New World Travels to the Old World

I know that it has been awhile since last writing. I have traveled to Chicago, Boise (3 times) and Washington, D.C. along with getting things done. Oh, Christmas and New Years was in there as well.

Right now I am on another adventure in my Fellowship life. I and the other 2011 Eisenhower Ag Fellow (Rhett Proctor) were invited to attend the Nuffield Scholars Contemporary Scholars Conference in Holland and the UK.

I left home Friday morning from Lewiston (5:30am flight) via Salt Lake, Detroit, and then Amsterdam, Netherlands (Holland). I arrived at 6am (9 pm home) and sailed through customs. I was also lucky enough to have my suitcase be one of the first 10 onto the carousel.

Schipol airport is home to the largest Burger King in the world. I also knew I was in Holland when I saw a large bronze sculpture of a clog. From he airport I took the train to Rotterdam and a cab to the hotel. I checked in, unpacked some, Skyped home, and tried to sleep. It felt good to get horizontal for a little. I was just getting to sleep when my roomate from Tasmania walked in.

We chatted for awhile and got to know each other a little. We both changed to get ready for our tour of Holland with the other Scholars from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, France, and Holland. We hopped on the bus and headed to the aiport to pick up the ones that were coming in at noon.

After picking them up we toured through Holland and stopped at a little fishing/tourist village for some pickled herring. I was able to take some good picts and see a shop where you stick your feet into a tank and have fish "kiss" them.

From there we went to a 150 head dairy. It also produces energy with large windmills and biofuel from dairy waste. A housed generator produced the energy for the dairy. They also had a settling pond and extracted the water from the solids, which were dropped into a pile for future use as compost.

That night we had a dinner with all sitting at tables. It was informal, but a good chance to get to know each other. I left there around 9:30 (been up 33 hours with just a 1/2 hour of nap in that time) and went to bed.

With our schedule I don't know when I can write again and have to cut this short to head for lunch and today's functions. Take care and keep it in the fence rows!

Three Weeks Down

We watched the tower do
different things for about
an hour. It was spectacular.

My oh my, time is fllying by like a comet in overdrive. It still feels like I just arrived a couple of days ago. I am now in Sao Paulo...and my wife Rhonda is with me. It is nice to have someone to talk to and to recap my experiences.

We both arrived in Sao Paulo on Satuday, November 5th which happened to be our 17th anniversary. She arrived before I did, but because of baggage claim and getting through customs she didn't have to wait that long. What a sight for sore eyes she was.

We were both tired. Her because she hadn't been sleeping much while getting ready to travel, the last night home and then over a day of travel. Me because I couldn't really sleep and was worried about catching my flight from Montevideo to Sao Paulo (I had to leave the hotel by 3am).

We made it to the airport, through security, and to the hotel. Then we met my program officer Luciano and his wife and daughter. We went over the schedule and then went for lunch to a restaurant built around a 100 year old fig tree (the restaurant is called Figueira). It was awesome.

The time was 8:11, but I
took it because it
represents the year! Go
The EF Class of 2011!

They had a buffet style lunch that they only serve on Saturday (at lunch time) based upon the food the slaves ate. It would be similar to the start of American BBQ and the types of meat. We went through and had a little of everything including pigs ear, pig tounge, sausages, and other meats. There were also great vegetable dishes and beef. Lots of meat.

We also tried the local drink made from sugar cane alcohol and limes. They also brought another type of drink to the table with 4 shot glasses. There were two types of alcohol (same base) but one was straight and the other had honey. They were delicious.

We finished lunch after 3 hours, went back to the hotel and grabbed my cell phone for Brazil. We had to put a new sim card in, buy credits, and set it up. Now I have contact within the Brazil. We went to our room, took some pictures and went to bed around 8 or 9 pm. We were exhausted.

Today we didn't do much except work out, eat breakfast and pack our luggage for easy use. We combined clothes into certain cases for easier access. I organized pictures, cleaned powerpoints off my thumb drive to make room, and sized pictures from previous adventures for use later this week.

