30 Days: Thoughts of a Future Farmer Day 7

Colonel Charlie Plumb - P.O.W.

Today is a little different.  Last night we had a speaker at AFA whose name is Colonel Charlie Plumb.  He is a retired US Navy fighter pilot, and spent six years as a Prisoner of War in Northern Vietnam after his jet was shot down.

During his talk, he connected how his experiences for 6 years in a POW camp, and other times where we 'dodge bullets,' to what a bunch of young agriculturalists are doing developing as leaders.

There were two great takeaways from his talk.  I'm writing slightly verbatim, and somewhat paraphrased (what I can't remember verbatim), but you will get the gist.

1.   "Take the word 'deserve' and erase it from your memory, word processor, the dictionary - remove the word 'deserve.'  You don't deserve anything.  Nobody deserves anything.  Life is a choice we make every day when we get up.  I could have gone crazy in that POW camp.  The government told our families that we were probably going to need admitted to an institution for what we went through.  Of the Vietnam POWs, (if I recall his number) only 4% suffer PTSD.  Because we learned that in their 8'x8' cell, we could communicate, knowing another human is there makes a difference.  It makes even more of a difference when you know that they care.  I was just a kid from Kansas, I didn't deserve six years of torture in a prison camp - I got it anyway.  We get what we earn from the choices we make.  In the end, it turned out well for me, but the choice to move toward survival and our motto of, "Return. With. Dignity.," kept us going."

2.   "In life there are people who are parachute packers.  That's a figurative definition.  These are the people who give immensely of themselves and never once expect anything in return.  What's important is that these people give you the opportunity to succeed.  Far more important, they give you the option to fail.  When we live our lives, we are given every single day and we have two options on how to go about that day.  We can either make it a good day, or make it a bad day - but the choice to succeed or fail is in your hands."

I thoroughly enjoyed our opening speakers last night here at AFA.  I'm looking forward to another couple of great days ahead!

Please reach out to me on other forms of social
media!
Facebook Page, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram 

Linking up with Holly and the other 30 Days Bloggers Here!

Everyone has potential - will you activate YOUR potential?

30 Days: Thoughts of a Future Farmer Day 6

No-Till - Why I Believe

Preface: if you find errors in this, please forgive them, as I'm writing in my iPad on a charter bus somewhere in Illinois. 

I talk to people all the time about how different people farm.  This is highly debated and subject to opinion. We can't all farm exactly the same. The land, capital, equipment, and needs are different everywhere. 

There's a hat on the dashboard of my truck that says "Park the plow, save the soil." I get questions all the time, "How can you never work ground?"  "How do you plant through all that residue?" 

Where I work, if I recall correctly, they began experimenting with no-till back in the 70s, as a way to prevent soil erosion on the rolling hills that make up much of the farm. Again, if I recall right, back in the 80s, they stopped working bottom ground because they said, "If I don't have to work the hills, why do I have to work the bottoms?"  So at that point, the tillage equipment got parked.  We use different parts on the planter's row unit, where it opens and closes the furrow.  It helps make sure that we can get through residue. 

Since this is for conservation efforts, what conservation practices have been put in place otherwise in terms of cropping?  On all acres pre-planting season, we spray a glyphosate "burn-down" that kills the cover crop, then we haul manure.  After manure is hauled, we wait a couple days and plant corn, or drill soybeans.  Where many people grow wheat, we grow rye that is later used as a cover crop.  In growing rye for cover, we harvest it, clean it, and then use it during the fall to drill and hopefully establish a stand that  prevents erosion of the soil during winter months.  In the spring it is sprayed and killed off.  This is a way to keep roots in the soil and to keep the soil from being uncovered. 

How do we keep from having issues with planting corn-on-corn in the stubble from the previous year?  Some of the acres every year will be planted to corn two years in a row, before they are switched to soybeans.  When we drill cover crops, the drill helps break up some of the residue that some claim makes it hard to plant into.  This works as a way to eliminate the necessity of turning the ground over to be able to get seed planted into the residue.  Residue (organic matter) is important in maintaining and increasing soil health.  If you look at the ground on the farm today, compared to some typical assumptions, the hill ground and bottom ground is all producing at a high level, rather than the typical situation where hills produce a little less.  This is due to conservation of the land and the continuation of these practices. 

