UK senior wants to help farmers ‘continue to do what they love’

VERSAILLES, Ky. (Jan. 8, 2026) — Weston Wolf never realized how much he’d miss cows.

Wolf grew up on a family farm in Alexandria, Kentucky, on the southern end of Campbell County, “where it’s a little bit more rural,” he said. His family raised registered Polled Hereford cattle, and Weston participated in 4-H Youth Development and FFA.

“From a young age, I knew that I wanted to be in the ag space, in an ag career,” Wolf said.

The Wolf family was “heavily dependent” on UK Cooperative Extension Service resources, which — along with Kentucky basketball — brought the University of Kentucky to Weston’s attention. In 2022, Wolf became a student in UK’s Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.

Wolf said living in a residence hall in Lexington — hearing helicopters overhead and cars zooming down the road in the middle of the night — was a big change from where he grew up. That’s when he found himself missing cattle.

After about a month of settling in as a first-year student, Wolf started working for the Animal Research Center beef unit at UK’s C. Oran Little Research Center in Versailles, Kentucky.

“When I got the pleasure of coming out here for the first time, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, finally,’” Wolf said. “Silence and just cattle grazing — which is my comfort place, definitely very relaxing.”

Now a senior studying agricultural economics with minors in animal sciences and business, Wolf continues to work for the beef unit.

“I’ve learned so much out here,” he said. “It’s helped me tremendously.”

‘This is the place to work’

Wolf’s work day starts at 6:30 a.m.

His schedule at the beef unit varies based on season and his class schedule. He currently starts several of his mornings early by feeding the cattle according to their nutritional needs and tending to any related research projects. As he feeds the cattle, he does wellness checks to make sure no cattle are injured. During calving season, students who live on the farm do evening checks as well.

“Even when it’s cold and dark, it’s relaxing to me — being out here with the cows and just helping make sure everything’s happy.”

Wolf said there was a learning curve to adapt from a small family farm to a larger operation like UK’s. But he had a familiar and well-suited guide: his older brother Rusty.

Rusty Wolf, a senior when Weston was a freshman, was studying animal sciences and had worked at the beef unit since he was a freshman. As the most tenured student worker, Rusty got to help train Weston.

“Working with Weston at the beef unit was such a unique experience. He’s my lifelong best friend and brother, so getting to come back and work together again was amazing,” said Rusty, who is now the UK agriculture and natural resources extension agent in Boone County. “It was special to be on the other side of that, showing him the ropes and watching how quickly he picked everything up.”

Weston said the “hands-on experience” he gets from his work is helpful in the classroom. Sometimes nutrition is difficult for animal sciences students to grasp, for example, but that’s “easier” for him thanks to his work with UK’s cattle nutrition research.

Everything that happens on UK’s farm — from pasture rotations to nutrition decisions — is applicable beyond the classroom, too, Wolf said.

“If you come out here, you learn that stuff, and you learn it pretty quick,” he said. “If you ever plan to run your own operation, this is the place to work.”

The Bill Gatton Foundation’s impact

For the past two years, Wolf has been supported by a scholarship from The Bill Gatton Foundation.

The financial burden of a college education “doesn’t come without its stresses,” he said. Receiving The Bill Gatton Foundation Scholarship offers relief.

“The Gatton gift is weight off my shoulders,” Wolf said. “It’s something that I needed, and I can’t be thankful enough for it.”  

Thanks to the scholarship and living rent-free at C. Oran Little as a student worker, Wolf can worry less about financials and focus on his studies.   

“It’s made my learning experience that much better,” he said. “I’m eternally grateful.”

Excited for the future

Wolf said his approaching graduation in May 2026 is exciting and “a little nerve-wracking.”

“I’ve gotten so comfortable here and used to everything, so it’ll be a new adventure, but I’m excited for that,” he said.

Through his family farm, his UK education and internships at Kentucky Farm Bureau and AgCredit, Wolf knows the financial concerns of farming. Farmers have to navigate the volatility of the market, the weather and more, all of which can be challenging and stressful.

“I want to be someone who can help them figure out the best way to be profitable in this industry and the best way to continue to do what they love,” he said.

After graduation, Wolf hopes to get a loan officer position to accomplish that goal, sharing all he has learned with other farmers. And, someday, he hopes to have his own farm.

“Weston never ceases to impress me,” Rusty said. “I love him and couldn’t be prouder of the path he’s on and everything he has accomplished. I know he’s only at the beginning of his journey, but he’s already on a path to making a real difference in the agriculture community.”

Learn more about The Bill Gatton Foundation at https://www.mgcafe.uky.edu/about/bill-gatton-foundation. Learn more about the UK beef program at https://afs.mgcafe.uky.edu/beef.