We are getting ready to head out of the room for some sight seeing and dinner. We are just begining our travels in Brazil and hope to keep things up to date better. Ciao for now!

Time Flies on Fellowship

I can't believe that two weeks have past already. It seems like yesterday that I left my family early in the morning and dogs with looks that would make even the toughest of men break down.

This is definitely an experience of a lifetime. Although the schedule has been demanding with travel, tight time frames between meetings, little chance for communication home (except at places with WiFi), and buses being canceled I would not have missed this for the world.

I know that I have skipped a bunch of time since the last posting, but managing data, laundry, pictures, farming, and travel leave me little time for this. I am also writing a column a week (deadline Wednesday/Thursday) so those things are taking priority.

Camera batteries (two), two computers, keyboard, and a Gopro video camera takes time and juggling to keep charged. The priority is the ipad and camera batteries. When I download pictures to the windows computer I put excess onto a 500 GB hard drive.

Anyway, the information that I have learned has been very useful, I just hope that it does not get wasted by not being able to share it with people. The way they manage their farms in Argentina is at a higher level than in the U.S.

The youth that is involved in agriculture at all levels is something we in the U.S. should envy. The average age of a farmer is 55-59 in the US, but my guess is around 35-40 in Argentina. This youth brings a love for technology and a hunger for being successful in agriculture. I am jealous of their country for this.

The Pampas is a top notch production area in the world and the logistics for export are better than the US. However, their could be improved by building an extra lane of road each way. When traveling in the country I thought that it sucked because the side roads were dirt, but after learning there are no rocks on the Pampas and hauling rock for gravel roads is cost prohibitive.

Wind erosion is the main concern ecologically. Because the early use of the land was mainly for beef production, many trees had been planted to stop the wind, but to mainly give cows shelter. Otherwise trees are not native to the Pampas. I wonder what the environmentalists would say if they were to be cut down.

I had a great learning experience with all of my meetings. This one-on-one learning from biotechnology to precision theory and practical use to politics makes me (as a friend and EF Alumni said) the only person in the world with that knowledge base. It is pretty humbling when you think about it like that.

I was fortunate to arrive a week before their Presidential Election and to see all of the propaganda and campaign material makes the US look cheap by comparison. The incumbent won and I had an opportunity to sit in on an explanation of the the results by a famous Argentine political analyst (name in other suitcase that is still checked in with the hotel). I could not have planned things better if I had tried. It would be like Bill O'Reilly or someone of that level giving the presentation to a small group of people. What an opportunity.

Finally I traveled to two Estancias (farms) for my last weekend in Argentina. I was picked up by a car and driven 6 hours basically west of BsAs to Rufino. I was picked up around 8pm by the Chief Production Officer (Julio) and we headed off to the farm. I was put into my own casa and dinner was served to the two of us along with the agronomy team (Jorge-Head, Gustavo and Arturo). After some small talk we went to bed for a 7am start.

I woke up without an alarm (John Denver said it best - "Thank God I'm A Country Boy) at 5:30 and a good thing too, my battery died. Julio and I had breakfast together after meeting with the crew in their quarters. Then out to the field with Julio and the crew of three.

Our first stop was a corn field being fertilized with UN32 by a Rogator. I hopped on board and road two passes with Julio standing on the steps. The fertilizer was being placed according to a prescription map and it was fun to watch it increase, decrease, or stop according to the zones or areas already treated.

Next we head to a field that was being seeded to sorghum by an Argentine no-till drill and an Agco tractor. We hopped on board and at the end of the pass I took over. I set the drill to seed, reved the tractor, and engaged the auto steer. Finally I have driven a tractor in both hemispheres. At the end of my pass I make the turn and head back and make the next turn and hop off for the next adventure.

A field of last years corn was being seeded to soybeans with an air seeder, JD 9220, and fertilizer. They were just finishing filling up the fertilizer and we hopped on. No auto steer on this one yet but I drove it back seeding my first soybeans and straight and true. AWESOME!!!

We head back to the farm and I hop on a motorcycle and a worker hops on another one and we take a ride around the farm before lunch. We stop at the feed lot holding over 3,000 head of beef of different weights. We drive around some more and grab lunch.

