Monday Night Movie Night: NAMA 2016

Until last week, it had been a long time since I'd posted a Wordless Wednesday. It's been even longer since I've done a Monday Night Movie Night! In all my social media stalking I found these two awesome videos from NAMA 2016 and had to share them with you.

Hope you've enjoyed these videos as much as I have. Thanks for reading!

Monday Night Movie Night: Why I Farm Music Video

This week's Monday Night Movie Night is one of the nearest and dearest to my heart I've ever posted. Over the summer, during my internship with Beck's I had the privilege of working on this video. Seeing all the creativity, hard work and passion that went into it makes me appreciate it that much more each time I watch it.

I hope you were touched by The Henningsens' graphic lyrics and the beautiful scenes of their real family farm. If you enjoyed the song, download it for free for a limited time at www.whyifarm.com! Thanks for reading!

Monday Night Movie Night: Frank Doll

It's been a long time since I've shared a Monday Night Movie Night, but with all the exciting Why I Farm releases recently, I can't help myself today.

Today, I'm sharing Frank Doll's Why I Farm video. It's the first video released as Beck's Why I Farm campaign enters its third year. Unfortunately, I've never met Frank, but working on his video as part of my summer internship had an impact on me. 

Hearing friends and community members speak so highly of him really made me think. How would people respond if they were interviewed about me?

There's just something that warms my heart when I hear a mother speaking about her children. I love how Judy supports Frank's agvocacy!

I've always admired women in ag, farm moms and wives! It's pretty neat to hear how much raising their sons on the farm means to Pam, especially since she grew up outside the dairy industry.

I can really relate to Derrik's comments. Back home, there are a handful of farmers that welcomed me to learn from their operation and sparked my interest in agriculture. They are mentors, friends and role models. Like Derrik, I'm thankful for the influence these agvocates have had in my life.

I could talk to farmers like Homer all day. His smile projects his passion for the farm before you hear him say a word. I love his slow storytelling and vision for the future. You can just tell by the twinkle in his eye, he's proud of where his son is leading the farm.

All in all, I was most inspired by Frank himself. On top of working 14+ hours Sunday to Sunday, he never stops sharing his agricultural story. He cares about his cows and the consumers that enjoy the products that come from his farm. 

I hope you're touched by these stories as I have been. I can't wait to see what the Why I Farm campaign will release next! Thanks for reading!

Monday Night Movie Night: Iowa Nice

Last Thursday, the Iowa State University Corn Growers Association hosted their 2nd Annual Spring BBQ and I was honored to be part of the officer team that oversaw the event. 

Cyclones were invited for a free meal of delicious pork burgers and chips and savored a treat of ISU Dairy Science Club ice cream for desert. The evening's activities were open to all students and provided a great opportunity to network with the event's sponsors as well as peers passionate about agriculture. Over two hundred people filled the new Jeff & Deb Hansen Agricultural Learning Center to enjoy the evening of food, entertainment, and conversation.



The club was honored to have Scott Siepker, more well known as the Iowa Nice Guy, as our guest speaker. Through his hilarious talk, he hit some more serious points emphasizing the importance of an appreciation for agriculture. Without farmers who are willing to share their stories, it's pretty hard for the 98% percent of people outside of production agriculture to be enthusiastic about the industry that feeds and fuels their lifestyle. Finally, Scott spoke about making your dreams come true in Iowa. Iowa is a great place to live, start a career, and raise a family. There's no need to look beyond your back door for a place your goals can be achieved. As an Iowan, Siepker has launched an acting career. ESPN features and the videos below are some of his accomplishments. With today's technology and the 'nice' culture found in Iowa, start chasing your dreams, whatever they are. Thanks for reading!

'Nice' Videos:

(Click the photo above to watch "Farmer Nice")

(Click the photo above to watch "Iowa Nice")

(Click the photo above to watch "Cyclone Nice")

Monday Night Movie Night: Why I Farm

I haven't posted a Monday Night Movie Night for a long time, but after the release of the latest Why I Farm video by Beck's Hybrids a few weeks ago, I couldn't resist. Also, since March is Women's History month, this clip seemed fitting. As I mentioned in another blog post, I am thrilled to work for Beck's this coming summer as their marketing communications intern, and am thankful for the opportunity I had to spend part of my Christmas Break learning the behind the scenes stories of this Why I Farm campaign.

