Spring Cleaning!

"caCA caCA....tweet tweet!" O happy day!

When I went to class today, the sun was shining bright and it felt pleasently warm on my face. :) I just can't seem to get rid of my smile! The snow is melting and I can see grass again! After a extensive, arctic, depressing, and sunless winter, I readily welcome the sounds of birds. Many households clean their houses from top to bottom during spring. They take spring cleaning time very seriously. Even I was motivated by the sights, sounds, and smells of spring today. I threw open my dorm window, and put some serious elbow grease into cleaning out my desk and underneath my bed. Now, if only my roommate would do the same! :) Just kidding, her side of the room is always ten times better than mine.

But, after all of my back breaking laborous cleaning, I sat down and thought about spring. It's a time of the year of new life. Buds are forming on trees, baby animals are being born. It's more of a beginning to the year than the month of January. So, I'm making some resolutions. And I encourage you to do the same. I mean, State Convention is so close I can almost touch it, so why not make a resolution to study REAL hard for your competition this next month. Or, maybe there was something that you really wanted to try this school year but never got around too. Make it a goal, a SMART goal, to try that activity next year.

Whatever it may be, let your bud of a goal blossom into a beautiful flower! :)
yes maybe that last comment was a little too cute, but I was proud of my creativity!

Enjoy the weather!!
Stationed by the flag,
Kirsten Pagel

Spread the Love

Before you start reading, press this link to play music for thought for this blog!


Valentine's Day
It kind of has that mushy gushy sound to it, right?
***********
Yeah, that's what I thought.

Whether you're into Valentine's Day or not, it has one real meaning: love. I'm not thinking about the couple type of love, and definitely not the type of love in "Anchorman"- 'I love... lamp?'

No, what I'm talking about is a different love. It means being kind and truthful to all those around you. Being that person that, even when you disagree, doesn't criticize or condemn. Providing a smile to everyone. Being honest, but holding back negativity.

Now I will be the first to admit that I don't always do this. But I've been working on it. Instead of saying something hurtful, even if I'm kidding, I take a moment to think. LOVE. Spread the love to everyone.

When you greet someone, give them a compliment. Spread the love. As you walk, smile at those people that you go by. Spread the love. We can change the world by spreading the love.

If we loved everyone around us, by being kind and truthful, we could change the world. Imagine a world where you got a compliment and smile no matter where you were, what mood you were in, or what was going on that day. You would feel loved, right?

We can do that! All of us can manage to be kind and truthful, and work towards loving everyone around us. What a world of love! We can spread the love everyday.

Even when Valentine's Day is done, that doesn't mean that the love should stop. Love continuously, and we will change the world, one smile at a time.

Forget that mushy gushy stuff; we are going to spread the love and change the world!

Stationed by the ear of corn,
Erin

P.S. For one more song of inspiration, click here

#1 Gopher Fan.

********************************************

After spending the day

celebrating 10 years of the CHS Miracle of Birth Center

with amazing farm families and veterinarians,

meeting more cool fair-goers,

watching the super legit ag magic show,

and eating corn on the cob for supper,

we had the privilege to meet

Bob Bruininks the President

of the University of Minnesota.

That is...after we finally realized the guy

in all the Gopher gear was him!

As current and future Gophers, we were very excited to meet the man who has been such an instrumental part of making the University of Minnesota what it is, being a part of the faculty for over 40 years. A true Gopher, through and through, President Bruininks and his wife Susan were walking around the CHS Miracle of Birth Center with their grandchildren, enjoying one of the many sites of the State Fair.

FFA members, meeting President Bruininks was an awesome experience for Eric, Justin, and Liz because, as we said earlier, when we first saw him...we just thought he was another hardcore Gopher fan. As we started to talk to him, we could sense the passion he had for the University and the students he serves. For him, being the #1 Gopher Fan goes right down to his core, just as the FFA goes straight down to ours. When President Bruininks dons that maroon and gold hat or when we zip up our corduroy jackets, we are representing organizations that are close to our hearts. Keep in mind that in or out of those blue jackets, we are still representing the FFA and being agricultural education's #1 Advocate.