After lunch I give a presentation of what I am doing on my farm and how the UAV is being used and then we head to another Estancia that is rented by Caldenes. This Estancia is also owned by the 3rd EF in Argentina who happens to be my Program Officer's father.

We tour the corn, with the Julio and Jorge, head back to the farm for tea, and I walk around taking pictures before it rains or the light leaves. After siesta and showering time, I meet Conrado Etcebarne again. We talk for almost two hours and then dinner and bed. What a day of learning and experiencing.

The next day I sleep in a little and finally head outside at 7am to find a quite spot to process images and catch up on my journal. I finish and am served breakfast around 9am.

I grab my camera because the grounds keeper Carlos is getting the wood ready for Argentine BBQ. Lamb is on the menu and I get some great pictures. I head back to my room, grab my windows computer, and show Carlos and his wife the pictures of him and the farm from the day before and they were pleased.

We ate around 2pm (as is customary) and I bring my bags down to the car to catch my bus. We head to Rufino and learn at the bus station that my 4:30 bus is canceled and the next one is at 11:30pm. We grab that ticket and head back to the farm.

I rest a little, have dinner at 9pm, and the car arrives to take me to the station. I was saddened parting my new friends on my last evening in Argentina and I was definitely not looking forward to the bus ride at that time.

It worked out fine because I spent more time with my friends and did catch about 5 hours sleep on the bus. Not bad, but I was definitely tired. Arrive BsAs at 6am, hotel at 6:15, and my room just a little after. I had to take a shower to get the travel off of me. Ate breakfast and the took a dip in the jacuzzi tub...very relaxing after the travel debacle.

I will sum things up better after I get home, but the experience is something that I will never forget. I have fallen in love with Argentina and it's people. The knowledge that I gained can never be replaced and I hope I am better for it and can live up to the expectations of the EF goals and motto. Until next time keep it between the fence rows!

Argentina Day 2

Had an awesome nights rest and get up at 8am to work out. They have nice weight equipment and a decent eliptical. Spend about an hour there, head back to my room, and get ready for breakfast and the day.

The breakfast is included and is buffet style. Lots of different breads and pasteries, runny eggs, Argentine bacon, small sausages, seasoned potatoes sliced thinly, meets (like lunch meats) and cheese, fruit, and yogurt. I grabbed what I wanted and poured my OJ and had coffee. The differences that I see between meals in Argentina and the U.S. is it is treated as an occassion. No one was dressed in shorts or pajamas and time is taken to enjoy the food.

I head back to my room to check email, Facebook, and call home. I decide to grab my tripod and EOS camera and head out. I go the opposite direction from last night and walk past the French and Brazilian Embassys. I walk along the main avenue towards the "Oblisk" and the building with Eva Peron.

As I am walking I look down a side street and see an awesome building with it's reflection in another one. I walk past a huge building with security and think it is something political. After taking pictures and moseying around a little I come upon the signs describing what the big building is...a world renowned opera house.

I take more pictures of it and the park across the street. It had "music stands" as decorations with pigeon nests in them. Rhonda would freak because of her "love" of birds. I walk some more with my camera still on the tripod. I figured I am a big boy and not many people would probably mess with me. Also, 90% of all people are good and would help out if needed. Also it was Sunday.

I scramble around and finally find my way back to the main avenue (me, directions, and cities don't always jive) and see the "Obleisk." I take pictures of side streets (I hope they capture the mood I was feeling) and make my way to a better place to see the monument. As I look around I can see 3 McDonald's and a Burger King.

I head towards the hotel with tripod and camera in tow taking pictures here and there of things that catch my eye. One thing that popped out most was a marquee that said TANGO in big silver letters with a black background. I had to have that picture since Argentina is the birthplace of the Tango.

Back at the hotel at 4pm I start to get ready to meet my Program Officer (PO) Ines at 5pm. She called not long after I get into my room and says that they will be an hour late due to the ash coming down from a Chilean volcano. That explains why it was kind of hazy out and I was coughing a little (I was also fighting being sick).

