Minnesota Agri-Growth AgNite

It's always been a dream of mine to go to a red carpet event. Who knew I would get the chance to go to one in my blue jacket? Minnesota Agri-Growth coordinated a massive celebration of the agricultural industry, affectionately dubbed AgNite. The event was held in conjunction with the Republican National Convention and had a total attendance of around five thousand people. In addition to a red carpet, there were representatives from not only Minnesota, but from across the country present to toast where our industry is going. The night was nearly awe-inspiring as beautiful decoration, complimented by potted corn stalks, giant blocks of cheese, and a John Deere tractor, set up a great atmosphere for conversation about agriculture. It was great to catch up with many familiar faces and to make scores of new contacts. The night wrapped up with a Styx concert on the main stage. The overall message of the event was loud and clear, agriculture is just that exciting right now!

The GREAT Minnesota Get-together

12 days of wonderful food (that's horrible for you), livestock shows everyday, one hundred and eighty-four new births and a building full of barnies taking care of them, and of course 100,000 of our closest friends visiting every day, it can only mean State Fair time! I spent most of my time at the fair (ten days for me this year!) between the livestock barns and the CHS Miracle of Birth Center and FFA Leadership Center and Chapter House. Out in the barnyard, we combined the strength, might, and work ethic (and wow do those barnies have work ethic!) of the Minnesota FFA Association with the knowledge and expertise of the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine and the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association to partner in a way to make the CHS Miracle of Birth Center the biggest attraction at the fair. In our third year in the new CHS MOBC, we shook things up in the Leadership Center by allowing the public to "Experience the Legacy" of MN FFA but getting a glimpse of what it's like to be a member. Mrs. Addington and Mrs. Aarsvold did an outstanding job coordinating many different stations of activities that ranged from classroom instruction and supervised agricultural experiences to career development events and community service. One of the favorite parts of the building was the life-size cow as part of the county and state fairs section (see photo below), members and public alike were welcomed to have pictures taken around the center and have them printed while they filled out forms for a chance to win a Cenex gas card or FFA merchandise. I really enjoyed hearing stories from many past wearers of the blue jacket and getting to explain what the jacket meant to many people who hadn't seen it before.

The other way I spent my time was helping out at shows during FFA livestock weekend. I got to work at the VERY FIRST market goat show which will surely be a cool moment in the history of MN FFA. I also spent a day at the breeding sheep show, and let me tell you, I learned a lot about sheep! The weekend concluded with a livestock encampment dance in the show arena on Sunday night and an award ceremony on the stage Monday morning. Before long, it was time to pack up and wave goodbye to a lot of friends and the last hours of summer as we all went our separate ways to start school the next week. It was a short commute for me as I am living in Bailey Hall at the U of M in St. Paul and I now get to drive by the fairgrounds several times a day on my way to class, unfortunately it isn't quite as cool as being there during the fair!

FarmFest

After many trips to the Twin Cities, Up North, and even out of state, finally an event in my own backyard! FarmFest is held near Redwood Falls, MN which is only about 30 miles away from my house. Derek, Caitlin, Justin, Pete, and I, along with Ms. Val Aarsvold took the day to learn about the heart and soul of the agricultural industry from many groups like the Soybean Growers, Corn Growers, and Farm Bureau. We also had a chance to share our message about Agricultural Education and the FFA through numerous conversations. I always enjoy these sort of visits to really get in touch with the industry that we, as FFA members, represent. Though it was a little warm in Official Dress, it was a lot of fun to have people come up to us and tell stories of their days in the Blue Jacket. We even had some time to spend at the University of MN booth, playing an ag knowledge game. We got to ask a lot of people to come spin the wheel and win a prize or take a picture with Goldie! The day ended with an auctioneer contest where Justin came away with first prize out of a pretty talented group! For those of you who saw his skills at SGLC and SLCCL, you're not surprised!

State Presidents' Conference

State Presidents' Conference was unlike any FFA event I have ever been a part of. Derek and I had the opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. along with two representatives from every other association. The conference theme was "Empower" and the week focused mainly on two topics: advocating for agricultural education through Capitol Hill visits and meeting with the President and beginning the delegate process for national convention.

Derek and I had a chance to meet with staff from the offices of Colin Peterson and Amy Klobuchar. Later we had an audience with the Secretary of Agriculture and Secretary of Education and the highlight of the week was meeting with President George W. Bush himself. We also had a chance to work with our own legislative process by narrowing the state submitted issues for national convention and breaking out into delegate committees. Summaries of the committees will be published soon and any member can give input on them so be sure to check them out! I will serve as a sentinel on the Officer Parts committee, working to access the possibility of adding official opening ceremony parts. Derek will be a small group leader on the Greenhand award committee. Others include going green, American Degree clarifications, and a new goat proficiency.

When we weren't in sessions, we had the opportunity to tour D.C. and meet members from across the country. My favorite part was the night tour of the monuments. There was something indescribably moving about standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, looking out at the mall. We also had a chance to take in an Orioles game at Camden Yards in Baltimore, where they played the visiting Angels. Having no preference on the outcome of the game, I cheered for Torii Hunter in center field. Being a huge government and history buff, my first trip to our nation's capital was a very empowering experience. After almost a week, it was time to return to the Twin Cities, just in time for board meeting and Miracle of Birth Center training. DC was certainly a lot of fun, but the days in St. Paul and trip back to my house reminded me there is no place quite like home.

