Why I Chose FBN^®: Sarah Luther, Corporate Counsel - FBN Direct

Our ‘Why I Chose FBN’ series features stories from employees across different roles, teams, and geographies on how they got to FBN, what it’s like to work here, and how their teams help fulfill our mission of putting Farmers First®.

When did you join FBN, what is your current role at FBN, where are you based, and what are your responsibilities?

I joined FBN at the end of January this year, 2022. I am on the legal team supporting Livestock, On-Farm Trials, Regulatory, and Warehousing and Logistics. I’m fully remote, based in Galveston, Texas.

What was your previous work experience before joining FBN?

Prior to law school, I worked as an engineer for a state-funded water authority in Florida. I coordinated with local producers on water permits and water-quality and water-quantity improvement projects.

Post-law school and just prior to joining FBN, I was an attorney in private practice, where I did about half transactional work and about half litigation.

What did you first find compelling about FBN that led you to want to learn more?

I grew up on a 60-acre cow-calf operation in Florida, where I was heavily involved in the day to day needs of the farm. I also raised and showed dairy cows and had a menagerie of other animal projects.

While at the University of Florida, I worked on the swine farm, which provided housing for myself and the other 2 students that worked there. And then as an engineer, I was on the Ag Team, working with producers every day. So I have a very solid background in agriculture and it is a huge passion of mine.

Because of that, I have always been interested in working in the ag industry, but it is pretty difficult to find ag law work in the Southeast, unless you want to write wills for local growers.

I am a big fan of the ocean and not a big fan of snow. When I saw the opening at FBN and started researching, I was really excited to find that FBN is making a positive impact on production agriculture. So many ag-tech startups lose sight of the actual needs of the family farmers that make up the industry, but FBN is really well positioned to be a partner for growers.

Why did you ultimately decide to join FBN? What did this thought process look like for you?

It was a no-brainer. FBN offered me the opportunity to positively influence the commercial agriculture industry in an innovative way that utilizes my education and allows me to live in a warm place. 

Now that you’ve joined, how would you describe FBN’s culture and what it’s like to work here?

All-In. Everyone is working toward the mission of serving family farmers. There’s a lot of innovation happening, and teams are constantly looking for ways to better serve farmers and coordinate with other teams within the company.

What kind of impact are you and your team having on the company’s future?

The legal team largely serves a support function for the business units. We assist with strategizing on new initiatives, thinking through current problems, navigating regulatory frameworks, and protecting the interests of our farmer partners.

How does FBN’s mission come to life in your day-to-day work? How does your work positively impact famers?

One of the great things about my job is that I get to work on so many different aspects of the business. While I don’t directly interact with farmers, I get to see all the ways in which FBN is working to improve farmers’ experiences and provide additional tools to increase the profitability of the family farm.

We know you have a life outside of work - what kinds of things do you do for fun?

I spend most of my free time renovating my 100-year old home and my husband and I are working towards owning a ranch of our own. I also enjoy fishing and we have 2 German Shorthaired Pointer pups that keep me pretty busy.

What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone considering FBN?

Make good use of the organizational chart and ask lots of questions. FBN has so many different departments and there are so many different things happening at once.

It may take a while to wrap your head around it all, so make good use of the more tenured people you work with to get institutional knowledge and contextual background.

I think I do a better job if I have an idea of how my piece fits in the puzzle, so I’m really thankful that everyone at FBN has been so helpful and forthcoming in giving me that context.

Learn more about joining FBN

Interested in learning more about FBN and opportunities to join our team?

Check out our Careers page for more information on open roles and how we’re transforming the future of farming!

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