Agriculture is more than just the chosen area of study for University of Missouri junior Gentrie Davis. It’s her past, present and future.  

“We always like to pride ourselves on ‘think different, farm different,’” Davis said about her family’s agriculture business. “That’s something I hope to carry on in my work, especially after college.” 

As an agricultural education major with an emphasis in communications and leadership, Davis has deep roots in the agriculture industry. Her family runs a grain elevator and row crop operation in Marshall, Missouri.   

“Where I’m from, we’re basically the agriculture hub,” she said.  

Davis is a transfer student who has dived into the CAFNR community headfirst since starting at Mizzou in the fall. She’s vice president of CAFNR Student Council, a member of the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) and a member of Sigma Alpha, a sorority for agriculture professionals. 

“I guess you can say I’ve gotten a little busy here on campus,” Davis said. “But it’s basically my home away from home.” 

Mizzou didn’t always feel like home for Davis though. She said the transition from community college was a shock at first. 

“Oh my gosh. I remember my first day of class,” she said. “I walked into Middlebush Hall and it was a whole auditorium of 500 students.” 

Becoming a student at Mizzou took some time for Davis to adjust to, but she now enjoys the variety of experiences it has to offer. 

“I enjoy the big environment and getting to know those perspectives of the psychology students in my 500-person class all the way to my little agricultural education classes of like 10 or 15,” she said. “It’s a very broad spectrum.” 

Davis’s goal is to take advantage of the resources available to her and bring that knowledge back to her family’s business. 

“I would like to go and share our story and how we produce to the general public,” Davis said.  

In 2014, Davis’s family switched from conventional farming to organic and non-GMO markets. They opened a grain elevator in 2017, which is a place where other local farmers can bring their grain and get tied directly to the market. 

“We’re maybe not the most traditional agriculture family out there,” Davis said.  

That’s why she wants to share her family’s story. Combining her passion for agriculture and adeptness for writing, Davis has found her niche in CAFNR. 

“I always enjoy telling stories,” she said. “I love to write, so those were traits that I really wanted to highlight in my future career.” 

As a transfer student who has found her footing amongst the seemingly endless opportunities at a large university, Davis’s advice for future transfer students is to not let the size of anything hold you back. 

“Put yourself out there, go make a new friend, say hello to the person you sit next to in class,” she said. “Down the road that could really make a long-term connection, and you never know when you’re going to circle back to that.”