Recent North Dakota State University (NDSU) Graduate Cierra Dockter accepted a position with Red River Farm Network at the end of 2021 as a farm broadcaster. 
 
Dockter majored in agricultural communications with a minor in animal science at NDSU. She said she knew she wanted to go into agricultural communications since her freshman year of high school because of her love of writing and literature but not of public speaking.

 “I honestly never thought I would go into agricultural journalism because I hated public speaking so much,” Dockter said. “I actually remember telling my mom during high school I would avoid public speaking at all costs in my future career but look at me now!” 

Dockter’s first time being exposed to the broadcast media side of agricultural communications was during her term as North Dakota state FFA vice president during her freshman year of college. 

“Being a state FFA officer brought a lot of great opportunities and involved me in media in a way I had never been before,” Dockter said.

Dockter grew up in Medina, North Dakota, on her family’s Gelbvieh seedstock operation. She was heavily involved in 4-H and FFA, and was always trying something new. She developed a farrow-to-finish hog operation and added goats, sheep, broilers, and layers to the family farm. 

“Livestock was one of my top interests during college, and that showed as I continued my livestock judging career in college,” Dockter said.

After graduating from NDSU, she worked for the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association as the special-projects director. She soon switched paths after being contacted by the president of Red River Farm Network. 

“I really wanted to get a career more in the communications side of things, and Don Wick reached out with this position,” Dockter said.

Dockter said she is really looking forward to getting involved with NAFB, and she is honored to have wonderful coworkers and mentors beside which to work.