. Now, she hates watching the gate and wants in on the action.
“I want aspiring farmers and ag workers to know that hard work pays off,” Jill said. “Don’t stand back and watch the gate. Jump in and do the hard stuff.”