Kameran Collier began showing and judging livestock in 4-H
ADRIAN, MO. – The Collier family has been involved in the agriculture industry as long as they can remember, and that doesn’t seem like it’ll be changing any time soon.
Kameran Collier, 18, is the fourth generation of the Collier family to raise Shorthorn cattle on their ranch in Adrian, Mo. Along with her parents, Kirsten and Scott Collier, and brother, Bailey, Kameran is keeping the family tradition alive and well.
Agriculture was a clear interest of Kameran’s from a young age. She began showing livestock at just 8 years old, and was involved with her local 4-H club from that point forward. What sparked her interest so early on? She credits her father.
“My dad’s family always showed cattle and they went all over for it,” Kameran said. “My dad was always really passionate about it, so that carried over to me and my brother.”
It wasn’t long before her passion for showing expanded and took on a different perspective. By the time she was in fifth grade, Kameran had begun her livestock judging career.
Her place in the agriculture industry was only solidified as she entered into her high school years. It was there Kameran dove headfirst into her involvement with the Adrian FFA Chapter.
“As a freshman, I knew I wanted to be at least a chapter officer,” Kameran said. She took things a step further her sophomore year when she interviewed for the Area 7 Officer Team. She maintained the Area 7 Secretary position for the next two years, and enjoyed her senior year as president of her local chapter.
“Find a Mentor – an advisor or an upper classmen and be willing to learn. Learn anything and everything. Be a sponge. Absorb it all.”
— Kameran Collier
Kameran capped off her final year in the program by taking home the Area 7 Star Farmer award in acknowledgment of her Supervised Agriculture Experience (SAE) project. Collier’s project focused on her love for animal agriculture through a diversified livestock program. This was achieved by raising and showing her registered Shorthorn cattle at the local, state and national levels, along with both market lambs and goats. Her advise to anyone who wants to follow in her footsteps is simple.
“Find a mentor – an advisor or an upper classmen and be willing to learn,” she said. “Learn anything and everything. Be a sponge. Absorb it all.”
While Kameran was deeply involved in 4-H and FFA during her high school years, she was also an active member of the speech and debate team, along with playing for Adrian’s volleyball and basketball teams. She found the inspiration and inherited the drive to do it all from one of the closest people to her – her mom.
“She always pushes me to do my absolute best and strive for more. She’s a really great support system,” says Kameran.
Kameran currently attends Fort Scott Community College (FSCC) where she is continuing to follow her passions.
“I was always involved in livestock judging and I knew I wanted to do it in college, so I started looking around and Fort Scott is where I ended up,” Kameran explained. She is enjoying working with and learning from FSCC livestock judging coach Blake Davis. She plans to obtain her associate’s degree from FSCC in 2023, then transfer to another university to complete her bachelor’s. While she’s undecided on what degree she will pursue, she feels confident her future will be embedded in agriculture.
“I definitely want to get a degree in agriculture and maintain a career in it. It’s something I’ve always been interested and it’s definitely my passion,” Kameran said.
She plans to expand the family legacy.“I’m really involved in the show industry right now, and I can only see it getting better by working to raise even better livestock, become more efficient, and to just keep growing.”
What’s the future of agriculture look like? It’s hard to say exactly, but for Kameran Collier, it’s really just getting started.