Women in ag are constantly inspiring me. Search social media for #FarmHer and #WomenInAg for hundreds of other awesome stories. Thanks for reading! 

Monday Night Movie Night!

Whoever said scrolling through Facebook is a waste of time, sure didn't have friends like me. I swear my friends post the coolest things! The last Monday Night Movie Night post was found thanks to social media, and this week I'm sure you'll enjoy this song my fellow blogger friend, Lexi, shared.

If you liked the song, American Farmer, as much as I did, you may want to check it out on iTunes. You can find it by searching for American Farmer Single by Maria Doud. Thanks for reading!

Monday Night Movie Night Returns!

It's been a long time since I've posted a Monday Night Movie Night, but after I stumbled upon this gem from a classmate at Iowa State, I couldn't resist. Haley Banwart is an Agriculture Education major with an emphasis on Communication. She is passionate about the industry and can be found making a difference around campus through her internship in the CALS Communications office, leading discussions in the classroom, or in many club activities. People like Haley are the reason I love Iowa State so much, and I can't wait to work alongside people like her for the rest of my career. Without further ado, please enjoy her video, So God Made A Farm Girl.

"So God Made A Farm Girl"

And on the 8th day God looked down on his planned paradise and said I need a caretaker, 

SO GOD MADE A FARM GIRL

God said I need somebody willing to weed the garden, drive a tractor all dayin the fields feed the cows, make supper and go to town to practice whatever sport is in season, so God made a Farm Girl. I need someone with arms strong enough to bale hay and patient enough to teach a newborn lamb to nurse. Someone to walk beans, shovel grain, come home hungry and help make lunch,

SO GOD MADE A FARM GIRL

God had to have someone willing to ride the ruts at double speed to get the hay in ahead of the rain clouds and yet stop in midfield and race to help when the neighbors toddler is lost in the corn field,

SO GOD MADE A FARM GIRL

God said I need someone savvy enough to operate the auto steer and yield monitor and determined enough to pull lambs when a ewe's pelvis is so small that only her hand will fit. Who will stop her lawnmower for an hour to help her little brother find kittens in the hay mow. It had to be somebody who'd work hard and not cut corners. Somebody to seed weed feed breed and rake and bale and combine and plant and finish a hard week's work with a 7 mile drive to church. Somebody who'd bale a family together with soft strong bonds of sharing who would laugh and then sigh with and then reply with smiling eyes when her daughter says she wants to spend her life doing what her mom does,

SO GOD MADE A FARM GIRL 

I look forward to keeping up with Haley's work and will be sure to share her future projects with you! Thanks for reading!

Monday Night Movie Night: 9th edition!

You may have noticed, I missed Monday Night Movie Night last week. No worries! I'm making up for it this week with a few extra movies! One of my favorite bloggers, Dairy Carrie, is one of the nominees for U.S. Farmers & Rancher's Alliance's New Faces of Farming and Ranching. She recently posted her contestant clip on her Facebook page. After looking into the award a little more, I ran across the stories of seven other farmers and ranchers eager to share their passions. Take a few moments to learn about each agvocate by watching their videos below! I hope their passion for ag excites you!

Jay Hill advocates for a variety of crops including pecans and pinto beans. I enjoyed his unique perspective as a grower of non-commodity crops. His 3 T's, trust, transparency, and taste priorities really encouraging to me as a consumer.

Darrell Glaser works hard on his turkey and cattle farm to achieve sustainability. Using the natural resources created by the operations to compliment each other has allowed Darrell and his wife to be better stewards of the business. With sustainability as such a hot topic in the industry, it's great to know producers also see it as a priority.

Carla Wardin is a dairy farmer and blogger who works hard to demonstrate how much farmers care about their land, animals and products. Her unique perspective as a mother allows her to connect with consumers who visit her farm and read her blog in a special way. Women like Carla always inspire me with the many hats they wear in the operation, their families, and community. 

Erin Brenneman is from my neck of the woods in Southeast Iowa. Her goal is to share with consumers that big farms have a face too. Large farms like hers are often labeled as factory farms, but as she explains in her video, "there's no conveyor belts here." Check out her video to meet Erin and her family farm operation.