Ines and her husband, Sebatian, arrive and we tour the city. We stop at a coffee shop called Tortino that is a local favorite. We go over my agenda and grab a bite and a beer (Ines has OJ because she is pregnant) and then head to a community center in the city where she had set up a
"Jazz" concert.

When we arrive the local people are doing the tango. It was awesome to see something that was not a tourist attraction. We take pictures (and I took some video) and then the band came on around 9:30. They played dixieland music and were not bad.

We then head to dinner. In their culture dinner starts around 9 or 10 pm. We try a restraunt that was their first choice but the wait was long...it was Mother's Day in Argentina. We go to a German restraunt and I have bbq ribs (pork chops).

Back to the hotel around midnight and I see the light dusting of ash on their car. To my room and off to bed for a car that will pick me up at 6am for my first meeting. Now the Fellowship really starts.

A Brand New "Fellow"

I can't believe that it has been just over a year and I have started my travel portion of being an Eisenhower Fellow. I did not know what to expect, but I have found out that there is not much free time.

I thought for sure that I would be able to keep up the blog, but sleep was more important. Now I regret giving the other Ag Fellow, Rhett Proctor, a bad time during his journey. I completely understand why he didn't post as often as I thought he should :)

I woke up at 2:30 am PST to catch my 5:30 flight to Salt Lake City. As I was walking out of the office the emotions really hit me that I would not be seeing my boys for 5 weeks. I was also torn by the look Bandit gave me while he was sitting on the porch. He knew I would be gone for awhile and was miffed.

Rhonda rode with me to Lewiston. We talked business, boys, and Brazil. The timing for getting to the airport could not have been better and I didn't have to wait long. As Rhonda is accompanying me in line the emotions start to hit again. We have never been apart for more than a week at the most. Torn between excitement and regret I take my shoes off, put my electronics in the bin and prepare to leave Idaho for the longest period since college.

After arriving at the airport I am on a mission to find the Brookstone store to purchase an iPad holder with built in bluetooth keyboard. It is awesome BTW. As I am walking I run into Senator Jim Risch (Jr. U.S. Senator) and we have a quick chat. We wished each other well and went our ways. After going into another terminal (SLC is under construction) I finally find Brookestone, make my purchase and head for the Crown Room to have a quick bite and play on the iPad.

The flight to Atlanta was fine and I had a 5 hour layover there. That is a bunch of time to kill. I walk around for a couple of hours to get the blood flowing. I stop at a money exchange place and convert dollars to pesos...4.2 to 1. I head to the Crown Room to have a few snacks and a couple of cocktails to prep me to get some sleep. Hop on the plane at 8:30 and we are delayed an hour for some reason. Finally we take off leaving the good ol' US of A behind.

The meal was wonderful and the movies available were good. I watched the Green Lantern. As the movie was playing I switched to the traveling map and saw that we were over Cuba. I open the shade and see lights and not much happening. As I am preparing for sleep I look at the map again and notice we are over Kingston, Jamaica. I scramble to grab the camera and take a picture. Finally sleep.

I am awakened at 6 am (4 hours before home time) and have an English Muffin with spinach, eggs, and cheese, fruit, and COFFEE! I slept ok, but I am tired. We arrive in Buenos Aires, Argentina and have to wait on the tarmac for 15 minutes due to our delay. Hop off, grab my luggage, and go through customs with no problems. Waiting for me is my driver holding a sign with my name...a first.

The travels to the hotel take about an hour and I am in a semi coma, but I am so curious with a new country and city that I am trying to take everything in. I grab my little point and shoot Canon camera (PowerShot SX210 IS) and take picts. I also get the GoPro out and take some video. I am amazed and concerened about the driving and all the traffic...almost panic. Not a good thing for someone who likes to be in control of situations like that.

As we are traveling down the main avenue, I see a bulding with a likeness of Eva Peron talking into a microphone. I realize I am in Argentina.

I check into the Hotel Emperador around 11am and I start to get situated. I scramble to call home on Skype. My excitement is dashed by learning that my oldest bagged his first bull elk...a 5 point. I was not there. We chat for awhile and I proceed to take a nap. I was not planning on eating, but just getting sleep for the schedule I have.

