Are you in need of content for your equine or other agricultural magazines, newsletters, blogs, social media posts, websites, etc? Then, I can help. What's more, I specifically want to work with you. By connecting with me you'll be able to take advantage of my extensive agricultural background and unique writing style well suited for your agricultural content creation needs. I am passionate about working with editors, companies, & organizations to create professional content both they & their readers will love. Please click the magazine title links found here on my website for examples of my work then email me at hopeeashburn@gmail.com & let's get started!

Hope Ellis-Ashburn

Education

University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Master of Science
Major - Agricultural Education
Minor - Education Admin. & Supervision
Member of Gamma Sigma Delta (agricultural honor society).

Middle Tennessee State University
Bachelor of Science
Major - Animal Science
Minor - Secondary/Vocational Education
Member of Horse Judging & Equestrian Teams (hunt seat & stock seat), Horseman's Assoc., Delta Tau Alpha (agricultural honor society), & Agriculture Student Council.

Agricultural Experience

Red Horse on a Red Hill Communications (2015 - Present)
Founder, Owner, & Agricultural Author & Writer

Experiences at RHRH include:

•  Contract freelance writer creating & contributing freelance manuscripts to agricultural & equine magazines for publication.
• Published author of over one hundred articles, two books, & a riding diary. Award-winning books are Always Hope: How Dairy Cows and Arabian Horses Inspired Grit in a Young Girl's Life (2019 EQUUS Film & Arts Festival Winnie Award for Best Memoir) & Kimbrook Arabians: How an Unlikely Midwestern Couple Influenced an Ancient Breed (2021 EQUUS Film & Arts Festival Winnie Award Runner-up in Equine History). Recently released riding diary, New Horse Journal.
• Client list includes Hobby Farms (regular column, From My Farm), Horse Illustrated, Hoof Beats (regular contributor for the horse care department), Western Horseman (regular bi-monthly horse health blog), Young Rider, EQUUS, The Horse, the AQHA Journal, US Equestrian, Arabian Horse Life, Experience Arabian Horses, Arabian Horse Times, Sidelines, & The Sound Advocate.
• Maintain social media & websites related to business. 

RHRH Achievements & Activities include: 

• 2016 Zoetis Equine Blogger Challenge Winner.
• Multiple guest speaker & podcast appearances.
• Current member of the American Horse Publications & past member of the Agricultural Communicators Network.

Farmer (Lifelong) 

Experiences include:

• Raised on my family's two Bledsoe County farms (business/farm name Ellis Silage Service), one a 332-acre dairy & row crop farm & the other a 268-acre row crop farm where the farm's dairy replacement heifers were raised. The milking herd consisted of 125 head of Holstein cattle. 
• Worked as Assistant Farm Manager of Kimbrook Arabians, an Arabian horse breeding farm in Giles County, TN. Duties included supervising the feeding, grooming, turn-out, & housing of the breeding farm's 50 purebred & part-Arabian horses. (1989 & 1991-1992).
• Currently, farm alongside my spouse on the family's TN Century Farm (business/farm name Ashburn Angus Farm located in Marion County, TN) raising hay & Black Angus cattle as part of a cow-calf operation. The farm has been in continuous operation by the Ashburn family for nearly 200 years.
• Combined earned agricultural experiences with bees, chickens, rabbits, sheep, goats, hogs, horses, & cattle, farm record-keeping, & row crop farming.

Farming agricultural credentials further include: 

• Member of the 4-H Club (Examples of experiences include extensive involvement in the dairy, horse, chicken, sheep, & veterinary science projects. State Dairy Promotion winner.) 10 years.
• Member of the FFA (Examples of experiences include chapter & district secretary, district president, parliamentary procedure team, Creed, prepared & extemporaneous public speaking, judging teams, & horse & dairy proficiency. Awarded State Farmer degree.) 4 years.
• Recipient of 1,313 hours of formal agricultural education instruction during high school.
• Two college degrees in agricultural fields.
• Certified agricultural education teacher.