HLWW Lake Party

Everyone at Howard Lake - Waverly - Winsted sure knows how to have a good time! After getting lost along the way Derek and I joined Cindy and Rachael to make the trip over to Justin Crowley's cabin for a fun night that included a meal, meeting, and a lot of lake fun. It was new member recruitment night so there were many new faces to meet as well as many familiar ones from both camps. After getting everyone to promise not to dunk me all the way in, I joined the group on the shore and then, was of course, dunked in, all while Mr. Winninger took pictures. Derek met a similar fate. Justin was nice enough to give me my first jet ski ride. After a few hours and waiting to see Doreen and Crystal after they came back from play practice, we headed back to the cities to sleep a few hours before heading off to SPC.

State Leadership Conference for Chapter Leaders

It has been a few weeks since I have had anything news worthy to report. In that time, I spent a very early morning loading chickens (cheers for SAEs), had my wisdom teeth removed (now much less wise), and spent a week preparing for camp. Now for the excitement, we spent the last week at Deep Portage once again for SLCCL!

It seems like just yesterday I was an SLCCL participant (picture above is me at SLCCL 06 with my room) coming home with a new passion for the organization and a lot of new friends from across the state. I must say, two years later, I'm coming home with the same things. The conference was called "Mission Possible" and had a spy theme. Almost 150 participants made the week one of my favorites of all time. We were lucky to have visits from both CHS and Alliance Pipeline, who sponsor camp. I really enjoyed hearing why they chose to support FFA as well as what their respective companies do.

The girls in my room, Live and Let Die, (rooms were Bond movies) were always a blast and got incredibly creative with the bribes (poetry, starburst pictures, AND cell phone music) we left for the rec directors. Liz, Maureen, Salena, Calli, Brittany, Jen, and Tiana, I miss sharing a room (but not a mirror) with all of you lovely ladies! Thanks for all of your writing help too!!

Another highlight of the week was my small group/volleyball team. Officially we were the tape measure group (we were identified with tools) but we renamed ourselves Team Carlos pretty quickly. There isn't much meaning behind the name except the fact learning a large number of names really quickly can have some very funny results. Our group was always joking around and even had a nickname for everyone, but we had some really great discussions and even made a pretty amazing drawing of Mr. Carlos, the ideal advisor. The group was pretty insanely talented in the volleyball department as well (except me, but they let me play anyway). We lost 17-19 in a heartbreaking tournament final to Sydney's group, the Purplerz. To Krista, Matt, Brittany, Ethan, Nic, (Matt) Schuette, Jillian, Addie, Colton, and Carl, can you say convention reunion?

In other exciting events, we held a service learning day with the help of Deep Portage staff. The entire camp split into groups to do a wide variety of tasks at the reserve. My group completed "campus projects" which is basically code word for "odds and ends" which basically ends up being FUN! Several people remade the volleyball courts, a few more spread hay to insulate the water system, and the rest of us worked hard at cleaning up the invasive species around the main building. Not only did we learn which plants were good and which were bad, we also saw about a thousand spiders hatching. Below is the most creative way to pull weeds I have ever seen. Below that, Nic proves that chivalry isn't dead. What a great way to spend a morning!

As the week drew to an end, there were a lot of sad goodbyes. Despite the tears, there were also a lot of members incredibly excited to take back what the learned to their chapters. It was incredibly cool to see all of you grow over our time together. Thanks to all who made the week so special and for reminding me what being an FFA member truly means! I can't wait to see all of you again throughout the year!

Remember your mission!

Bye for now!

also, just a general note: my zip code is incorrect of my business cards. It should read 56230. Thanks for catching that Salena!!

Day at the Dome

Yesterday was the perfect summer day to celebrate the Foundation's annual Day at the Dome . Val Aarsvold, Lisa Morehouse, and the whole crew from the Foundation made sure supporters and members alike from three states got together to spend a day in good conversation, great food, and an exciting Twin's game. I really enjoyed catching up with many members, sponsors, and past officers that I hadn't seen since April or before. Getting to see Nikki who had been at camp last year; Pam, Dan, and Amber, past officers; foundation members like Sheryl Meshke, William Nelson, and Paul Hansen; the South Dakota State Officer Team, and all those smiling faces fresh from SGLC like the girls from Watertown and everyone from HLWW; was enough to make my week.

Somehow luck was on my side that day as each state (SD, ND, MN) had one representative to throw out a first pitch for the game. MN's was Brianne from Plainview - Elgin- Millville, who won the Foundation essay contest. ND had State President Darin, and SD was supposed to have State Reporter Josh. Unfortunately the South Dakota officers got caught in a parade in Minneapolis and couldn't make it in time and I happened to be standing in the right place at the right time as a very eager volunteer and Twin's fan (also lucky that Derek isn't much of a Twin's fan). Ask Brianne or Darin , I was bouncing - off - the-walls excited to have the chance to throw out a pitch. When SD finally did arrive, Josh eased my conscience by telling me he wasn't much of a baseball fan anyway and he really didn't mind missing it. The Twins broke my heart when they traded Torii Hunter but I might forgive them after this.

The icing on the cake for the entire day was a 5-0 Twins victory in inter-league play with the Brewers, meaning eleven wins in the last twelve games. Go Twins!!