Ag Jobs A to Z: Graphic Designer

Photo credit: Beck's Hybrids

Life changing. That's the best way to describe last summer's internship with Beck's Hybrids. I learned so much about myself, my work habits, and agriculture. At the same time, I worked next to some of the most talented communicators and marketers in the industry. 

Jenna is a graphic designer at Beck's and is part of the team that made my experience so great. Watching her work ethic, creativity and passion taught me about the type of employee I want to be. I'm so thankful she's sharing her career story for today's Ag Jobs A to Z blog!

1. Where did you go to school?
I attended Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma and graduated with a degree in animal science and an ag economics minor. After a year and a half in the work force, I went back to school at a private art school in Kettering, Ohio, The School of Advertising Art (saa) for a diploma in advertising art. 

2. What inspired you to go into graphic design?
I’ve always been very artsy, and when I was deciding where to go to college, as a high school junior, I was torn between my passion for agriculture and my passion for art. I ultimately chose agriculture because that’s where I felt led, but I stayed involved with art: drawing on my own, taking a few electives here and there. Then I graduated and went into ag sales, but I found myself more drawn toward the marketing materials I was using to help make sales and that were used to advertise to my customers. Also, while working with dairy farmers, I saw a need for positive public relations and the promotion of agriculture in a positive light to people who don’t understand all of our agricultural practices and why we do them. These large producers didn’t have websites or promotional material, or any real way to promote themselves or their business. But, it wasn’t about promotion in the sense of making more money, it was in the vein of improving public understanding and perception. If your neighbors understand why you do something, and what you’re doing on your farm, when that inevitable manure spill happens, hopefully they might be more understanding. Or if they understand why gestation crates for sows are for the safety of the litter, for example. I was drawn to promoting agriculture, and improving the image and understanding of the industry. 

After a year and a half of not being fulfilled in my sales role, I left the company and with no job lined up, wasn’t sure what I was doing. I was looking for jobs and I ran across a communication position for Select Sires, a reproductive management service for dairy and beef producers, but I didn’t have the graphic design skills to fill the role. I happened across a graduation announcement from a local high school youth in my hometown that was attending saa. I instantly felt led to investigate the school. It seemed to provide the training I would need to fill a role like the one at Select Sires. So I submitted my high school art portfolio and college transcript, and was awarded a scholarship for the combination. Saa is focused on real world, tangible skills, and you are on a computer from day one of classes. It is small and the instructors are design professionals actually working in the industry. 

3. How long have you been working in graphic design?
Just over four years. I graduated from saa in 2011 and immediately started working for the international headquarters of the fraternity Beta Theta Pi in Oxford, Ohio. It wasn’t anything I’d envisioned. I’d planned to find a marketing role for an ag company or start consulting and immediately changing the world, but as all things happen for a reason, and typically not like you plan, the opportunity to work for a non-profit in Higher Ed appeared. I spent three years with the fraternity, and learned SO much, but then, like every opportunity I’ve had, an acquaintance from high school worked for Beck’s Hybrids in Atlanta, Indiana. He kept encouraging me to reach out to the marketing director and share my portfolio. Finally, after about three conversations, I followed through, and I was invited in for an interview and was hired. I am approaching one and a half years at Beck’s, and I consider it my dream job, combining ag and art. I work with amazing people who share a passion for agriculture but also wish to positively influence the public, with campaigns showcasing the hearts and souls of farmers and why they do what is often a thankless job, Beck’s “Why I Farm” campaign. 

4. What skills are necessary for a career in graphic design?
Your basic computer skills and some ability to sketch or draw are givens. Being creative is also a good skill to have, and the desire to learn and explore new technologies and methods and styles, as the world of design is always evolving. But one thing I cannot stress enough is the ability to write. You don’t have to be a novelist or grammar maven, but I remember one instructor saying, “You can have a great eye and design a great ad, but so can many other people. If you can write copy or an engaging headline or tagline, that takes you to the next level.” I enjoy writing, so I put that skill to good use on many of my projects. 