I woke up at 4pm after a 2 hour nap and I feel the pangs of hunger from airline food at 6am. I get into my new cool jeans and start to do a walkbout. I ask the front desk about seafood and he points me to Puerto Madaero. I walk the other direction to see what is there (came in from that way).

I head back past the hotel with map in hand and a camera in my pocket. I see the sights (A bell tower dedicated by the British citizens for the 100 year anniversary of democracy). I cross the railroad tracks and I am begining to wonder if I am heading the right direction. Me no hablo makes me worried.

I make it to the old port and am in awe of the newer buildings and the companies that have offices there. I consult my map and keep walking towards a neet looking bridge. As I come to it I put more attention to the grain elevator on the other side...my first glimpse of agriculture while on the ground.

I finally come to my restraunt, Puerto Cristal, and have a wonderful appetizer of veal salami, cheese, greens, in a vinegrette. Nice and light but full of flavor. I am fascinated by the basket of breads that is placed at the table as well. My main course arrives...seafood stew with clams, shrimp, octopus, squid, and other fish in a tomato sauce...mucho bueno.

With dinner I had the server pair a wine for me that was wonderful. It went extremely well with the appetizer and the main course. I am stuffed and left a bunch. Since it was my first meal in Argentina I had to try a desert. I had the creme brulee...vanilla, chocolate, and caramel. I was in heaven.

I grab a cab back to my hotel and through gestures and finally pulling out my room key give the driver the address. Lesson number one...when you don't speak the language make sure you have the address of where you need to go. I went to bed satisfied around midnight with a great first experience in Argentina.

3-2-1 Liftoff: Three More Days Until Travel

Where does time go? Last year I was just learning that I was an Eisenhower Fellow for Agriculture and now I have less than three days until I leave for Argentina.

I am used to being gone 3-5 days maximum, but being away from Rhonda for three weeks and the boys for five is definitely a new challenge. The emotions are starting to hit all of us. To be sure we had quality time the boys and I golfed Sunday with beautiful weather.

I was able to see Logan’s football game Monday night, but miss the rest of his and Dillon’s. If the team keeps winning, I will miss the playoffs and potentially the Idaho Championship game.

Rhonda stayed home this week to help me get things organized and we have spent some great time together talking about farm stuff and the trip. However, life happens and those moments are interrupted.

Seeding is done with both soft white and hard red winter wheat poking through. Most things are winterized and I have tried to get things lined up for my brother to take care of on the ranch while I am gone. The only thing left is to spray roundup on the stubble and chisel plowing. Oh, how I will miss my tractors.

This weekend panic started to hit. I realized I didn’t have any clothes except suites and jeans with cowboy boots; nothing in between. A trip to Spokane, WA fixed that and now I have stuff in between. I just might stick out with a chaw of tabaccy and a cowboy hat down there.

I believe all of the paperwork is done. Crops reported to insurance and the government, bills are paid, and other paperwork is finished. So far no fires to put out. Travel arrangements are made, meetings set up, and clothes are being washed. Gifts are bought, my PowerPoint presentation is finished, and confirmation on meetings when I get back are done.

WHEWWWW! Trying to cram so much stuff into a smaller time frame with what seems like a ton of bricks on my mind is starting to get to me. DID I FORGET SOMETHING IMPORTANT? I will wait to sync my computers and phone, packing will be tomorrow and Thursday, and airline tickets will be printed as well.

Toothpaste, tums, aloe vera, bug spray with DEET, socks, shoes, ties, underwear, etc. I feel like I need to take the kitchen sink. Did I remember my underwear? I am as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

With all of that aside, I have some very interesting meetings and opportunities ahead of me. In Argentina I will be staying an evening on a farm (Estancia), one of five farms (Campos). The link is http://www.caldenes.com.ar/campos/estancia.html They raise Polled Herefords. Maybe I can drive a tractor down there.

