Riley Shockey lives on Bridgewater Farm in Sandyville, West Virginia. Her daily life consists of juggling school, playing basketball and soccer year-round and helping out on her family’s dairy farm.
“I think growing up on a dairy farm has really shaped me into who I am because a lot of people my age, they don’t have the same experiences that I do – I think it’s pretty cool.” says Riley.
Riley’s responsibilities on the farm include helping her dad, who is also a veterinarian, complete the daily chores to care for their 250 cows and calves. Besides helping on the farm, one of Riley’s favorite activities is helping out her grandparents at their veterinary clinic.
HEAR FROM THE FARMER
Hear Riley Shockey explain her positive experience growing up on a dairy farm.
“When I grow up, I want to be a veterinarian like my grandpa,” she says. “My dad is also a vet and so is my uncle, so it’s kind of a family thing. I’ve been helping at the vet clinic ever since I was a little girl and I really enjoy it,” says Riley.
Her favorite aspect of working at the clinic is building relationships with customers, while caring for the animals. She hopes to continue to be involved on the farm and in her family’s businesses in the future. “Growing up on a farm has definitely influenced my aspirations to become a veterinarian,” she explains. “Everyone around me, even my extended family, they’re all involved in agriculture in some way.”
Riley’s upbringing on a dairy farm has also influenced her love of the outdoors. In her free time, she enjoys reading, riding her bike and running outside. She cares about the land that her family lives and works on and understands farmers’ responsibility to be sustainable and have a positive effect on the environment.
“Environmental sustainability is important to me,” says Riley. “A lot of people think that farming has a negative impact on the environment, but it’s good to explain to people that it actually doesn’t and it can actually be beneficial to the environment and do good things for it.”
Learn more about the Shockeys and Bridgewater Farm.