So next time someone stops and asks you about the emblem on the back of your jacket or the cow you're showing at the fair, take a little time out of your day and share what is important to you with them.

We're 1/3 of the way done with the State Fair...this means there are 8 days left of the Great Minnesota Get Together....8 days to catch up with the State Officer Team at the FFA Chapter House and Leadership Center!

Enjoy these last few days of summer!

Stationed by the door leading to the plow,

JC and LIZ

Sharing your message.

************************************************
MN FFA MEMBERS:
HOW DO WE TELL OUR STORY?
The Minnesota FFA Officer Team
had the opportunity last week to learn
how to share our message with the public about
agriculture, agricultural education, and FFA.

So in the spirit of SOUNDBITES, here's what kept us busy last week in the Twin Cities...

• Learning more about our teammates while scavenger hunting in Barnes and Noble

• Picnic-ing and connecting with Metro Area FFA Alumni & Friends, our families, and our mentors - as well as reuniting with our Region Presidents!

• Meeting CHS Miracle of Birth Center staff and barnyard attendants who will spend the duration of State Fair with our team

• Practicing communication techniques with Donna Moenning of the Midwest Dairy Association that will come in handy while meeting Fair Goers at State Fair

• Eating breakfast with the Executive Team of AgriBank and hearing about the people behind one of the MN FFA Association's great partners (SHOUT OUT to Becca Morris and her awesome social media training we had earlier this summer!)

• Planning our chapter visits that will take place in late September with the Region 7 & 8 Officer Teams.

Minnesota FFA Members,
if someone were to ask you
what FFA is...what would you say?

How would you share your message about the organization that makes a positive difference in the lives of students like YOU and I by developing our potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education? How would you explain your role in agriculture or agricultural education?

An elevator ride is maybe 30 seconds long.
Let's say you get in an elevator wearing your blue corduroy jacket
and someone asks you,
"Why are you dressed like that?"
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?

Communicating our personal messages is essential to the future of our organization. As you show animals at the State Fair or go out on a corn drive this fall, tell people who you are and what you represent.

WE ARE THE FUTURE OF AGRICULTURE.
It is up to us to make sure that it is a bright future.

Stop by the CHS Miracle of Birth Center
at the State Fair and say hello to the MN FFA Officers!
We'd love to hear what you and your chapter has in the works
as you begin your new school year.

Hope to see you all at the State Fair!
Stationed by the plow,
LIZ

Farmfest 2010!

FARMFEST 2010

(Liz Rabbe, Erin Daninger, Justin Crowley, Jason Troendle, Maddie Collin, Kirsten Pagel)

WHOA! Farmfest started off with a bang of HEAT! On Tuesday August 3rd, the 6 Constitutional Officers were on their way to Morgan, MN to celebrate Farmfest. As we arrived to this huge agricultural gathering at 8 a.m., we realized it was already 90 degrees out! We were able to help the University of Minnesota out at their tent and were in charge of welcoming and mingling with the University's Alumni and the educational spin the wheel. People of all ages walked through the tent and learned more about agriculture through questions like what is the average age of a farmer today?

Throughout the day, the six of us rotated positions and two of us ventured off with Val Aarsvold to meet and thank our partners in the FFA. This had to be one of my highlights of Farmfest. I had such a fantastic time socializing with our partners like Dekalb, BASF, Minnesota Soybean Processors, and Farm Bureau.

We were also given free-time to explore Farmfest for an hour. When I ventured off with Justin we ran into some of the Fulda and Waseca FFA members. We were able to catch up on what was going on in their local chapters and how they were enjoying Farmfest. Thanks to Farm Bureau, all of us were able to enjoy outstanding pork chops on a stick! To conclude our first day at Farmfest we were invited to and Ag. Education Seminar and discussed the future of Agriculture Education.