5. How does your job fit into the agricultural industry? (Who do you work with? Who do you help? Who helps you?)
I work for a company that has an in-house design team, so my “clients” are my company and any subsidiaries of my company. But they are clients none-the-less and I still have to meet their needs and know my audience. My audience is farmers. And right now, farmers who are 45-65 years in age, but not forgetting that the next generation is quickly taking over that target audience spot. So we need to be adapting how we market and design, like the platforms we use. I will work with other companies if we’re co-branding or working cooperatively with a partner on a project. I have a creative director who I work with, as well as other designers and video production specialists that all come together to complete a total campaign or provide support on a project, like photography needs. 

6. What career/internship opportunities are there in graphic design?
Career types:
Print focus - graphic design, production artist (Agency, in-house, non-profit, freelance)
Web/digital design (Agency, in-house, non-profit, freelance)
Web backend design (coding, html) 
Print production (working at a printer)
Art Director (agency or in-house) – responsible for managing the designers and over seeing that all projects are being completed 
Creative Director (agency or in-house) responsible for overall creative vision for the company or project

While there are specific internships for design (I completed an externship at a small creative agency in Dayton, Ohio) sales and marketing internships shouldn’t be overlooked, either. Being in sales taught me a lot about marketing, but primarily how to read people and understand their wants/needs. That’s taken me very far in my success as a designer and marketer. Classes and tutorials can teach you how to use the tools and design, but sales and marketing taught me how to work with people, read people, and better use my design skills to influence people.

There are a few options out there when it comes to graphic design industry segments:
1. Agency – High level design. This is long hours and intense work with many different clients who are outsourcing projects to a creative agency. Many designers will start as production artists, where they are given the creative concept by their creative director and will produce it to spec. Also, there are account managers where you will work with the client to understand, meet and convey their project needs, and help keep the project on schedule. You will have the opportunity to work with many different industries and clients and the scope of projects is large, but the hours can be long, and you are expected to work until it’s done, and your work better be great. The rewards you’ll reap, though, are also great. 
2. In-house – The idea of in-house teams is growing and expanding. I work for an in-house team, where a company hires all the components of an agency, from a creative director, to graphic designers and video specialists to copywriters. They eliminate the need to outsource projects to creative agencies, because company paid employees can do all the work. In-house has gotten the wrap of not being as talented or up to par with agencies, but this isn’t true. The quality of work can be just as high as agency, and I personally feel, better, because employees have a personal investment in the company, not just “Another project from another client from a company I don’t know anything about.” At Beck’s, we have many “clients.” From the main brand to departments and entities that fall under the Beck’s umbrella, I feel like I can constantly be challenged with new and different projects. 
3. Freelance – for the designer who wants to control their hours and when they work, whom they work for, how much they make and what they work on, freelance is great. You’ll also likely work from your home or a rented office space, probably won’t have co-workers unless you partner up with someone, and you’ll be responsible for obtaining work, which unless you have a built up list of regular clients and steady work, could be stressful as sometimes there might be dry periods when you don’t have work. 
4. Non-profit – In many cases, a designer working for a non-profit is dealing with a reduced budget, and are forced to be a jack of all trades, because the non-profit cannot afford to outsource work or hire an entire team, so the designer may be writing, designing and handling the printing/execution of the project, as well as the social media. But this allows for greater creativity too! Working within confines of a limiting budget forces you to go outside the box and find alternative solutions that have big bang for the buck. The budget may be smaller, and the restrictions greater, but the reward of having an impact on your audience and helping a non-profit are great. Again, a large budget and fancy tools don’t define a great designer. 
5. Print Production – this is strictly print design - another option would be to work for a printer or in prepress for a printer. You’d be responsible for making sure a project or job were set up correctly to be printed, and then operating the presses/tools, executing the finishing of the projects and communicating with the project lead or designer. 

