Meet the Candidates: Jessica Moor - The Little Things Matter

You may see a little girl digging a hole, but in less than a year, this will turn into the house and hobby farm of her family's dreams. I’m happy to report that little girl is me, and I dug the first hole to start our more than 40-acre hobby farm from the 13.8 million acres of agricultural land in Wisconsin. This is where each of my agricultural passions started.

 This is not a multi-generational family farm, but through the hard work of my family, we were able to start our own traditions. We currently raise beef cattle, rabbits, chickens, and horses. Each animal gave me a basic knowledge of the many different areas of agriculture, but my world opened up in high school when I signed up for FFA because of the various opportunities that were available, no matter a person’s background. The most caring agriculture teacher pushed me to become a chapter officer, compete in speaking contests, and had me attend my first ever rodeo in St. Paul, Minnesota. Have you ever had that moment where you ask yourself, “How did I get here?” My answer to this question starts with those incredible connections from FFA and 4-H that created my love of rodeo and showed the possibilities after high school. At that point, I knew Wisconsin agriculture not only consisted of dairy, but held a vast array of products, foods, animals and farms. Today, it is encouraging to see the little things that matter, such as raising a small fraction of the 58.4 million broiler chickens in 2024, or baling hay throughout the summer to feed the animals.

My horse obsession started well before I was born. My grandfather owned harness racing horses – Standardbred horses to be exact. That interest was passed down to my father, who has more stories of riding horses around Delaware in his youth than I do. His experiences made him a willing participant in getting his daughter a colt for her 8th birthday, every little girl's dream.

My young life consisted of horse books, posters, and movies of 4-H clinics and Western Saddle Clubs Association (WSCA) shows with my horse Renegade. My parents supported me through ten years of 4-H and three rodeo queen titles, with each title encompassing a busy summer schedule. I am grateful to my parents for moving to Wisconsin and starting a hobby farm where I was able to experience many types of agriculture. They always encouraged me to do my best and continue to do so as I experience this journey as a 79th Alice in Dairyland Top Candidate.