Editor’s Note: Continuing its series recognizing local women in agriculture, the Journal is featuring stories throughout the month in honor of National Women in Agriculture Day, observed in late March. This week’s story, the second in the series, focuses on three Britton-area women — Janelle Swanson, Julie Loebs and Lana Wietgrefe — who helped build the local presence of Hurley & Associates while working with farm families across the region.
When Janelle Swanson began her career in agricultural marketing more than two decades ago, she stepped into a field that was still relatively new to many farmers in the region.
What began as an opportunity soon grew into a long career helping producers navigate the challenges of grain markets and risk management. Along the way, Swanson and two other Britton-area women, Julie Loebs and Lana Wietgrefe, helped build the local presence of Hurley & Associates, an agricultural risk management and marketing firm that serves farm families across the Midwest.
Through their work with producers and their long careers with the company, the three women became part of the growth of Hurley’s Britton office while building lasting relationships with farm families throughout the region.
Hurley & Associates was founded in 1988 in Charleston, Missouri, by Ida Hurley. Her mission was to help farm families manage the financial risks of agriculture while protecting the long term stability of their operations.
The Britton connection began in the late 1990s when Swanson was working at the Four Seasons Co-op elevator in Claremont. At the time, Hurley’s services were offered through the cooperative system.
“The co-op believed in Ida Hurley’s mission that farmers needed help with marketing,” Swanson said.
Her boss encouraged her to apply for a marketing position with the company. Though she had little marketing experience, Swanson studied, passed her brokerage exam and helped open the Hurley office in Britton in 2000.
As the client list grew, Swanson realized she needed help. In 2004, she encouraged Julie Loebs to join the office.
Loebs did not come from an agriculture background, but Swanson encouraged her to earn her broker’s license and become a marketing associate.
“When I passed my test, she told me to go get customers and make more money,” Loebs said with a laugh.
Another familiar face joined the team in 2006 when Swanson’s sister, Lana Wietgrefe, decided to make a life changing move. At the time, Wietgrefe was living in Fargo and working with adults with disabilities while raising four children. During a Hurley company trip to Mexico, Swanson encouraged her to consider becoming a consultant.
“I didn’t think I could do it,” Wietgrefe recalled.
But after attending meetings and learning more about the company’s approach, she changed her mind.
“I kept thinking, why aren’t farmers doing this?” she said. “It seemed so obvious that it would help.”
After learning more about the company’s approach, she moved back to her hometown of Britton to join the business.
In those early years, agricultural marketing was still largely male dominated. Elevator managers and merchandisers were often men, though many women worked behind the scenes in bookkeeping and office roles.
The Hurley model was different. “Hurley was forward thinking about hiring women,” Loebs said.
Over time, the women found that many farmers appreciated their approach.
“We found that farmers were often more comfortable opening up to us about their finances,” Swanson said.
Building those relationships became central to their work, since marketing plans often involved discussions about debt, risk and long-term goals.
“You have to know your clients personally,” Wietgrefe said. “It is not just business. It is their livelihood.”
The job also extended far beyond normal work hours.
“It wasn’t unusual to get a call at 10 at night,” Loebs said. “We were on call all the time.”
Despite the demanding schedule, the women say the work was rewarding. Over the years they worked with multiple generations of farm families and watched operations grow.
They also credit company founder Ida Hurley as a major influence. Though she did not have a college degree, she built a national company based on integrity and a commitment to helping farm families.
“She was an incredible Christian woman,” Swanson said. “Her honesty and integrity shaped the whole company.”
After roughly two decades with Hurley & Associates, each of the women eventually stepped back from the demanding pace of the job.
Swanson retired in 2020 after scaling back her client list. Wietgrefe has reduced her consulting work but still serves the company as an internal compliance auditor. Loebs recently retired as well, deciding it was time to slow down and spend more time with family.
“It’s a lot of responsibility,” Loebs said. “At some point you realize life is short and you want to enjoy the next chapter.”
Looking back, the women say the greatest accomplishment isn’t just the business they helped grow, but the relationships they built along the way.
“The friendships we have with each other and with our customers mean everything,” Loebs said.
Wietgrefe agrees. “Knowing we helped a lot of farmers — that’s what makes me proud,” she said.
As they reflect on their careers, all three hope the legacy of the Britton office continues, carried forward by a new generation of women now working in the company.