7. Is there anything else you would like a student audience to know?
Knowing Photoshop and InDesign and having the latest software will not make you a great designer. They are tools to help elevate your work, but they do not make you a designer. 90% of being a successful marketer and designer is knowing your target audience and smart design. Just because something looks great doesn’t mean it will resonate with your audience. I can’t stress enough that every piece you design is meant to influence and affect the viewer on an emotional level. And being able to convey that and understand that will help make you a successful designer.

RESEARCH. Know whom you are marketing to, know who will be reading your ad. You have the ability with words, type, color and imagery to influence a demographic. This all comes from observing your surroundings, other people and how they look at things and take things in, and relying on more than just design skills. Being well rounded as a designer will make you so much more appealing to perspective employers. Don’t dismiss your creative writing class or your gen ed biology, you never know when having that knowledge will come in handy. Learn to read people, learn to observe your surroundings, and most importantly, learn to learn. That skill will take you farther than any class you take.  

Huge thanks to Jenna for her answers and advice. I'm glad she could be a part of Ag Jobs A to Z! It's so great how art and agriculture came together in her career journey. 

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!

Iowa Ag Leaders Dinner Reflection

Yesterday evening, I had the honor of attending the Iowa Ag Leaders dinner hosted by Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Bill Northey. Agricultural business leaders, commodity group members, legislators, FFA members, and Iowa State University representatives gathered for a night of networking and inspiration. I thoroughly enjoyed catching up with friends and mentors during the reception. 

Photo Credit: Katie Klaes

As we savored a delicious dinner served by The Machine Shed, I was encouraged by talks from Abrah Meyer, FFA President for the state of Iowa, Bill Northey and the keynote address from former President and CEO of Heifer International, Jo Luck. There were so many good things mentioned about the enthusiasm of young agriculturalists, and the leadership of Iowa in the industry, but I wanted to share a couple things from Ms. Luck's speech in particular. 

In order to have achievement, you must possess VISION. This is how she described VISION:

V- Values. Know what you value and write it down. Everyone should value caring and sharing.
I- Important. Know what is important to you. (and probably many of the people around you) Family, love, health, faith, justice, community, education, etc.
S- Senses. We learn about 5 senses from the time we are young-- sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing and it's great to use and appreciate all of those, but there are 5 more sense that are also essential-- sense of direction, sense of pride, common sense, sensitivity, and sometimes the hardest to remember, sense of humor.
I- Interdependence. Teamwork, harmony and balance are all key components of achievement. No matter how independent you may be, we still impact each other. There is a Kenyan saying that means "Together we can do it."
O- Ownership. There must be a local (or personal) belief, want, need, and value for the goal. Luck shared the example of Dr. Tererai Trent, which is a story that will have to wait for another blog post.
N- NamJai. A Kenyan word translated "living waters of the heart." Compassion is so important in everything you do, from a smile and thank you to a hosting family, to taking time to walk in someone else's shoes. 

Simply put, never compromise your core values, remember what is important, use all your senses, be sure the right people own it with you, and don't forget your NamJai... ever.

Finally, I want to leave you with one last quote I found particularly inspiring. It went something like this, "You never know when you are influencing someone who will change the world."

As you pursue your goals I challenge you to keep your VISION in mind. Thanks for reading!

(Not So) Wordless Wednesday: Agricultural Business Learning Community Wrap Up

Last week was the last organized meeting I had with the Agricultural Business Learning Community I peer mentor. It was actually kind of sad to stand at the front on the class collecting student evaluation forms, congratulating each kid on a successful semester thus far, knowing I would never teach the class again. On the other hand, I couldn't help smile with each "Thank you", "I learned a lot!", or "You helped Iowa State feel like home."

Since the last Wordless Wednesday featuring our group, the team has done some exciting things! The pumpkins we decorated were personally delivered by a group of Team Leaders and Peer Mentors to Northcrest Community and received by smiling faces eager to hear about our Iowa State experiences.

