I'm Back =)

Hopefully the news that I'm back with Red River Farm Network excites you, I know I'm excited! So much has happened since my last post, so I think it would be appropriate if I updated you on some of the highlights.

1. 86th Little "I" Queen - You may be wondering what Little "I" is and why being the queen is such a big deal, let me explain. The Little International, better known as Little "I", is a longstanding tradition on the campus of NDSU. Saddle and Sirloin was started to develop an interest in animal husbandry on campus, and our biggest event of the year is the Little International. Individuals can show pigs, sheep, cattle, dairy and horses in a showmanship competition. They spend a little over a month working with their animals, so that they look good and behave well in the arena. Little "I" is similar to what you would see at any county or state fair. You can also cure a ham and give a speech as part of this event. We also put on a livestock judging contest for 4-H and FFA members and select an individual who has made an impact on agriculture in North Dakota and honor them as Agriculturist of the Year. It is a busy weekend that takes an entire year to plan. I was elected the 86th Little "I" Queen, which means that I was in charge of lining up media interviews, decorating Shepperd arena, organizing a coloring contest at the mall and lots of other fun activities. It was a great experience and a great way to round out my time at NDSU.

I had the privilege of serving with Little "I" princesses Sarah Schaaf and Katie Dressler

2. College Graduate - Speaking of NDSU, I am now an alumni...just saying that makes me feel old! I accomplished my goal of graduating in three years. To top it off I even graduated as a cum laude! My time at NDSU flew by so fast and even though I don't miss the all nighters spent studying for tests or having five papers due the same week, I miss my friends. One of the highlights of my college career was being involved in different organizations and meeting people I never knew before college. Given my job description, it's safe to say that I will likely run in to some of these individuals in the future, so it was fun getting to know them while at college. I've been back to Fargo a couple of times since graduation, but I am looking forward to many more trips to spend time with friends...in fact I'll be back this weekend cheering on the Bison football team!

My parents are glad all of their children have FINALLY graduated from college!

3. Bader Rutter & Associates Intern - If I graduated in May and it's October, you may be wondering what I have been up to. I had the opportunity to spend the summer in Milwaukee, where I interned for Bader Rutter & Associates, a public relations agency. I worked on the Dow AgroSciences and Mycogen Seeds accounts and had the opportunity to write news releases, newsletter articles, help plan some events, learn about social media monitoring and lots more! My colleagues were great and very willing to teach me new things and show me ways to improve my writing. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to intern for such a great organization. But my summer wasn't just about work. I got to see a lot of Milwaukee, met some great friends, went to several Brewer's games and went to Chicago for the first time. Living in Milwaukee was a great experience but there is no question that I am a farm girl! By the time my internship was over I couldn't wait to trade my office chair in for a tractor seat, my high heels for a pair of cowboy boots and my dress clothes for jeans and a t-shirt. When I got home I immediately started making up for lost time. There were calves to be halter broke for our sale, dry bean samples to grade, trucks to dump at the elevator and lots of combining to be done! Needless to say there wasn't much down time.

Enjoying some Brewers baseball!

4. Big Kid - People have been joking that I'm a big kid now, and I guess they are right. I started full-time with RRFN a week ago and I'm so excited for this opportunity. They are letting me work from Grace City, so I can still help on the farm after work and on weekends (I think my dad likes that!). Jason has graciously allowed me to have my office in his house and the view isn't too bad. Today I can watch the guys combining corn across the road. My daily commute is also shorter, my previous drive time to Grand Forks was about four hours round-trip  Driving to my office now takes less than 10 minutes, I'm not quite sure what to do with all that extra time! Just kidding, my job and my dad are having no problem finding things for me to do! It is such a privilege to work for such a great company, and I look forward to keeping you up to date on the latest happenings. You will also be able to read my writing in the pages of the Northarvest Bean Grower and North Dakota Soybean Grower magazine. And you can expect weekly blog posts, yes I said weekly!
I think that just about covers everything. I look forward to seeing you at a tradeshow or a meeting. As always, feel free to contact me: jessie@rrfn.com

Today's view from my office window

Until next week,