The Farmer's Daughter: Heidi Zwinger

Posted: 10/12/2020

Hello, my name is Heidi Zwinger and I am a farmer’s daughter.

I grew up on an 80 cow dairy in rural Minnehaha county with my folks and my 2 older sisters. There I learned to care for the animals at a very young age, thinking it was fun to feed the bottle calves instead of thinking of it as work.

Joining 4-H and exhibiting animals at the county and state fair are some of my favorite memories. The friendships I made during those years are friendships that are still strong today. My involvement in FFA during high school helped to develop my skills in leadership and public speaking, which enabled me to begin sharing my families farming story. After my dad retired from dairy farming, I worked with another local dairy farm caring for animals and telling their family story.

The years I spent growing up and working on our family dairy farm shaped me into the person I am today, calling me to share my family’s farm story. Today, I am excited to take on the role of Outreach Director with South Dakota Farm Families and help other farmers and farmers daughters share their stories.