I will also spend time with the Argentina No-Till Association (Aapersid) http://www.aapresid.org.ar , an Argentina based ag biotechnology company (INDEAR/Bioceres)  http://www.indear.com , and something similar to our University Extension systems (AACREA) http://www.redcrea.org.ar/aacrea/site/PortalInstitucional-internet/index.html . There are quite a few other meetings.

After Argentina I head to Uruguay by way of ferry (2-3 hours) from Buenos Aires to Montevideo. I will visit Uruguay’s Parliament and meet with Senators, give a presentation to the Faculty of Agrarian Sciences, Universidad de la Empresa, and then travel to Delores City (Northwest of Montevideo) and participate in and give a presentation to Agronegocios del Plata (ADP) at their annual meeting. At the meeting will be Uruguay’s Minister of Agriculture, what an opportunity. You can also see me listed on their program at http://www.adp.com.uy/programa_jornada.php . It is definitely different seeing everything in another language.

From Montevideo I travel to Sao Paulo, Brazil and meet up with Rhonda…on our anniversary! While in Brazil I meet with their Ministry of Agriculture people, the President of Monsanto – Brazil, and EMBRAPA (similar to our extension) http://www.embrapa.br/english . On November 15th I get to share the honor of having my birthday with Brazil becoming a Republic.

In Wikipedia – “Upon the proclamation of the Republic, one of the civilian leaders of the movement, the lawyer Ruy Barbosa, proposed a design for the nation's new flag strongly inspired by the flag of the United States. It was flown from November 15, 1889, until November 19, 1889, when Marshal Deodoro da Fonseca – acting as provisional president of Brazil – vetoed the design, citing concerns that it looked too similar to the flag of another state.” This will be special because I truly believe in the power of a Republic!

The last week there will be vacation. Dillon and Logan will join us on November 19^th. We will spend time in the Rio de Janeiro area and celebrate Logan’s birthday on the 23^rd (November is a big month in our family). 

Writing this hasn’t helped to cure my nerves like I had hoped, they are still there. I know once I am on the plane I will relax and my mind will be working in another mode. I am hoping that it will take my mind off of missing my family and little corner of the world.

I will try to post as often as I can on the blog and Facebook. I will have a couple of different cameras and I also bought a GoPro to attach to me for video. Since I am not as proficient with video I probably won’t have much up until I get back home, we will see. I will have email and you can contact me through the blog or Facebook. By the way, did I pack my underwear?

Ten Years Ago: 9-11-01

Many things happen that shape our lives, for better or worse. Also, years stand out like stars against the night sky. My senior year in high school, my first year of college, and my first year of marriage come back to me like taking a book off of a shelf and opening a page.

2001 WAS SUCH A YEAR.

Harvest was done and dad was recovering from surgery. I was bound a determined to do the fall work by myself. I wanted to prove to him and I that I was worthy of   being a farmer.

I woke up early on Tuesday, September 11, 2001 to get out to the field. I needed to change the fuel filter on the Challenger 65E. I had been mowing stubble in order to chisel plow later. I got out to the field around 5-5:30 in the morning and got the job done. Since it was protocol for me to have coffee with my parents between 6-6:30, I drove to the farm to let them know what I was doing.

I walked in through the porch door and sat on one of the four steps that lead to the kitchen area. Mom and dad were in their usual places watching TV. I took a quick glance over at it and commenced telling them what I had been doing and what my plans were for the day.

I glanced over again at the TV and asked which movie was on. Their reply was the start of a new life chapter for me and all Americans. Dad’s reply was “It’s not a movie it’s the news. A plane flew into the World Trade Center a little bit ago.”

I got up, grabbed a cup of coffee (I was planning to head right back out to the field), and sat at the table. We talked for awhile and then I saw the other plane fly into the second tower.

I could not believe it…two planes. I had no idea why things were happening. In my safe and remote corner of the world I would not have thought of terrorists. That report came later. I stayed and heard about another plane crashing into the Pentagon and watched people jumping from the buildings. I also saw both towers crash to the ground. The worst was over and I had work to do, but more memories would be put into place later.