Most of us ventured back to Region V President, Hillary's house to spend the night. Hillary took us out to a beautiful restaurant where the team bonded through hot wings and making pyramids with pop cans.

Jason, Liz, Maddie, Justin, Brittany, Hillary, and Kelsey came back to Farmfest for day two, which was considerably cooler, and waited in line for 45 minutes for a pancake breakfast sponsored by Farm Bureau. At 10:30, we all attended the governors debate which consisted of our recently elected governor candidates Emmer and Dayton. It was refreshing to hear first hand the views on agriculture the potential new Minnesota Governor held. After this, everyone went their separate ways and departed for home.

Farmfest 2010 was truly an educational experience for all of us. We were able to help educate the public about agriculture and educate ourselves about government issues and expand our knowledge about agriculture. Hope to see you all there next year! :-)

Stationed by the Emblem of Washington,

Maddie Collin

One Element.

********************************************

A week of adventures in WASHINGTON, D.C. for Jason and Liz!
Between meeting other
State Presidents, Vice Presidents, and Secretaries
from across the country,
finding the best frozen yogurt shop in the world,
and voting on which issues would come to delegate committees
at National Convention, the week seemed to fly by!

Here are my TOP 10 HIGHLIGHTS from SPC, 2010.

1.) Visiting my favorite city for the 5th time in my life.

2.) Gallavanting around DC with State Officers from Nebraska and New York while stopping by the National Archives, Air and Space Museum, and Natural History Museum - as well as taking some pretty legit pictures!

3.) Finding the best frozen yogurt shop in the world, Fro-Zen-Yo, and visiting it twice more before heading home.

4.) Joining National FFA Alumni for dinner and having the opportunity to sit at a table with President Reagan's Secretary of Agriculture.

5.) Attending my first professional baseball game that did not involve the Minnesota Twins - Washington Nationals beat the Atlanta Braves!

6.) Hitting up Capitol Hill and having the chance to visit with Representatives Walz, Bachman, and aides from Oberstar and Peterson's offices.

7.) Watching Addy zip around on a Segway!

8.) Voting on issues that will now come before delegate committees at National Convention (see below)!

• At-Large Elections of National Officers
• Increasing Student Voice at the National Level
• Using American Suppliers for FFA Unlimited Items
• Vet Science CDE
• SAE Standards
• FFA Degree Expansion
  

9.) Hearing reflections from the National Officers at cool locations such as in front of the Capitol Building and the Jefferson Memorial!

10.) Touring DC at night and watching fireworks over the Potomac from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial - SO awesome!

All in all, a great week!
I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity
to revisit my favorite city, this time with Addy and Jason.

Minnesota FFA members, get excited for National Convention!
Big things are happening within our organization
and members like you and I are filled with
INFINITE POTENTIAL.

Stationed by the plow,
LIZ

FFA= Excellent Events + Awesome Adventures

Region Leadership Conference- Region II (July 21)


Early this last week, I traveled up to Staples-Motley High School to be a part of the RLC in Region II. After spending a night at my Grandma's house and eating some great food I got up early Wednesday morning to get ready for my presentation that day. About thirty chapter officers from across the region were in attendance. I was first on the agenda for the day of fun and learning with a presentation on recruitment. The rest of the day included Dustin Smith, former Region II President, presenting on State Degrees and SAEs, team building activities, breakout sessions, an awesome lunch, and so much more. It was a great opportunity to catch up with some members that came to SGLC or SLCCL and make some new friends. Thank you Region II for inviting me up for this event, I had a great time!

