Not a day goes by that Kate Lambert is not immersed in farm finances and many of the other critical aspects of agriculture. Kate and her husband, Matt, are owners of Uptown Farms based in Laclede, Mo. She also is a loan officer for FCS Financial in north-central Missouri and a member of the 2017 ASA Advocacy Communication Team.
Lambert did not grow up on a farm, however. Rather, an understanding of and interest in agriculture was instilled in her by her father. Lambert says her dad was a farm kid at heart, and often explained farming activities going on near their Sycamore, Ill., home.
“I was introduced to farming early on,” she said. “While I had no production agriculture background, my dad suggested I join FFA. FFA became my ‘gateway’ into agriculture.”
Lambert managed FFA sheep projects during high school, raising the animals on a local farm at the edge of town. She met Matt during this time as well, and eventually they both attended Northwest Missouri State University. Lambert got her degree in agriculture business.
“When it became apparent Matt wanted to go home and farm after college, I had to decide if I wanted to follow. I had always thought I might go to law school,” she said. “Obviously I chose the farm, and that was a big change for me–driving more than an hour to buy a pair of jeans.”
Today, the Lamberts are fifth-generation farmers and manage 2,500 acres of row crops and hay production. They have transitioned their farm to completely no-till, and use cover crops to enhance soil health while minimizing soil erosion and run-off. In addition, the family has a commercial Red Angus cow-calf herd and flocks of registered and commercial sheep.
