Wordless Wednesday: Iowa State Homecoming Fall 2016

Last week was Homecoming at Iowa State University. For the first time in five years, I wasn't on campus for all the festivities. I left town for the next loop of the Why I Farm Roadtrip right before all the fun began. I was disappointed to miss my friends and the football game, but on my way out of town I was able to visit campus just after the banners got set up. It was a gorgeous fall evening, so of course I brought my camera along.

The creativity of these banners impresses me every year. It's so fun to see so many different spins on the same theme. Maybe next year I'll make it back to Ames for Homecoming weekend. It would be great to catch up with my friends and classmates now that we're scattered around the country. Thanks for reading!

See ya later, Ames!

Last Saturday I graduated with an Agricultural Business degree from Iowa State, but it hadn't really hit me yet. As I pulled out of my drive way to set off on the Why I Farm Roadtrip this morning, I finally started to realize that I'm done with school for a long time. Here are a few things I'll miss as I say, "See ya later, Ames!"

See ya later, Ag Business Club!

Goodbye, Econ classes with friends!

See ya later, Ag girls!

So long, Halloween costumes!

See ya later, Hilton Magic!

Adios, Cyclone tailgating!

Until next year, Homecoming!

Goodbye, student NAMA!

Adios, Captain Corn!

See ya later, Jack Trice!

Until next time, Curtiss Hall!

Bye bye, college conferences!

Later, Reiman Gardens!

We'll see you around, freshman dorm friends!

Goodbye, club fundraisers!

So long, random late night adventures!

Goodbye, ginormous pants and "studying" shenanigans!

I've had a great four years in college, and I can't imagine my life now without the wonderful friends and mentors Iowa State introduced me to. Thanks to them I'm ready to take on my next adventure, the Why I Farm Roadtrip! Thanks for reading!

11 Takeaways from Kickstarter Founder, Perry Chen

In February, I left the National Farmers Union College Conference on Cooperatives challenged by William Nelson's closing remarks, "Get involved in things you can’t do alone." Last week, I announced my post-graduation plans, and unveiled the biggest project I've been a part of in my life. Just the other night, it all came together at late night lecture on campus.

Perry Chen, one of the founders of Kickstarter was at Iowa State. Perry told his entrepreneurial story and opened my eyes to a lot of things I didn't know about crowdfunding. Here are my top 11 takeaways from his talk:

1. For those of you who aren't familiar with crowdfunding, Kickstarter = (Funding + Democracy) + Sweet Incentives. Backers show their support for a project or idea by contributing their own money. In return, they feel great about helping something they like move forward, and may get a gift like a t-shirt or exclusive content.

2. Did you know the Statue of Liberty's pedestal was paid for by crowdfunding? Donations were solicited and in return, supporters received replicas of the statue in varying sizes based on their gift. I had no idea crowdfunding had been around so long!

3. The Oscars happened recently. Did you know an Oscar winning documentary was funded on Kickstarter? Kickstarter has helped hundreds of creative people get their work off the ground.

4. "We have the opportunities to try and fail that people have never had before." This statement really made me think. It's so true. I don't have to spend my whole day harvesting and preparing my meals or walking from place to place. My day isn't consumed with basic survival. I have time to think and try out my wild ideas. I need to stop taking this for granted.

5. The safe path and decisions... are not so safe. The crooked path of following your passion and taking risk for your ideas may reward more. I've known for a while that I wanted to follow my passions and do my own thing. Each time I began seriously considering it, I worried it wasn't a safe decision. What if my business was a flop? The work could stop coming in. I wouldn't be able to pay my rent. Then I realized, the what if game could go the other way too. Taking the safe path and accepting a salary with a large company may not be so safe. The company could be acquired. I could be laid off. Traveling to all 50 states blogging about agriculture is certainly a crooked path, but it's following my passion, and I'm already seeing the priceless rewards.