Minnesota FFA Foundation Golf Tournament (July 22)

Last Thursday, Liz, Kirsten, Erin, and myself traveled to Cannon Falls for the annual Golf Tournament held by the FFA Foundation. Several officers from Region VIII were there to help as well; Shawna, Heather, and Jared. Upon arriving we were sent out to fill the golf carts with goodies including some free golf balls and tees and a sack lunch. The participants in the Tournament included a variety of sponsors and supporters of FFA. After everyone had arrived some of us were sent to holes where we talked to sponsors and offered them deals. For example, Liz and I were at hole 16 and we gave golfers the chance to double their money. They could give us five dollars and if they made it on the green in one shot they would get ten dollars back, but if they did not make it on the green we would keep the five. There were many other contests for the golfers including longest drive and closest to the pin. After the golfing was done there was a banquet with a dinner. Trophies and awards were given out along with a raffle of many cool items. But before we drove to the banquet hall Liz, Jared, and I had to hit a few off the tee on the driving range and I ended up splattered with mud. The whole day was a blast!!

New U of M President (July 27)
Erin and I had the privilege of going to Kevin Paap's, President of Minnesota Farm Bureau, house for a meeting of the state board for Farm Bureau and many people from the agricultural industry. Kevin invited two of the Board of Regents to his house along with the Dean of CFANS (College of Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources) at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Al Levine, to discuss what agriculture needs/wants in the new U of M President to be decided upon this fall. First was the Farm Bureau asking questions and giving their input while the Board of Regents and the Dean were speaking. Next representatives from a variety of industries within agriculture arrived including MN Turkey Growers, MN Corn Growers, and MN Pork Producers among many others. Erin and I were there to listen to the discussion and it was a great opportunity to meet with a variety of people within agriculture. It was really interesting to learn about the process for selecting the new U of M President and what qualities they are looking for. Plus Erin and I met some awesome peop

One more thing! -- I would also like to mention that is has been fun helping the HLWW FFA members landscape at our high school for our summer program.

Farmfest is this week! Hope to see a lot of you there!

Stationed by the Door,
Justin Crowley

FFA Day With The Minnesota Twins: A Day of Firsts!

When the blue skies of July 18th rolled around, I knew that we were in for a big day. Twins vs. White Sox, Target Field, and FFA members- you couldn't ask for a better combination! With this combination, there were also many firsts:

• The first time FFA Day with the Twins was held at Target Field
• The first time we tried the new "Dugout Dog" instead of the "Dome Dog"
• The first time we adventured down a "Buses Only" road (with permission of course)
• The first time meeting state officers from North Dakota, who came just for the Twins game
  
• The first time I had ever in person seen such a great game!

With each of these firsts, we also had the opportunity to visit with many members from across the state that we hadn't seen since State Convention or even the two days since SLCCL and two weeks since SGLC. We also met many former members from places such as Colorado, California, and of course, Minnesota.Members from across the state!
From left: Emily, Sarah, Nathan, Liz, Erin, Ed, Brad, Justin, Eric, and Jeff

FFA members such as Jade Kampsen (who was also at SLCCL!) threw out the first pitch, with a member from Nicollet singing the National Anthem. All five members involved in this did a great job, even throwing some strikes! During the 7th inning stretch, about fifteen more members sang "Take Me Out To The Ballgame," and some even had peanuts and crackerjack to go with it!

Oh, and I had better mention that we watched some baseball too. It was a great game, with the Twins down 3 to 6 going into the bottom of the 9th. They scored four runs with 0 outs to finish the game victorious, 7 to 6!

We had a blast at FFA Day with the Minnesota Twins, and hope to see you there next year!

Stationed by the ear of corn,
Erin Daninger

SLCCL 2010 - GET ANIMATED.

*****************************************************

WHAT A WEEK.
FFA members from across the state gathered together at
Deep Portage in Hackensack to
GET ANIMATED
during a week of premier leadership, personal growth, and career success
at the 2010 State Leadership Conference for Chapter Leaders.

MONDAY.
FFA members began to arrive around 10 AM on Monday morning and all were assembled by 12:30 PM (ahem, Region VIII bus :)).

HIGHLIGHTS...

• Getting to know small group members through "Me-In-A-Box" and playing the first rounds of an AWESOME volleyball tournament
• Singing various cartoon theme songs
• Learning a proper handshake
• Taking the tower hike and viewing beautiful Deep Portage reserve from 100+ feet!
• Cabin chatting.

