Q and A with Jody Herchenbach

Jody Herchenbach, a new Assistant Professor of Agribusiness at the University of Nebraska at Kearney’s College of Business and Technology, knows all about agriculture and business. But that, wasn’t her initial plan.

She grew up in Leigh, Nebraska on a pig farm and was involved in 4-H and FFA. Originally, she wanted to leave agriculture behind. She attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) and earned her BS in Business Management.

Working 4 years as an Extension Assistant / 4-H coordinator with the Nebraska Extension in Platte County changed her mind and drew Herchenbach back into Agriculture. She earned her Master of Agribusiness from Kansas State University. Then her Doctorate in Agricultural Economics.

Now she works with small farmers and enjoys researching rural economics and development, agribusiness, and farm management.

What do you do for fun?

I love being outside and being active. That and reading. I read romance, non-fiction, biographies, history, and children’s books, like The Magic Treehouse. Right now, I’m reading The Paris Library. 

What do you like about teaching?

That personal connection. I learn just as much from the students as I feel I am sharing with them. What’s fun is that no two conversations are the same. I enjoy students, not only where they are coming from, but their diversity of thought.

What are you looking forward to about teaching at UNK?

Small classes and that personal connection. My high school graduating class had 14 students. At UNL, there were 200 students to a class. You can’t have the same discussions and group work in larger classes. The classes I remember the most had 30 students or less. We could work together, break into groups, have conversations, and help one another.

What do you like to research?

Studying the ins and outs of farm cooperatives. They’ve been around for 100 years or so. The landscape is changing, so how do we work with them and help them continue to be relevant.

What do you consider the most important thing on your curriculum vitae?

My travel abroad experiences in my junior year to Australia. I learned new skills and met people I am still in touch with 10 years later.

Do you have any pets?

Not yet. My husband and I are looking forward to getting a dog and some cats. We are familiar with pigs but are thinking maybe we’ll start with some goats.