FITNESS FUELS By Bev Berens
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Cows milked, milkhouse cleaned, calves fed, kids off to school … and it’s only 9:30 a.m. Most people would count that as a workout and check “exercise” off their list for the day. Britney Zondlak sees the picture a little differently. Instead of counting the physical labor of farming as the workout, she teaches others to incorporate exercise and healthy habits into everyday life so they can continue the lifestyle they love, especially when it comes to farming.
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about fitness, with a little bit of agriculture education thrown into the mix. It has grown into a platform where she coaches women on ways to implement fitness into the everyday routine. She has created fitness coursework, serves as a personal coach and trainer and is a public speaker and podcast guest.
Her fitness coaching programs aren’t intended to help reach lofty goals like running marathons or setting world records, but rather to gain fitness to enable people, especially women, to accomplish all their other life goals. “I know that sounds cliché, but being fit is helping me do what you love now,” Zondlak said.
“As I got older,I realized that the only way to do what I want... is by taking care of myself so I can lead the healthy lifestyle that allows me to do more.”
Her heart is entirely in agriculture, and she wears a lot of different farm hats these days. As an employee of 20 years at Star Summit Farms (yes, she started quite young) she is equally comfortable in the parlor, on a tractor, in the office or cow-side at the farm. She is also cultivating her creative and entrepreneurial agricultural talents with a four-acre pumpkin patch in addition to a flower farm.
Zondlak is better known on her website as Ms. Fit Farmer, which she began as a creative online outlet to share her passion
“As I got older, I realized that the only way I can do what I want - which is all these things - is by taking care of myself so I can lead the healthy lifestyle that allows me to do more. I don’t want to do less,” she said. “Sometimes as women, we get into the mindset of choosing what we want to do, and de-
cide we can’t do it all, but for me, I want to do it all, and health is at the center of it.” Ms. Fit Farmer snowballed into something unexpected, thanks in part to invitations from companies like Monsanto that invited a few ag influencers like Zondlak for an educational trip to learn about the company’s products, services, technology and philosophy. All the young women invited were involved in both agriculture and fitness, and have strong follower bases through blogs, websites and social media. Zondlak was able to share about Monsanto and their products to her circles, exposing people to accurate agricultural information. In turn, Monsanto shared each influencer’s story, exposing them to a larger audience. “Having good partnerships makes a difference and helps us all educate a wider audience,” she said. Instagram is her favorite social media platform for quick tips, information and a lead to her blog. However, she prefers the more detailed format of her blog and website where she can dive deeper into a topic and really spend some time exploring, educating and helping people sort out a mindset on physical wellbeing. “My whole goal is to teach busy women that fitness can be at the center of a life, to use fitness as a way to build a healthy lifestyle so you can have the energy to build a life that you love.”
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You can read more from Ms. Fit Farmer herself online at https://msfitfarmer.com.
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“Sometimes as women, we get into the mindset of choosing what we want to do, and decide we can’t do it all, but for me, I want to do it all, and health is at the center of it.”
10 Michigan Dairy Cattle News
Fall 2021
