it's SPAM-tastic!

QUICK!

What's the FIRST THING that comes to your mind
when you see a can of THIS? *****************************************

Up until yesterday, my first thought would have been:
"What IS that?"
Thanks to the awesome folks at Hormel Foods,
I have a better grasp on how SPAM and other Hormel products are
making the company a leader in their industry,
staying true to their values,
and breaking "the monotony".

Our team had the awesome opportunity to tour both the Hormel Plant and the Research and Development Facilities this Friday. "Originate, don't imitate" is the key concept that has helped Hormel Foods be a leader in their industry since 1891. From grocery store products to the food service industry, Hormel has found ways to keep themselves viable in the market for many years!

When George A. Hormel started his business over 100 years ago, he had no intention of doing things the way they had ever been done before. Staying true to his values, Hormel began building the business into exactly what he wanted it to be - a company that processed only the best pork in the industry. Today, Hormel Foods sticks to that same tradition. Along with their high standard for quality, Hormel has become well-known for their huge philanthropic efforts. From sponsoring student organizations, such as the FFA, to sending SPAM to Japan to aid in their relief efforts, this company has made themselves known for their generous giving!

Now, back to my previous question.
When you think "SPAM", what do you think of?

Do you think of breaking the monotony?

What is monotony? According to Mr. Webster...
mo-not-o-ny [muh-not-n-ee]: wearisome uniformity or lack of variety.

In other words?
MONOTONOUS = old-school. the same old, same old. BORING.

How is SPAM breaking the monotony of the every day meal?
Easy.
SPAM is that flash of color in your "blah" eggs.
It's the spice in your mac and cheese.
SPAM is making ordinary extraordinary.

Here's another question...

QUICK!

What's the FIRST THING that comes to your mind
when you see THIS?

Up until my freshman year, my first thought would have been:
"What IS that?"
Thanks to two great high school Ag teachers,
a handful of wonderful mentors,
and nearly 9000 Minnesota FFA members,
I have a better grasp on how
FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education.

Every day FFA members across the state are doing great things for our chapters, our communities, and the random people we meet walking down the street. We are making a difference in the lives of so many - simply because we know what that Blue Jacket stands for to us: being ourselves, doing something great, breaking the monotony.

So friends, I have one final question.











How are YOU "breaking the monotony"?










43 days until State FFA Convention 2011.
GET EXCITED!

Stationed by the plow,
LIZ

Journey to CHS

CHS State Officer Professional Development Day

12 November 2010

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

I have two words for you, JAMMED PACK! Our day kicked off promptly at 8:20 with Lisa Moorhouse who was kind enough to give is a general overview of CHS and what is happening with them now. A theme we noticed throughout the day was the excitement for the revealing of the new CEO of CHS. Everyone associated with CHS and the six state officers are looking forward to seeing who this new person is at the CHS Annual Meeting in late November.

Lisa kept us on track and introduced us to Jennifer Thatcher who gave us a general overview about the CHS Foundation. (Check out their website for scholarship and internship opportunities!) Following the Foundation, Jeff Wittek and Jason Schwantz representing energy and propane gave us a very entertaining overview of their respected areas. As I said before, this day was jammed pack! Lisa had Ryan Caffrey come chat with us representing Ag. Business and gave us an overview of international trade.

Just before lunch we were lucky to meet four Human Resource personnel, Mike Chanaka, Becky Couture, Chris Kelleher, and Cate Sprout. They gave is endless tips on how to critique our resumes, interviews styles, appropriate dress, follow-up thank-yous, and so much more! Needless to say, all of us were fixing our resumes Friday night :-)

For lunch we were able to chat with other CHS employees. One thing I loved seeing at CHS was the genuine smiles and enthusiastic atmosphere. Every one at CHS seemed happy to be there and passionate about what they were doing. This is definitely the type of environment a work place should have! To wrap up the day, Lani Jordan gave us tips and guidelines for planning the State Convention in May.

Thanks to Lisa and all of her fellow employees, we learned ALOT about CHS, planning, resumes and so much more. This was truly a jammed pack day and we loved every moment of it. The day was all about discussion and we were able to ask questions about one of our Star Partners.

Thank-you CHS for an AWESOME day! :-)

Stationed by the Emblem of Washington,

Maddie Collin

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