Northern Ag Network warmly welcomes Lainey Kitzmann as their summer intern for 2024. You may have heard Lainey on the KGHL radio before, but this time she is back to do an internship with the Ag Broadcasting Crew. During her time at Northern Ag, Lainey will produce radio and tv broadcasts, providing ag news and market information to Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas.
Family Background
Lainey is the daughter of Jason Kitzmann, a farm kid from North Dakota, and Kristi Roberts from small town Belfry, Montana. She falls in between her two older and two younger sisters. After living in different parts of Montana, Lainey and her family planted roots in Yellowstone County where she attended Billings Senior High. She finished out her last two years at the Billings Career Center to take her agriculture education courses.
Passion for Agriculture
Lainey’s passion for agriculture started when she was just a little girl. She attributes much of her inspiration to her grandparents, Sharon and Jerry Kitzmann, who farmed near the iconic Holstein cow in New Salem, North Dakota. Lainey’s favorite parts of visiting the farm were helping her grandpa feed, check cows, being the passenger princess in the tractor, and assisting her grandma in the garden. Her passion only grew as she spent her high school summers working full time at Swanky Roots, her family friends’ aquaponic greenhouse and outdoor garden, as a larger scale vegetable farmer and helping at their angus beef cattle operation producing local beef.
Lainey first connected with Northern Ag when she was interviewed as the President of the Billings FFA Chapter by Taylor Brown. Lainey helped with reactivation of the chapter that had been dormant for over thirty years under the advisory of Joylynn Petrosky. She says, “It was an honor to be the first person to compete for Billings, Montana at the National FFA Convention after all those years.”
Hobbies
When not in school, Lainey enjoys photography. She loves capturing family’s, portraits, and doing creative projects, so keep an eye out for Lainey Kitzmann Photography. When not behind the camera or at work, she also loves the many outdoor activities Montana has to offer. Whether it is hunting, fishing, playing pickleball or riding motorcycles, she is always on the go.
Education
After studying as a National Exchange Student at the University of Hawaii this past fall, Lainey is wrapping up her last three semesters at Montana State University where she is obtaining a degree in Agriculture Communications and Business Entrepreneurship Upon graduating in 2025, she intends to remain in Montana, dedicating her career to advocating for agriculture while pursuing her aspirations in photography.
Lainey is beyond thrilled to have this position at Northern Ag as has a strong passion for advocating for rural mental health, our farmers, and ranchers, in addition to promoting all aspects of agriculture in every way that she can.
If you see her around events this summer, be sure to say hello and Go Bobcats!