TUESDAY.
All about personal growth. On Tuesday, chapter leaders discussed how to use their personal leadership styles to best work with our teams, manage our time, create a personal mission statement, and various opportunities available to us as individuals through FFA.
HIGHLIGHTS...

• Canoeing and hitting the rock wall for the first time during rec
• Power walking during TEAM CHALLENGES to prevent a 3 minute time delay for running
• Watching the State Officer's version of "California Gurls", complete with plungers!
  
• Winning some cash during the "Farming is Risky Business" break out session sponsored by the USDA
  
• Reflecting on our first full day.

WEDNESDAY.
What makes a chapter good? This was the topic of discussion Wednesday as FFA members explored a career in Agricultural Education, learned stages of team development, and talked about ways to support our chapters through partnership.

HIGHLIGHTS...

• Watching the "Morning News" and finding out we could take ninja lessons from our favorite Ninja Turtles
  
• Meeting Ms. Seibert, a former State Officer, who is just beginning her career in Agricultural Education as the new teacher at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School
• Teaching each other the five stages of team development through hilarious skits
• Being surprised by Katie Zenk, the Minnesota National Officer Candidate, who spent two days of camp with us
• Learning the Watermelon Crawl, watching the girls totally dominate the boys in watermelon eating contest, and chowing down on a favorite fruit.

THURSDAY.
"Living to serve", a key phrase in the FFA motto, was brought to life Thursday as we began to explore how we could impact our world through service.

HIGHLIGHTS...

• Laying woodchips, painting picnic tables, controlling invasive species, staining decks, and cleaning up hiking trails during EPIC service projects with Deep Portage staff
• WHAT ABOUT NOW?
• Spending time with our chapters making plans for the coming year
• Watching side-splittingly funny banquet skits, amazing talent acts, and "The Devil Went Down to Georgia"
• A final evening with our new friends, laughing about the week and hearing great stories

FRIDAY.
Looking back, the week seemed to have flown by for all of us. After some evaluating and letter writing, FFA members loaded vans, buses, and cars to head home. Going home with lots of new knowledge and even more friends, SLCCL 2010 was definitely a success.

On behalf of the entire State Officer Team, I would like to thank you ALL for making this camp such a great experience. FFA members, you kept us on our toes and laughing all week; we most certainly had a blast and we hope you did, too!


Keep enjoying the sunshine and time with your chapters this summer. Stay in touch - we would love to hear what you are up to!


Stationed by the plow,
LIZ

State Greenhand Leadership Conference

Early on the morning of June 27th, 13 of us woke up to make the trek to Hackensack for SGLC (State Greenhand Leadership Conference). Some of us had an interesting trip up with NEAR accidents, adventures to fix a watch, and several people even had a conversation with the police. Sunday was spent putting up decorations and preparing for the arrival of nearly 130 Greenhand members. Decorations included a giant milk cartoon and cereal box to fit the theme of "FFA: The Experience of Champions."


Day 1 (Starting Your Day Right)

On Monday morning, members began to arrive and Deep Portage was rustling with excitement by noon. That afternoon we had a welcome with a skit from from the Region Presidents in which each of them dressed up as a character from a cereal box and Jason taught us about expectations/rules with a catchy song. "patty cake patty cake baker's man, lets make the week the best we can, pat it with respect, knead with E, conserve greatly, model it in, part-i-ci-pate, energy filled, keep this in mind for you and me" After the Deep Portage staff talked to us about their expectations, we started our first recreation time which occur every afternoon and evening while at camp. During recreation time we all have the opportunity to play in the volleyball tournament, climb the rock wall, go canoeing, go swimming, play basketball, or just walk around with friends. Rec time always goes by really fast and then it was time for flag lowering every night before supper. We had a session that included a technique of how to meet new people and some of the benefits/drawbacks of the meeting new people. The members had a chance to try out these new skills and meet some of their fellow campers by sharing their me-in-a-boxes (members bring several items that represent them in a box). After another rec time we had reflections from Hillary, Jared, Greg, and Liz. Their speeches covered how to start each day on the right note, staying positive, and making a conscious choice to make the best of every experience. Then we end every night with cabin chats. The first night we just went through our me-in-a-boxes with our rooms.