How do we break up compaction?  Tillage radishes in the cover crop mix is an option.  They put roots deep and break up the soil, but die off long before they could be an issue.  How do we keep from having compaction?  When the ground is wet enough where most people go in and work the top inch or so of the soil, we let the field dry for the day.  If it's fall and corn is ready, or it's spring and it's time to plant, and it's wet, you resist the urge to go "mud 'er in" as many do, and wait.  It takes a different mentality.  We also do not run grain carts.  In my opinion, that's a fast way to increase compaction.  You're running a 50,000 lb combine, plus a tractor that probably weighs another 30,000 and a grain cart holding up to about a thousand bushels (corn alone that equals around another 56,000 lbs) and you have a recipe to compact.  In fact, when ground is wet and you take a big tractor and tillage tool out to mud through and "dry it out" and "cut down on compaction," you're compacting it even more by putting all that weight out there, trying to do the opposite. 

I'm a firm believer, and that's fine.  You and I don't have to agree.  Each operation needs to know what's right for them.  Call me, "One of those hippie no-tillers," that's okay.  I'd like to hear about your soil conservation techniques!

Please reach out to me on other forms of social
media!
Facebook Page, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram 

Linking up with Holly and the other 30 Days Bloggers Here!

30 Days: Thoughts of a Future Farmer Day 5

AFA - Agriculture Future of America Leaders Conference
(This title is a hyperlink to the AFA Leaders Conference webpage.)

This morning I was up before my 5:00 alarm.  5:00 is not my usual alarm time, and I'm usually not up this much before this.  It's been a whirlwind of a week trying to get an entire week and a half of work done so I can be out of state Thursday through Sunday. 

It's all worth it, I assure you.

Tomorrow, I get to be one of roughly 50 students from Purdue University to travel to Kansas City, MO, for the annual Agriculture Future of America Leaders Conference.  Some first reactions sound like, "Oh, another boring conference."  If you ask me, it's quite the opposite, and I've been to a number of conferences and still say this. 

AFA is an organization that is built on the foundation of enriching and encouraging young leaders in the agriculture industry in order to give them opportunities to expand their future.  This conference brings 550 students from across the nation together with industry professionals from across the country (and some across the globe).  I may be wrong, but the student to industry professional ratio is somewhere around 5:1.  Those are very nice odds for young people to make connections, learn about future opportunities, and build relationships that will make for future opportunities.

The program has four tracks, or versions, based on your collegiate level (Freshmen go to track one, sophomores track two, etc.).  I attended track one last year and it included countless speakers on topics from time management, issue understanding, and nationwide networking, to a resume panel with recruiters from top companies in the industry, a formal dining etiquette session, and a panel on issues across the industry.  I look back on last year's experience and I look even more forward to going back tomorrow and seeing friends from Iowa, Nebraska, Montana, New Mexico, and other states.  I look forward to the opportunity to sit in sessions that were specially developed for those who are a little deeper in their college career, getting closer to the real world, and working for a higher cause.

I could go on and on, however, I won't.  You will hear more about this trip over the next four days (along with many other things).

Thanks for sticking around for Day 5!

Please reach out to me on other forms of social
media!
Facebook Page, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram 

Linking up with Holly and the other 30 Days Bloggers Here!

30 Days: Thoughts of a Future Farmer Day 4

It's Election Day!

Election Day has different meanings for different people.  Maybe it's the fact that I'm 20 and this is still somewhat new to me, but today's elections share important things that we should be watching. 

Oregon specifically has a vote on GMO labeling today.  This spun high-speed based on an article written about the "blue corn" versus normal yellow corn.  In reality "blue" is from a seed treatment that is metabolized and used as a way to protect the seedling until it sprouts.  I know this firsthand.  Trust me.  When we harvest corn for the pigs, it is yellow.  The article on the truth behind the supposed blue corn is at this link.

In Oregon the argument is now for GMO labeling to save us from this supposed horrible "Franken-Food."  As much as I would like to sit and argue about the false information out there about GMOs, I'm going to simply say that if you're in Oregon, I urge you to vote NO on 92.  If you're throughout the rest of the country and can vote today, look at four things in your candidates.