Brian Jones is proud of watching the circle of life over and over on his 4th generation family farm. He's also enjoyed raising his kids on the operation. Much like his peers, Jones enjoys telling the story of agriculture to so many people who haven't experienced raising food.

Jessica Potter is proud of the fact that she and her husband started a ranch from scratch. She's scared cowboys and cowgirls are a dying breed. One of her goals is to preserve that icon of western America and the history that goes along with it. Watch her video for more reasons she feels agvocacy is her calling.

Thomas Titus farms with his family in Illinois. He wants consumers to know that animal welfare is one of his top priorities. Check out some of the things he and his family do to take care of their animals. He enjoys raising his children around the farm and supporting organizations like 4-H and FFA.

Last but not least, Carrie Mess, a city girl turned dairy farmer offers a unique perspective in her agvocacy work. Like many consumers, her farm is concerned with sustainability and animal welfare. I encourage you to take some time to watch her video as well as check out her blog. 

I find each of these individuals inspiring and hope I am a positive face for agriculture as they are. Best of luck to each of them as they pursue this honor! Thanks for reading!

Monday Night Movie Night, 8th edition!

This weekend many of my classmates went home to help with harvest. My Facebook news feed was full of family pictures in front of combines, meals taken out to farmers in the field, and wagons full of grain. As I drove to Des Moines via the scenic route on Saturday, I found myself going below the speed limit gawking at the scenes of huge green and red combines hard at work against the gorgeous, crisp blue sky. Old red barns and bright orange leaves passed by making me wish I was anywhere but the car. In that spirit, I decided to dedicate this entire Monday Night Movie Night to harvest videos. I hope they make you as proud to be an Iowan as they do me.

This video was shot in South Dakota, but features the same crops we raise here in Iowa. I found this clip very interesting because it uses a GoPro camera mounted on a drone. Drones are fairly new technology that have a lot of potential in the agricultural industry. Check out this video to see harvest from a different angle!

Harvest season takes help from the whole family, young and old. This homemade movie shows just how much pride farm families take in their operation. Take a look and follow this little boy and his family through the harvest time.

This video is a little longer, but I really love it's historical perspective. It includes photos of this farm's past and present. You may recognize "God Made a Farmer" by Paul Harvey, re-popularized by a recent Super Bowl commercial, in the background. Enjoy a glimpse of several generations participating in harvest, and other farm activities by clicking below.

I'm sure you can tell if you've been following my blog the past several weeks, I just love this time of year. (Fall on the Farm, Fall Industry Tour) It makes me so thankful for all the farmers who feed our world, the beautiful crisp weather, crunchy colorful leaves, and the privilege to be a part of the agricultural community. Thanks for reading!

Monday Night Movie Night, 7th edition!

This week's Monday Night Movie Night is a little different than most. Usually, these posts feature several YouTube clips on a variety of ag topics I've gathered throughout the course of the week. This time, I have feature length movie for you! Farmland is free on Hulu right now!

Farmland is an award winning documentary, sharing the story of six farmers and their families. I've been fortunate to see it several times already thanks to Iowa Corn, and the movie was one of the things that inspired me to start this blog. So today, on this cold, rainy, fall Monday, curl up with a blanket and enjoy! Thanks for reading!

Monday Night Movie Night, 5th edition!

Monday Night Movie Night is back... and it looks like it's here to stay! I've enjoyed all the feedback and video suggestions. Keep it coming!

A couple weeks ago at a Student Federation for Agriculture meeting we had a mini media night. After regular meeting business, we wrote letters to the editor, posted on social media, and watched agricultural videos. I'm kind of a nerd for tidbits and factoids so this clip was one of my favorites. You can always pick up a few interesting pieces of trivia in this sort of thing so watch closely!

I learn more about the pork industry every day. This video taught me how and what farmers feed pigs as they grow and mature. Specifically, I learned why feed is made into pellets. Watch this video and see if you can catch a couple reasons yourself.

In the last year or so, I've had a growing interest in dairy goats. Fortunately, I've been able to tour a few farms and taste some delicious goat cheeses. This video is from one of the dairies I follow on Facebook and hope to visit one day. It does a great job of explaining the business in a brief clip.

