Katharine Lotspeich
Where Are They Now? | August 2024 | By Ashley Butler
Meet Katharine Lotspeich,
​
Former Delta FFA member, who is now the U.S. Sales Lead and Key Account Manager for Peacock Technology, a dairy insights tech company that is based in Scotland. You could say that both 4-H and the FFA run in her family, as Katharine’s great-grandmother was a founding member of the National 4-H organization, and her older siblings helped ignite her excitement for the FFA at a young age.
“When I attended my oldest brother’s first chapter banquet and saw all of the members in their blue jackets, my second-grade self set my sights on following in his footsteps.”
Katharine was born into the dairy industry, and is the 3rd generation in her family to be actively a part of it. “I think being born into agriculture, you either love it or hate it,” and she counts herself as one of the ‘lucky ones’ to love it with all she’s got! Because of that, she knew that a career in the industry is where she would one day find herself, but as a member in the FFA she didn’t know what that would look like or that public speaking would become a huge part of that.
Because of her background, naturally Katharine was drawn to dairy judging! Her and her teammates were able to compete at Nationals as well as the 2008 World Dairy Expo in Wisconsin. However, what she labels as her ‘favorite thing about FFA’, and what she focused her competition ambitions towards was public speaking. Those ambitions paid off when she became the State Winning Creed Speaker as a freshman, and the State Winning Prepared Public Speaker as a senior. Those public speaking skills also contributed to Katharine’s success of becoming the State Secretary that same year as well, along with Utah's National Office Candidate the year after that.
“While public speaking and a love of dairy cows may not seem like a natural pair, it really helped me combine my roots and my aspirations for my future career,” says Katharine.
Traveling daily to meet with current clients and prospective customers, public speaking has become a cornerstone of her career, and what she says is one of her favorite things to do both personally and professionally; which you might find surprising for someone that used to be very shy, and is a self proclaimed ‘lifelong committed introvert’. Further proof of what benefits come from involvement in the FFA.
​
Peacock Technology helps dairy farmers by using vision technology to track cows (amongst other things). This tracking technology ultimately helps automate animal health monitoring and provides farmers a quick and efficient way to pinpoint areas of concern in a timely manner. Katharine’s position gives her the opportunity to check in with clients at their operations to make sure that their systems are running properly, and help them analyze the data that’s being gathered. When asked what her favorite part of her job is, she said, “The dairymen I work with are progressive, innovative, and laser focused on being the best stewards of the animals in their care. They’re also incredibly kind, razor sharp businessmen, and aren’t afraid to have some fun. Being around people like that is incredibly rewarding, and being challenged to help them meet their operational goals with the services my company provides makes it pretty easy to get out of bed in the morning.”
Katharine describes FFA as a ‘connector’.
“I’ve built business relationships and closed sales that started with ‘You were in FFA too?’ “
When asked what specific role the FFA played in helping her get where she is today, Katharine said,
“FFA was the launchpad for my career and my personal life. [It] opened vistas and opportunities that I didn’t even know existed. The people you meet and the experiences you have are there for the taking if you’ve got the nerve. FFA gave me the nerve and the courage to chase those opportunities. Knowing how to talk to different people in different places on different topics is crucial as a sales and relationship person. FFA challenged me to develop and hone those skills.”
​
When asked what advice she would give to a student thinking about joining FFA, she said,
“Stop thinking and just do it. There is no downside to FFA. Whether you learn a new skill just by being in the shop class, or take the leap into leadership positions as an officer, or find your passion talking people’s ears off, FFA has got a place for you. It doesn’t matter what your background is or where you come from – that blue corduroy is an equalizer. My two best friends in FFA didn't come from ag backgrounds, and they were some of the top talent in the state. The opportunities it provides are limited to no one, you just need the courage to step a bit out of your comfort zone. Once you’ve taken that first step, momentum takes hold and you’re off on adventures you could never have dreamed of.”
Katharine now lives in Colorado with her husband who is an ag. teacher; giving her plenty of opportunities to give back at the local level. Coaching the chapter Milk Quality and Products team every year is the highlight of her volunteering (pictured below).
“You don’t realize it when you’re a member, but the time and talent so many people give so generously to help make you successful is just mind blowing. I think that still being involved is almost a duty as a past member, in gratitude for everything we were given when we were wearing the blue and gold. It’s our responsibility to pay those gifts forward however we can.”