My friends at KinoSol got to hang out with Perry Chen.
They've been an awesome group of entrepreneurs to
brainstorm with over the last few years!
Photo credit: KinoSol

6. "Many companies have a mission, but many times it comes second to maximizing profit." This doesn't mean all companies work this way. As an Econ student, I'm perfectly aware that profit maximization and keeping shareholders happy is the driving goal for many organizations. Profit is necessary to be sustainable, but if it means sacrificing the mission statement, maybe things need to be reprioritized.

7. "The change with all this is not just funding, it's building community around your work." This is the part of crowdfunding I'm so excited about. Personally, I'm killing two birds with one stone if I can find people that are excited to follow #RootsRoadtrip and willing to help me raise funds to get around the country. I think having people engaged with the businesses around them strengthens the community.

8. "As you guys know, sometimes when you have a really special idea, it just won't go..." I love meeting other people who've had this experience. It's always reassuring to know you're not the only one that feels this nagging itch to run with an idea.

9. "We want to help each other bring our ...each others'... creative ideas to life." It's pretty cool to be a part of a community striving to achieve great things together, don't you think?

10. "Profit based decision making doesn't lead to the best art and culture." After studying Econ for the last four years, I understand the place of profit based decision making. It's a valuable tool, especially during the lean times. But life would be boring if we let profit maximization lead the way in every situation. Think of all the joys in life you'd miss if we eliminated them to save a buck or two.

11. There is no financial upside for backers on Kickstarter, and that is what opens the floodgates for support. It's about affinity. This is another reason I love crowdfunding! People are putting their money where their mouth is. People are opening their wallets because they believe in you and they genuinely want you to succeed. How encouraging is that?!

I'm super excited to release my own crowdfunding campaign this spring. This road trip isn't something I can do alone. I'm so thankful for the support I've received so far! Thanks for reading! 

Wordless Wednesday: San Antonio Trip

If you caught my blog post last week, you know I just got back from a wonderful trip to San Antonio, Texas. I had a great time with classmates exploring the River Walk area and competing in quiz bowl. For this week's Wordless Wednesday, I'm sharing a few more photos from our adventure!

 I hope you all get the chance to visit San Antonio, enjoy the mild weather, and explore the area for yourself! I would love to see your pictures! Thanks for reading!

10 Ways Iowa Corn Changed My Life

Every day graduation is one step closer. As my last semester races by, I think of all the people that have changed my life over these four years. That list is long, but the men and women at Iowa Corn are certainly near the top. Here are some of the best memories we've made together.

There's just something about that Hilton Magic! All Iowa State
students should experience the thrill of a CyHawk game!

1. CyHawk Series - You're not getting the full Iowa State student experience if you skip the CyHawk games. Whether it's standing in the deafening student section at Hilton or handing out 8,000 t-shirts at Jack Trice, Iowa Corn has touched every corner of my student experience. The Iowa v. Iowa State rivalry is fun in itself, but seeing my favorite farmers and reminders of all their hard work at the games is the cherry on top. Plus, who's day isn't a little better after a high five from Captain Corn?

Meeting Marco Andretti was one of the biggest highlights of the
Ethanol Powered Weekend, but there were so many cool parts!

2. Ethanol Powered Weekend - I never have been much of a racing fan, so if you told high school me that one of my college highlights would be a whole weekend at the Iowa Speedway I would have laughed in your face. Well, college senior me is here to say it's true! Being that close to such fast cars, fueled by ethanol from corn produced on farms of the fans that surrounded me was really neat. Between meeting farmers and munching on sweet corn I learned all kinds of cool facts. Did you know, today over 95% of all fuel sold in the U.S. is blended with 10% ethanol?! To top it off I got to ride in the pace car, meet Marco Andretti and tour the pits! (We’ll save the story where I spill a whole cooler of butter patties in the middle of an intersection for another blog post.)

I've had such a good time serving as an officer of ISU Corn Growers with
these ladies.