Ag facts, pig food, and dairy goats! Hope you've learned as much as I did researching these! Thanks for reading!

Monday Night Movie Night, 4th Edition!

Monday Night Movie Night seems to be a hit and I love the excuse to geek out and watch YouTube videos, so keep reading for the 4th edition!

I know this is a promotion for AgPhD's YouTube channel, and unless you are a serious farmer or researcher some of their videos may not appeal to you, but I thought this clip was pretty neat. You can see many of the major steps in an entire crop year reduced to less than 30 second. This one definitely made me think about all the effort that is put into each kernel of corn that is produced here in Iowa. (Click on the picture below for the link.)

Here's a homemade music video from Huitt Farms, Inc. out of Perry, Iowa. It's getting to be about harvest time so this clip seemed appropriate. For all you country music lovers, take a peek at their YouTube channel for more harvest and planting videos set to some toe tapping tunes. 

Here in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State, we here about the 9 billion people that will populate the world by 2050 almost daily. All those people will need food and fuel. The demands on the agricultural industry and the need for leaders has never been greater. This short clip from Dupont Pioneer was particularly inspiring to me as a reminder that there are lots of people my own age already engaged in finding a solution. It certainly encourages me, and hopefully you, to be among the ranks of those working to achieve food security for the entire globe. 

That's all folks! Hope you enjoyed this week's Monday Night Movie Night as much as I enjoyed creating it. Thanks for reading!

Monday Night Movie Night, 3rd Edition!

It's been a while since I've posted a Monday Night Movie Night, but I ran across a few videos I want to share with you this past week. 

At Farm Progress Show last week the Beck's Hybrids Why I Farm campaign greeted me as I approached the gates. Here's another one of my favorites from them. As always, let me highly recommend their Youtube channel for more heart warming videos.

I hope you've had a chance to read about my experience at the Iowa Corn Indy 300 this past July. (If not you can catch up here.) Even if you're not a big race fan, check out this short clip from Indy Car of some of the highlights. Notice how incredibly fast the cars are going... even though the video doesn't really do it justice. I've said it a bunch already, but I am so thankful to see the performance of ethanol powered racing, and so many other things through my Market Development Internship with Iowa Corn. 

The GMO/organic discussion is all over the news, social media, and editorials today and has been a hot topic for several years. Last year I was fortunate enough to attend the Food Dialogues Event at Iowa State University. Even though this isn't a short clip, let me encourage you to watch and learn the science behind the debate. Katie Olthoff and Wayne Humphreys, who've been featured in my blog before are on the panel. 

Hope you've enjoyed these videos and learned something new! As always, I'd love to hear about any new clips you find! Thanks for reading!

Monday Night Movie Night, 2nd Edition!

I was excited to see so many people checked out last week's blog post, Monday Night Movie Night, I decided to share other clips I've been enjoying lately. As always, I'd love to hear your feedback and let me know what gems you've found on YouTube!

Even though I study agriculture, work in agriculture, and dream about agriculture I have a lot to learn on the subject! Despite my love of dairy products, the industry is something I know very little about. Check out this clip to learn about the production of some of my favorite foods.

(Click the photo)

A Monday Movie Night isn't complete without a little fun. The now world famous Peterson Farm Brothers have several parody videos that are sure to make you laugh. Listen closely to their clever lyrics and you may learn a bit too! Here's their latest video, All I Do Is Farm. Visit their YouTube channel for hours of entertainment.

I had never heard of gluten until high school when a close friend's mom found out she had Celiac disease. Now, gluten-free items are advertised in nearly every aisle of the grocery store. This video breaks down all the rage to simple facts that are easy to understand... and there are sweet doodles!

Here's another parody video I just had to share with you! This kid isn't even in high school yet, and is already a great agvocate! Cute, inspiring, and pretty catchy!

Animal health and comfort is a priority for livestock producers around the country. I recently discovered this YouTube channel, and have enjoyed learning about real farming practices and why farmers do what they do. Learn about keeping hogs healthy here.

Watching all these videos again makes me so proud to be a part of the agricultural industry. Maybe, I'll even make one of my own some day. Thanks for reading!