Karen has been a well-respected and award-winning agricultural journalist for more than two decades. In 2000, she served as president of the American Agricultural Editors' Association, a group of more than 400 professional farm writers. Karen obtained her journalism degree from South Dakota State University and then returned to her northwest Iowa farm roots to become farm editor for a daily newspaper. From there, she sharpened her writing skills covering the pork industry and later served as managing editor of National Hog Farmer.