3. Network - Iowa Corn has given me an incredible network that I'll keep in touch with for years to come. Because of them, I know people who are passionate about agriculture, just like me, across the country. I've had the opportunity to work next to some of the most passionate agvocates (like Carrie and Janelle) while at Iowa Corn. Everyone in the organization inspires me with their work ethic and dedication to Iowa's farmers.

Meeting these Iowa bloggers at #AgChat Conference was truly
life changing! I can't wait to see where this blog takes me after all
 their advice.

4. ISU Corn Growers - For the last four years, when I wasn't in class, chances are I was at a club activity. Iowa State University Corn Growers Association (ISUCGA) has given me a chance to grow my friendships and leadership skills. With my fellow members, I've put on large events, cleaned up the local highway and traveled around the state. Serving as this group's secretary challenged me to grow creatively and as a teammate. Together, we made many memories that will last a lifetime.

Pump promotions with Iowa Corn were such a fun way to travel the state
and talk to people about ethanol.

5. Ag Chat Conference - If you follow my social media, you know I traveled to Nashville in November for an AgEI trip and #AgChat conference. The conference inspired me and was the last push of motivation I needed to tackle re-branding this blog. In just two days, my photography and writing improved. So many ladies generously shared their advice with me. It was also awesome to meet bloggers I've admired for years in real life. None of this would have been possible without Iowa Corn's generous sponsorship. Extra shout out to my new friend Alicia at Pork Diaries for driving me all the way back to Iowa!

During my internship I went on some really neat farm tours with foreign
teams. It was awesome to see them learn about American agriculture.

6. Internship - For many college students, internships are the highlight of their college career. I'm no exception. The summer after my sophomore year I had the privilege of spending three months as the Market Development intern in Iowa Corn's office. In that short time I experienced so much! More importantly than mastering Excel or learning how to ship thousands of t-shirts, I began to understand the global impact Iowa corn farmers make. By attending the Governor's Livestock Charity Steer Show, Ethanol Powered Weekend and hosting foreign teams I learned how important corn is to the livestock, fuel and export industries. There's no way I could remember all the facts and figures I heard that summer, but I will admit www.iowacorn.org has been cited as a source for more than one of my course papers. 

Last year our ISUCGA group went on an industry tour to Pioneer in
Johnston, Iowa. I learned so much!

7. Twitter Takeover - Anyone who knows me, even just a little, knows I'm passionate about sharing the stories of agriculture, especially on social media. That's why I was so giddy when Iowa Corn asked me to take over their Twitter account for a day last semester. It was so much fun to share how the organization and ag community have impacted my life with all their followers.

8. Wardrobe - This is one of those unintended benefits of involvement with Iowa Corn. I lost track of how many Iowa Corn shirts I've collected a long time ago, but I'm confident I could get through a week or two without repeating a one.

9. Farmland - Last spring, ISUCGA pulled off a wonderful Farmland Screening and Panel event. That night, guests watched the documentary Farmland, and had the opportunity to ask questions of six local Iowa farmers. Organizing this event is one of my biggest accomplishments of the last four years, but it wouldn't have been possible without the support of Iowa Corn. They lent us Captain Corn and the 8 foot farmers, plus donated cups (made from corn) so everyone could enjoy popcorn and drinks with the movie. The experience just wouldn't have been complete without popcorn!! 

10. Industry Visits - The Market Development internship and ISUCGA opened doors to visit many ag businesses. I've learned more about livestock and seed corn production thanks to Iowa Corn related trips. You can read more of what I learned at a cattle feedlot, dairy days, egg facility and Pioneer in their individual blog posts.

It's safe to say college wouldn't have been the same without Iowa Corn. I'm so thankful they've been part of my agricultural journey so far, and I can't wait to see where the future leads. To learn more about their organization and how it can change your life go to www.iowacorn.org. To keep up with all they're doing with farmers and college students like me around the state follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Thanks for reading!