Day 2 (Choosing my Favorite Cereal- Personal Growth)

We started the second day with a flag raising ceremony just as we do every day. During breakfast a news crew came in every day to share the weather and sports in an entertaining fashion. After breakfast, there was a manners and etiquette session that covered items like how to fold your FFA jacket, proper OD, manners at the dinner table, and other general etiquette. Before lunch we had six different breakout sessions that covered FFA basics that the members went to. After lunch they chose two of the four breakout sessions on personal growth. During rec time the volleyball tournament began to heat up as we were entering the second round of the bracket. After flag lowering and another delicious meal provided by Deep Portage we had an awesome session of goal setting. The students had an opportunity to make some of their own goals after learning about SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely). Reflections were by Jason, Maddie, and Eric. They spoke about how person growth works, finding a personal mission and following it, and to use mistakes as opportunities. During cabin chats the officers got to switch rooms and learn some new faces.

Day 3 (The Right Ingredients- Career Success)
By the third day we could see all the members opening up and they were getting comfortable with all their new friends at camp. Morning festivities continued as usual before we got to the first session of SAE's. The members all filled out a project plans to start an SAE or what how they will be advancing one they already started. In the next session, the members took a look at agricultural education and what a total program is. Also, they wrote thank you notes to their ag teachers for all the work they have put in. That afternoon we had elections for the banquet committee. Around 40 members signed up to run for fifteen positions which was exciting to see. That night members chose to of the eight CDE breakout sessions to attend. During recreation we had watermelon feed and yet again the guy officers won the eating contest! Reflections were by me (Justin), Kirsten, Brittany, and Sabrina, who could not attend because of a band trip to Europe but she sent along a DVD to play. They were about learning from mistakes and being authentic. During cabin chats the guy and girl officers switched rooms to add an interesting twist.
Day 4 (Add a Little Sugar- Premier Leadership)
The first session of the day covered leadership. We worked on defining leadership and how each of us can be leaders. In addition, we broke into small groups and talked about mentors. Next we covered service learning including ways we can serve, who we serve, and barriers to be aware of when serving others. After lunch we had a friendly competition between all of the small groups that each of the officers lead throughout the weeks. It was a team scavenger hunt that consisted of clues leading to new team activities. It was the start of a big day! That night we had the banquet, talent show, and dance. Some highlights of the banquet included the two skits by the banquet committee, a speech by Amber Siebert, and the creed performed by Mallory Pagel. Scott Vogel won the talent show with his performance in which he played his Conciertina. That night Erin, Kelsey, Jeff had reflections. They challenged the members to make the extra effort each day to make a difference and to earn others' respect by being a positive leader.

Day 5 (The Prize in the Box)

The last day came so fast and it is always tough to leave. Every member writes a letter to themselves that will sent to them in half a year. They also filled out evaluations of the camp. Then the campers make a circle for the officers to come around and say their goodbyes. After the adjournment, the campers head home and we were soon to follow. On behalf of all the officers, I would like to thank everyone who came to SGLC for making it an amazing week with a ton of memories. I hope you all are having an amazing time after camp and implement what you learned.
SLCCL in two days, I hope everyone coming is as excited as I am.

Stationed by the door,
Justin Crowley

NLCSO in the great state of Iowa!

June 22 found us traveling down to Ankeny, Iowa, for the National Leadership Conference for State Officers. While en route, Jason, Justin, and I found out that Iowa has a state tree (corn), road construction has a very exact process, and that Mr. Ertl worries if people will spill and especially does not like using roundabouts properly. Other than learning more about our Executive Secretary, we also gained many skills and pieces of knowledge that we were excited to put into practice at Greenhand Camp.