1.   What is the candidate's stance on education?  Children are this country's future, and (though I could make some angry and go into my dissension with Indiana's education policy) if we fail to give them tools to succeed, we just threw the country away.

2.   How will they lead your state/town into the future?  Do they have debt reduction and business/economic growth plans that are viable?

3.   Are they so polar to one side of the political spectrum that we are choosing them with the knowledge that political deadlock is going to perpetuate? 

4.    Do they believe in agriculture and food production?  I don't mean that they seriously think food comes from a store.  I mean do they understand the groundwork, science, and technology required to produce food in a way that is not sustainable, but something that can continue growing in the centuries to come?  

These are some of my thoughts on elections.  I could get political, but I don't think my blog is a place for that, and I have a lot of work that needs to get done before I leave for Kansas City, MO, for a conference on Thursday morning!

Please reach out to me on other forms of social media!
Facebook Page, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram 

Linking up with Holly and the other 30 Days Bloggers Here!

 Here's that yellow corn I mentioned above from the first day of harvest 14 (they're almost done!).

30 Days: Thoughts of a Future Farmer Day 3

College, a Tale of Two Cities

I was talking to a good friend last Friday about college and how we cannot wait to get out and go on to bigger things, and she said something that really struck a chord with me.  There are two types of people in college, or cities, to continue with the metaphor.. 

First, you have the people that take, "These are the best years of your life - enjoy them!" quite literally.  This mentality often leads people to lead a life that's all *insert university* all the time.  AND THAT's OKAY!  These people often believe that post-college, everything else could possibly be sub-par to what life is today.  There is nothing wrong with this mentality, however, I think it is all about how you set yourself up for the future.  If you use these years to have a good time, accomplish things, and line yourself up for whatever your 'dream career' may be, then absolutely, these could be the best years of your life!  There is a back side to this card, but life is your decision and you're holding the cards.  I may be wrong.  Maybe this mentality actually makes life better later because of the experiences you had in college.

Second, you have those of us who believe that college is just a stepping stone, and that it is a way to build on greater things that will happen later.  To quote my fiancee's response to her dad using the "these are the best years of your life," line a few years back, she said, "Then that's a sad statement on the rest of my life!!"  Granted, I believe this was final exams time, but I feel like life is a set of decisions we all make, and we can choose to do many things with it.  I am using college as a way to better my environment while I'm here, and work for the improvement of future opportunities based on what I can accomplish today. 

Most people that know me would tell you that these probably won't be the best years of my life because I come across boring.  I do a lot of homework, go to a lot of meetings, attend a lot of classes (yes, that has to be said), and am always laying out what needs to be done today, for tomorrow and ten years down the line.  I think it's quite the inverse.  I do these things, but through the process, I have met some of the best friends I could ask for, gotten involved in great organizations that gave me opportunities to travel to Washington, D.C. (twice), Kansas City (twice), Virginia Beach, Minneapolis (twice), Nashville this February, and hopefully Des Moines in June.  Opportunities are endless when you put yourself out there, and it is all for the better good of everyone in the long run.  Obviously I live in the second "city."

On a side note, Purdue is amazing, wonderful, and I hope you'll consider it yourself, encourage your siblings, children, etc., to come here.  That sounded sarcastic, but if I had not come here, the opportunities I have had would not be the same, and I'm proud to say that I'm a Boilermaker.  Purdue Agriculture, above all, is beyond amazing!  I will never say enough about the College of Ag!  (Yes, our football team is struggling - We know...)

"Whatever you do in life, do it all the way," was a line I was told years ago.  I took it to heart, and encourage you to challenge yourself to do the same!  You never know where it may lead you.

Please reach out to me on other forms of social media!
Facebook Page, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram 

Linking up with Holly and the other 30 Days Bloggers Here!

 College is a lot about people.  Some great people for sure!

30 Days: Thoughts of a Future Farmer Day 2

Held to a Higher Standard

Today's blog post is dedicated to my grandpa.  It's a sort of "Thankful Sunday Morning."  This amazing man was born in July of 1925, grew up in Jasper, IN, was a yell-leader in high school(and still today from the stands), and served in Iwo Jima during War II.  Upon his return after the war, he began working in the furniture industry, and met my late grandmother.  The countless accomplishments of this man have taught me a lot.  I haven't gone to elaborate, but I assure you there are many. 

