The Worst Mistake Is To Not Make Any

One month. Tomorrow I have been with Red River Farm Network full-time for an entire month. Where does the time go?

I'll be honest, the first two weeks were a little overwhelming. I was trying to get into a routine, set up my office and a long list of other tasks. Things have settled down and still no routine...it's safe to say farm broadcasters don't really have a routine, because each day is different from the next! But that's what makes my job so exciting, I get to come to work and talk about various individuals about the numerous issues facing our industry!

It's also safe to say that I've made my share of mistakes over the last month. My recorder dies in the middle of an interview, the guys didn't receive the email with my stories for a broadcast and the subject line of FarmNetNews simply read Re...just to name a few. Being the perfectionist that I am these mistakes are frustrating. As much as I want to avoid making mistakes, no matter how hard I try I am going to mess up from time to time. But making mistakes is part of life, it's how we learn.

As a child we learn that you will get burned by touching the red burner on the stove, as a teenager we learn that breaking curfew will cause you to lose privileges and as a college student we learn that we have to be responsible for getting to class on our own and turning our assignments in on time. These are just a few of the countless lessons we learn during our lifetime. Sometimes we learn them the hard way and sometimes we learn from the mistakes of others. As a young woman who is entering the work force, I know that there are many lessons I have yet to learn.

Thomas Edison once said "If I find 10,000 ways something won't work, I haven't failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is often a step forward..." What an interesting way to look at a situation. Embrace our mistakes? Now that's a new concept! But what a freeing one. If I lean into the mistakes I make and look at them as a step forward, instead of beating myself up for it, I might take more away from the experience. Since making mistakes is inevitable why not look at each of them as a step forward rather than a step back?

Until next week,

It's Election Time...Let Your Voice Be Heard

Debates. Television Commercials. Facebook Statuses. Radio Advertisements. Yes, there's no question that it's an election year. Are you prepared to cast your vote in 13 days? Since you are constantly bombarded with advertisements telling you how to vote, or in some cases, how not to vote I promise that this post will not include my personal opinion on any candidates or ballot initiatives. I will however be encouraging you to take part in the democratic process.
With all the advertisements it is so easy to hear what someone says and accept it as fact, but let's be honest...not everything we hear on the television or read on the internet is true! This brings me to my first point, get informed. There is a lot of information being thrown at you, especially now that the election is less than two weeks away. Take time to learn about the candidates, don't make your decision based solely off of a campaign advertisement. Do your own research and learn everything you can about the individuals vying for an office.  When it comes to the issues do the same thing. Dig deeper than what the measure actually says. Take time to look at who is backing the ballot initiative and think about the measure would mean long-term. This year, in North Dakota, we have two ballot initiatives that directly affect agriculture. I think it is always imperative to vote, but when the issues directly affect my industry there's no question my voice will be heard. And I will make sure that everyone I know does their part to protect our industry as well. Once you learn all you can about the candidates and the issues, you are ready to cast your vote. Make sure you take time on November 6 to cast your vote and if you are unable to vote on that day get an absentee ballot. I promise the process is painless and if you've done your research it won't take you long to fill out your ballot and send it back. As Americans it is truly a blessing that we have the right to vote. Think about it. We have an opportunity to make a difference in our country. I often hear people say they don't vote because they don't think their vote makes a difference. The problem is it isn't one vote. Numerous individuals, you and old, feel the same way so they don't vote. So one vote becomes two and two becomes hundreds, even thousands. All of their votes combined could make a difference. So don't forget to encourage your family, friends and neighbors to cast their vote. And remind them , one vote makes a difference. Like I said before, this post isn't focused on me telling you where I stand on the issues or who I think the right choice for our state or country is. I just want to encourage you to take a part in the democratic process. There are important decisions to be made, so get informed and cast your vote. I have made my decisions for election 2012. Have you?

Excited to cast my vote in election 2012!

Now What?

Barley, check. Wheat, check. Dry beans, check. Corn, check. Harvest 2012 is done...in record time. Seems strange to be done combining so early, but I can assure you it is a great feeling! The last few weeks were crazy. Not only did I start my new job, but we were also busy trying to combine soybeans and corn. The days were long and tiring, but we are thankful for a safe harvest season.

Harvest is done, so now what? Well let me assure you there will be no shortage of things going on at T-T Ranch. In fact here are some of the things at the top of a never ending list:
                                         -Grain to haul
                                         -Fertilizer to apply
                                         -Calves to wean
                                         -Machinery to service

And I can assure you that this list goes on and on. I'm sure you can relate. Whether you are a farmer,
stay at home mom, rancher, seed salesman, communications director, whatever your title is you know
that there are always things to do. But what a great feeling it is when you can finally check something off
the list. No we don't ever get to the end of said list, but each job we check off is one less thing we have
to save for tomorrow.

These last few weeks have been very crazy, but I am so thankful to know that we can check harvest
2012 off our lengthy list of things to do. But who am I kidding, I can't wait for harvest 2013 to begin!
Well, I guess I better get back to my own never-ending list of things to do.

Until next week,

 

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,