Three faculty members came to class to answer questions about future coursework and their classroom policies. Each shared valuable advice about balancing involvements, studying abroad, and searching for jobs. As a student I feel so fortunate we have the opportunity to get to know our professors personally.

Our students were generously hosted by Roger Underwood for one last dinner with faculty and staff. As always, it was a great time of casual networking and delicious food. His beautiful barn was full of freshmen, transfer students, and Peer Mentors. Meals like that are what really makes the Ag Business program feel like family.

Finally, freshmen met in small groups to register for spring classes and ask questions regarding their coursework for the next 4 years. Of course the night wasn't complete without pictures and pizza!

Looking back, applying to be a peer mentor was one of the best decisions I've made in my college career. The past two years have flown by and I feel so privileged to have been a part of tomorrow's leaders' college experience. I can't wait to work with them all to feed and fuel the world in a few short years! Thanks for reading!

CALS Week: Highlights

There are so many things that make me proud to be a student at Iowa State University. Few things make me prouder than the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences' celebration of CALS Week. The week is always jam packed with competitions between clubs, free meals on central campus, and inspiring speakers. It makes me feel so honored to be in the College of Ag to see all that my friends and peers have pulled off "Telling Our Story", while keeping up with full course loads and jobs.

Mr. CALS kicked off the week with a hilarious Miss America meets farm boys pageant. Hosted by Sigma Alpha as a fundraiser for a local charity, the event attracted quite a crowd of students. The young men that participated strut their stuff in three categories, formal wear, calendar boys, and dress your major. After judges narrowed the field down to five, the remaining contestants lip synched their way to the awards ceremony. This year's reigning Mr. CALS is Drew Mogler who represented the Agricultural Business Club.

Photo Credit: Katy Klopfenstein/Iowa State Daily

For me, another one of the highlights of the week was hearing Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey speak to a full auditorium of students, instructors, alumni, and engaged Iowans on campus. Over the course of his talk, he made some excellent points, but a particular story really stuck with me. Mr. Northey shared about his experience awarding the Century and Heritage Farm Awards each summer at the Iowa State Fair. He described the good ache in his hand after shaking hands with over 400 farm families last summer.

Photo Credit: Matt Kerns

Another student favorite during CALS Week is free meals on campus. The CALS Student Council always does a great job of finding generous supporters to help feed a few thousand hungry ag kids each day. For my classmates and I, it's a great opportunity to catch up, network with the sponsoring company of the day, or purchase CALS Week t-shirts.

Finally, Mr. CALS wasn't the only title to be claimed during the week. Ag related clubs also competed in Quiz Bowl and Ag Olympics. Quiz Bowl tested student's knowledge while Ag Olympics tested their athletic ability in a series of hilarious farm relays.

Photo Credit: ISU Ag Business Club Facebook Page

All in all, this year's CALS Week was one for the books! I'm so proud to be a Cyclone and can't wait to see what next year's celebration has in store. In the mean time, I look forward to "Telling Our Story" along with my classmates. 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!

Wordless Wednesday: FarmHer

For this week's Wordless Wednesday I'm sharing another guest photographer's amazing work! Last week at the AgEI Entrepreneurship Roundtable, I was blessed to meet Marji Guyler-Alaniz. This sweet lady is on a mission to share the story of women in agriculture through her talents behind the camera. Her photos are currently featured at the Des Moines Social Club and have been picked up by Huffington Post and the popular site, Upworthy. I hope you are inspired by each of these photos as much as I have been!

I'd love to share more about my time with Marji and her business, but since I cheated last week, I better keep this Wordless Wednesday on track. Please visit the FarmHer website for more details and "Like" the FarmHer Facebook page to see the latest happenings with the project. Thanks for reading!