Upon arrival, we met state officers from South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska. Soon after, we had the opportunity to begin getting to know Levy Randolph and Chase Rose, the National President and National Central Region Vice President. Levy and Chase ran the four day conference for the 34 state officers that were excited to learn more about how we could make a difference throughout our year of service. The very first day also had one more surprise; we met the famed National FFA Advisor, Dr. Case. Believe it or not, that smile that you see in pictures and at National Convention is only the surface of a man who has spent 26 years stationed by the owl.
Along with meeting many people we also spent the week learning about how we work as a team, not just a group as individuals. We covered how to create synergy, the stages of team development and what may be potential barriers to being a team, planning workshops, trust, conflict, commitment, accountability, and facilitation. To end our time at NLCSO, we held a banquet to celebrate all we had learned throughout the week. Since we needed a little time to unwind, we spent the night in an Iowa movie theater, surrounded by corn, taking in the thoughts of 18 year old Andy's toys and their struggles to begin a new life. That's right- We watched Toy Story 3, and highly suggest it to anyone looking to apply lessons on leadership in a little different way.


When Friday came, we were all disappointed to have to say goodbye so soon, but extremely excited to put what we had just learned into action. We finished putting final details on planning for State Greenhand Leadership Conference and began looking forward to welcoming campers. We are excited to meet each one of you!

Stationed by the ear of corn,
Erin Daninger
MN FFA State Secretary

Being an Advocate

The Minnesota FFA Officer Team joined 35 other young leaders from across the state on June 14th-16th in Mankato, MN for the Minnesota Agriculture Ambassador Institute.

Monday
Our journey began with a hearty breakfast at a local Perkins with a couple of teammates. After finishing our eggs, bacon, and orange juice we met up at the conference center where we were greeted by Jason Welter, the 2010 Minnesota Pork Ambassador, and Amber Skluzacek, second runner up Pork Ambassador. The conference kicked off with a short introduction from Robin Kinney, who serves as the Assistant Commissioner in the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Trudy Wastweet of Minnesota Pork Producers Association, Tara Meyer the Executive Director with the Minnesota Farm and Food Coalition and Robin Kinney organized the conference. Each are strong voices and help advocate the values and experiences in agriculture. After introductions and personal stories where told, Amanda Nolz gave a short presentation. Amanda is the editor for Beef Magazine (http://beefmagazine.com/) and a fifth-generation rancher from South Dakota. She spoke on how to respond to negative press toward the industry and shared personal struggles and successes. Later in the day, Amanda also presented on the use of social media tools to reach the consumer and help them understand the agriculture story. Following a lunch with a taco bar we examined the philosophy "FISH! Catch the Energy-Release the Potential" with Dan Durheim from American Farm Bureau. The idea is based off of the Seattle Fish Market and if the "FISH!" philosophy is followed can allow you to have fun at work, make someone's day, live in the moment, and choose a positive attitude. This gave us a fresh look at each day! Wrapping up our day we went bowling and had a pizza social!

Tuesday
Bright and early we loaded up three large vans and headed out to the land. Our first stop was Christensen Farms in Sleepy Eye, MN. (http://www.christensenfarms.com/) Rod Hamilton head of communications and Minnesota Representative for District 22B welcomed us to the site. Rod shared the background of the 25 year old company and its rapid growth. He also specifically spoke on current issues in law and the market affecting the pork industry. During our time at Christensen Farms we also received a thorough tour of the feed mill. The next tour was just outside of Sleepy Eye, at Port Haven Dairy. Our hosts were Tom and Mary Portner, who proudly showed us their unique dairy barns, the milking parlor, and Brown Swiss herd. Upon saying our goodbyes to the farm we headed back to town to have lunch at a local park. Brad Finstad, past Representative and Executive Director of Center for Rural Policy and Development, joined us for lunch and spoke about his experiences within politics and the need to look at changes in government through a rural lens. We reloaded the vans and traveled to Balzer Inc. (http://www.balzerinc.com/). We were provided the opportunity to tour their plant with Randy McMahon President of the company. Balzer manufactures shredders, grain carts, and manure equipment which is sold in the US and eight other countries around the world. The final event for the day was an etiquette dinner presented by Dan Durheim. We are now more prepared at how to properly eat a five course meal. In addition, Gene Hugoson, the Agriculture Commissioner, spoke to the group about his current possition, the upcoming issues, and answered questions about how he reached the point he is at. His inside insight was intriguing.