Assistant Extension Agent (4-H Youth Agriculture) (1993-1998)
Agriculture Extension Service - the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (Roane County) 

Experiences Included:

• Taught educational programs to 2,100 4-H Club members annually in grades 4-12.
• Coordinated monthly agricultural project group meetings & training agricultural judging teams & project competitors including winning district & state-level teams & individuals along with coordinating summer camping programs.
• Supervised & provided training for 60 adult & teen volunteer leaders.
• When necessary, took on responsibilities of adult agricultural agent role.
• Served on marketing, events, & promotions/public relations committees & a team member of fundraising campaigns along with mentoring new 4-H Agents.
• Developed & wrote education literature on agricultural topics including educational publications, news stories, newsletters, & grant proposals.

Achievements & Activities included: 

• As part of the TN Association of Extension 4-H Workers & the TN Association of Agricultural Agents & Specialists was awarded 4 professional development awards & 12 communications awards. These included the George S. Foster Outstanding Agent Award & the Outstanding Young Ag Agent Award.
• Adjunct Professor (1997) at Roane State Community College. Developed & taught course in horse science. Planned labs, developed curriculum, & delivered instruction to students enrolled in the course.
• Guest Horse Science Instructor (1997) at Midway High School. Developed & taught course in horse science. Planned labs, developed curriculum, & delivered instruction to students enrolled in the course.

Other Relevant Experience

Teacher (2002 - Present)

Achievements & Experiences include:

• Professional Teaching License with endorsements in Agricultural Education & Business Education.
• Professional Occupational Teaching License with endorsement in Jobs for TN Graduates (JTG).

• 100% pass rate for Microsoft Office Specialist Word, PowerPoint, Excel, & Word Expert industry certifications.
• Named Outstanding Educator for Microsoft Office PowerPoint (Office 2016) for TN (2022).
• Students instructed have achieved multiple top state-level scores on MOS industry certification tests in PowerPoint & Excel.

• Provided technical assistance to JTG Specialists/Managers.
• Assisted in addressing Workforce Investment Act (WIA) certification issues.
• Served as a representative on accreditation review teams.
• Supplied data for reports.
• Assisted State Director with all aspects of the Career Development Conference.
• Developed & provided monthly reports on follow-up & management to the State Director & schools with data deficiencies.
• Completed Level I of the Management Development Institute.

• Served as the instructor for local JTG program servicing 45 high school seniors annually.
• Certified students for the program based on criteria that classified students as being at risk & in need of program services.
• Submitted data & developed reports for program stakeholders.
• Educated students on the process of identifying, selecting, keeping, & advancing in satisfying quality jobs.
• Administered one year of follow-up services for the previous year's program graduates to ensure their success & the success of the program.
• Students instructed earned multiple state-level awards in employability skills competitions.
• Recipient of 12 "5 of 5" awards for meeting program benchmarks at individual schools, 7 Outstanding Specialist Awards, & made 2 Best Practice presentations during the program's annual National Training Seminar (NTS).
• Selected for inclusion in the Who's Who Among America's High School Teachers for the 2004-2005 school year.

• Directed sales & promotional activities.
• Responsible for sales & marketing contacts of physicians, case managers, social workers, & other health care professionals.
• Directed potential patient/resident tours & took calls of inquiry.
• Conducted competitor analysis & completed marketing reports & admissions paperwork.
• Assisted in the development of new product lines.

Achievements included:

• Named Admissions & Marketing Director of the Quarter (2002).
• Piloted assisted living community to People's Choice Award (1999).

• Coordinating volunteer leader recruitment, training, placement, & overall management & development of the volunteer leader program.
• Managed payroll & employee benefits, new hire & termination paperwork, advertising, & public speaking engagements.
• Served on marketing, events, & benefits committees.

• Organizational.
• Problem-solving.
• Communication (strong written & oral skills).
• Social media.
• A highly-trained, veteran educator with the ability to take complicated topics & make them both engaging & easy to understand.
• People skills.
• Skilled livestock handler & caretaker.

Specific Skills include:

• Microsoft products. Highly proficient in Word & PowerPoint. Proficient in Excel. Experience in Access.

• Past president of UT/TSU Extension Marion County Agriculture Committee (2011 - 2017).
• Marion County 4-H Volunteer Leader (2000 - 2002).
• Assisted in a 3-year restoration project of the family's 1927 farmhouse that is now the family's residence.
• Horse owner for 40 years. An avid rider with an interest in multiple disciplines. A former frequent multi-discipline competitor who now enjoys trail riding & the occasional schooling show.