Agricultural Business Club Fall Industry Tour Recap

A couple weekends ago, Thursday through Saturday, I had an awesome opportunity to attend the Agricultural Business Club Fall Industry Tour. This was my first time participating in the annual trip, but it's a long standing tradition for the club. Our group visited a total of six businesses, and I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed each one.

First, we were hosted by Flint Hills Resources in Menlo, Iowa. Our group of nearly 50 students was divided in half for tours of the ethanol plant and a company overview presentation. During my internship with Iowa Corn I had the opportunity to tour another ethanol plant, and it was really interesting to compare the two businesses. Although their layout and facilities were a little different, they are both supporting local corn farmers and producing ethanol and dried distillers grains (DDGS). Ethanol is blended into the fuel supply because it's renewable and cleaner burning. DDGS are a protein and energy rich feed ingredient often fed to livestock raised in the area. 

It was a little rainy, but Flint Hills Resources was a great host. 

After the stop in Menlo, we drove the rest of the way to Omaha, Nebraska. Upon arrival, we quickly checked into our hotel rooms and put on our walking shoes to head to dinner with Scoular at Upstream in the Old Market area. If you've never been there, the Old Market area is definitely worth checking out, and Upstream is quite a treat!

We all enjoyed dinner and conversation with Scoular. Each table was fortunate enough to have a company representative to talk with for the evening.

In the morning, we were up bright and early to visit Scoular in their beautiful Omaha office. Todd McQueen, Senior Vice President, gave a company overview, introducing grain merchandising positions and more. Later, our group divided up to tour the remodeled office space. As we took in the Scoular Ballroom and the rest of the gorgeous facility, Kevin told us about grain merchandising and their efforts in sustainability.

The ballroom hosts many company and outside events each year.

After a great time with Scoular, we walked several blocks down the street to Gavilon. The two businesses have some very similar roles in the industry, so it was a great opportunity to compare company culture and work environment side by side. It was so interesting to see how the organizations have differentiated themselves.

The huge trading floor at Gavilon was quite impressive!

Gavilon served us lunch and presented on many aspects of their business. It was really helpful to hear from economists, operations managers, grain merchants and human resource staff.

After a wonderful lunch, we hopped on the bus and went across town to visit Claas, a German company that specializes in harvesting equipment. Our club toured the assembly plant and networked with sales staff. The international nature of their business and the fact that it is still family owned fascinated me.

Our group enjoyed investigating the large machinery in the Claas showroom.

Once our time with Claas was up, we loaded the bus one last time to head to Farm Credit Services of America for our final stop of the day. Along with a company overview, we were invited to tour the business campus. Their buildings were beautifully decorated with local art and agricultural themes. 

Each element of the office was carefully selected to represent the agricultural clients they serve.

After an excellent visit with Farm Credit Services of America, we headed back to the hotel to hang out and venture into the Old Market for dinner on our own. A bunch of Junior girls and I enjoyed a meal at the Tap House after getting recommendations from a local guy. It was a great experience.

At Tap House we all enjoyed funky burgers and our fill of fried pickles, cheese curds and sweet potato fries.

Saturday we got to sleep in a little and relax strolling through the famous Omaha Zoo. It had been a long time since I'd been to a zoo, so it brought back a lot of fun memories. No matter how old I get, I'm sure watching the monkeys interact with each other and the delicate jellyfish swim through the water will always capture my attention.

The zoo was a welcomed break from the previous day's fast pace.

I had a great time visiting Omaha, learning more about ag businesses and making memories with my classmates. I'm already looking forward to next year's trip! 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!

Wordless Wednesday: Iowa State Fair

I'm going to steal an idea from A First Generation Farm Wife and share a Wordless Wednesday post with you. As I worked so many booths at the Iowa State Fair last week I really enjoyed watching people take in the fair. It encouraged me to look at things through a new perspective and I enjoyed taking in all the details. Here are a few of the shots I gathered.

I hope you had the chance to see the Iowa State Fair for yourself! I'd love to see your pictures. Thanks for reading!