My whole upbringing, "mamaw and papaw" as they always have been , and always will be called, were a very active part of my life (grandma and grandpa to most).  We were always close, but it was not until my grandmother passed away in 2011 that I began to develop the bond with this amazing man that I have today.  When he retired in 2004, or thereabout, he began feeding the squirrels, deer, etc., on a nature path in town called the "River Walk" (appropriately named as it goes along the Patoka River).  Oftentimes during the summer I could go along... It was a strange idea to me to just put out corn for the animals to eat, however, he did this until spring of 2014.  For five years at least, I went with him every time we picked up corn, that way someone was there to carry the corn down the steps.  It is just something we always did together. 

When I look at my life, I view it as a long-term mission, and that is what I attribute to why I cannot look at it as "living for today."  There are many people in my life that hold me to a higher standard, and this man is one. (he's in the grey sweatshirt)

During my senior year of high school, as a result of his years of dedication to community service, civic duty, and support of local groups like our athletic teams and band, he was awarded the Key to the City of Jasper.  It was funny because just before this game started, he was telling the mayor about some shrubs that needed removed because you couldn't see to turn off my road, and they were in violation of city code (it was quite hilarious).

Grandpa has a number of sayings that helped shape how I live.  One thing he was told in the Service, "Look to your right.  Now look to your left.  The people beside you don't have to do anything more or less than you do.  Nobody is better than the other.  We're here to do a job.  If you screw up, their lives are in your hands."  He always told me what makes people stand out is what they do when you only have to do so much.  It's about choosing to go above and beyond.  Many people go to college and get lost in the things they "could do" because nobody is watching.  I look at it differently.  I go home on a weekend and stop at papaw's house, or he comes for Sunday dinner, and I know that he's going to ask how things are at school, and I better not say, "Well, I'm flunking because of......"  He taught me that when I'm going to do something that I need to be driven and take action. 

I'm not saying that without him I wouldn't be who I am today, however, I'm just glad I have him to look to as a role model, go to for counsel, and who holds me to a higher standard.  I hope everyone else has someone like this in their life.  

This picture is from before senior prom with my now-fiancee.

Please reach out to me on other forms of social media!
Facebook Page, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram 

Linking up with Holly and the other 30 Days Bloggers Here!

30 Days: Thoughts of a Future Farmer Day 1

Blogging is a lot of work!  Why on Earth do I do this?

We all have things we do that make us question, "Whyyy?"  Well, I've thought this time and again, and come to a couple conclusions (these are my "thoughts" for the day).

1. If I don't, then who will?  I've always been 'that guy' who does everything because nobody else jumped up and volunteered, and maybe that's what got me into this.  However, I always enjoyed writing and (fortunately for me) I don't have classes this far at Purdue that make me write (so far).  I like reading all sorts of different things, so maybe others like reading my blog of musings...

2. Even if others are doing this, how will my network of people get this learning opportunity?  Friends see my personal Facebook timeline and probably think, "Oh good! More #AgStuff."  For every four that aren't interested in the million links I share, I firmly believe that at least one probably is, and on my blog page, I know they are (I see page view numbers).  I just think it's worth it.

3. Someone has to be on the offensive from the agriculture industry, because we have to spend too much time on the defensive after anti-agriculturalists post uneducated, or simply, false information.  Take the famous "Food Babe" for example.  She's a computer scientist who spews false information about food production and does not give anyone answers, just fear tactics.

4. I feel like as long as my grades are not suffering for the benefit of my blog (and I assure they are not) I feel that this is an experience that is very valuable.  It benefits my skills, and gives others an outlet through which to ask questions and get real answers.

To sum up today, as I'm trying to decide exactly how I want to write this series, I hope this was interesting...

As always, please stick with me through the series!  You may find some interesting things in my posts!

Please reach out to me on other forms of social media!
Facebook Page, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram 

Linking up with Holly and the other 30 Days Bloggers Here!

This picture is from last Friday night, as Luther shut the 860 down for the night.

I'm pretty sure we just have some double crop beans left to harvest.  The switch back to corn came early this past week.  Praise be, they're almost done!