Wednesday
Our final meal together was breakfast at Famous Dave's in Mankato. An interesting place for breakfast, but very good even though it was not ribs! The morning consisted of a forum with Brad Finstad, David Preisler, Executive Director of the Pork Board, and Randy Wanke, Executive Director of Pioneer Hi-Bred, who spoke on issues facing agriculture and how we as advocates could handle these pressing issues. With this information and information from the past two days we wrote out an Advocacy Action Plan. The conference finished on an exciting note as we invited Farm Boy Brand Clothing to attend the event. We participated in a survey and brainstorm session for new design ideas.

The three day Minnesota Agricultural Ambassador Institute Conference filled each participant with knowledge not only from activities and reading, but also from tours out in the field of agriculture. This conference helped to prepare young leaders to go out into the world and have the drive and desire to advocate for our great industry!

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Jason Troendle

Two scoops of team bonding.

************************

Well, ladies and gentleman, the Minnesota FFA Officer Team was reunited Monday and Tuesday to prepare for one rockin' summer!

MONDAY...
the Constitutional Officers arrived in Shakopee, at the Minnesota Corn Growers, for our first SOPD (State Officer Professional Development). Bright and early, we had the awesome opportunity to work with Sheryl Meshke as we began to develop our key messages and theme for the year. Sheryl works for AMPI as the Vice President of Public Affairs. She tells the AMPI story and advocates for the dairy farmers who are members of their organization.
After lunch, we headed to AgriBank in St. Paul to talk with Becca Yaklich about the importance of social media in our industry today. How many of us use email, Facebook, Twitter, or Youtube on a daily basis? I personally don't know how I'd get through the day without checking my Blackberry! All of these are forms of social media, but how can we use them to our advantage? Becca pointed out that all of these are great tools to share our messages about agriculture, ag education, and FFA in the next year. I think Becca's job is pretty cool - she gets to use Facebook all day long!
The team began to congregate at full force that evening (minus Erin, who had to head home for a banquet because she STILL had school!), picking up a few Region Presidents at Buffalo Wild Wings and then heading over to Feed My Starving Children for an AWESOME night of service. Feed My Starving Children is an organization that provides meals to hungry kids all across the globe. We helped assemble meals that arrive in a prepackaged bag containing a chicken substitute, vegetables, soy, and white rice. Don't knock it until you try it! The fourteen MN FFA volunteers, along with about 45 people from organizations, packed more than 26,000 meals in a little over an hour! If you do the math, that feeds 72 kids for a full year. Pretty impressive and completely rewarding!

TUESDAY...
the team reassembled (including Jared and his lack of wisdom teeth) at the Chapter House on the MN State Fair grounds, connected to the CHS Miracle of Birth Center. I didn't believe that monsoons came to landlocked states, but it DOWN POURED all morning! We spent the morning preparing for SGLC, which is fast approaching. Greenhands - get excited for one outstanding week! After trying out our facilitation skills with Ms. Amber Seibert, we all began to part ways. Maddie, Kirsten, and I met up in St. Peter for some Dairy Queen - my new favorite tradition!

MN FFA members - prepare yourselves for a summer filled with premier leadership, personal growth, and career success! The State Officer team can't wait to meet you at camps, conferences, and maybe even the Great Minnesota Get Together! :) Keep us posted on what YOUR chapter is up to this summer on the new Minnesota FFA Association page wall (LIKE this on Facebook!).

Enjoy the sunshine!
Stationed by the plow,
Liz