As I was mowing stubble and listening to talk radio covering the tragedy I heard about flight 93 crashing into a Pennsylvania field. My thoughts were “What is going on”? I was stunned.

The day was almost surreal. There are things that we take for granted every day like the grass being green, flowers blooming, and crops growing. We register that they are there, but we do not really see them. We don’t give them hardly a thought at all. The same goes for contrails.

Being a farmer means, I work outside and look at the sky. I look for rain clouds, I look to see sunrises and sunsets, and I see it when I look at the horizon of the area I live in. Sometimes I even watch as planes fly from Seattle, Denver, and Salt Lake City to places across America leaving contrails. But this day there weren’t any.

Having no planes and especially no contrails was definitely the scariest part of the day for me. They are always there. It was a sixth sense like sensation of someone staring at you and you can feel it. No contrails in a cloudless sky. That lasted all week.

On Friday night I saw my first plane…a military fighter. My little brother was in high school and we had a home football game. We had a moment of silence and then the Star Spangled Banner was playing. While it was playing this U.S. military plane flies over. I got goose bumps and tears in my eyes. I will never forget that moment for the rest of my life.

As a farmer I also have time to think about things, especially on a tractor. I watched specials on TV and read things in the newspaper that asked “Where were you when Kennedy was assassinated” or “Where were you when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor”? I would think, “why run articles or TV time on things like that”, now I know. They are life changers.

Looking back through my life I have had other moments like that, the biggest being the eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980. We were working in the garden hoeing weeds and we heard the boom. Later in the day this thick cloud dropped ash all over. The dogs went berserk and we had to wear dust masks. Harvest was a mess, but the wild apples were the largest ever and I helped my grandfather pick them.

Another moment was the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. We were watching the launch in 1986 in accounting class and saw it explode. Events like these slow time down and are etched forever in your memory.

2001 was a big year, a major life event. Because of dad having surgery I ran the farm, did harvest and all the fall work. We bought some farm ground that year and a brand new combine. I became a member of the Nez Perce County Grain Producers and started the first of at least 10 years on the Idaho Grain Producers Association full board. I also watched my father pass away on December 1^st during the first snow of the year. 2001 is definitely etched in my mind.

In that ten years worth of time I have grown as a person and it is due to the events of 2001. I will be traveling on a Fellowship to South America to learn not only about precision agriculture, but other countries as well. I look to make new friends and to open my mind to a new way of thinking.

But things have changed in America. The pride and can do attitude that was brought about by this horrific act is not there. The media will not show people jumping out of the towers, which is something that should be shown lest we forget. We need to remember or history will repeat itself.

Politicians and those in the media bicker about little things instead of doing what is right. We all have jobs to do, just like the police and fire fighters at ground zero. They didn't bicker in a time of tragedy, they got the job done. The American people got the job done. And right now our country is in danger. Not from terrorists, but from within.

We need to do the same thing now. Get the job done of getting our country back on the path of prosperity and out of debt. Since today is a day of rememberence, the best way we can honor those that suffered or are still suffering is to get the job done.

2001 was definitely a life changer and eye opener. And 10 years later in 2011 I believe I will be experiencing another one. God Bless and God Bless America!

What A Day

Have you ever had one of those days where things just always seem to go wrong, even with good things happening? A type of day when no matter what you do you just can’t get ahead? Well, I had one of those days.

The day started out good enough, I woke up (one more day blessed), had my coffee and did my early morning computer time. A normal enough day so far. The weather looked decent and we were able to get stuff done around the farm like looking over the harrow to make sure it is ready for spring work. Also, no rain (although it was predicted tomorrow).

I have a chat with my brother who is working on the farm with me in the morning to discuss his progress and things that he is doing well and things that need improvement. Great conversation and work starts out fine. It was normal enough until late afternoon.

Logan was home from school and said we had a dead cow (third one in two weeks) and it wouldn't get up when he mooed at it from the barn. I told him it doesn’t always work making a sound at them, sometimes you have to walk out there. He walked, came back and said the cow was fine but we had a new calf. Great, the bull did his job last year and calving season is starting.

Now the fun begins. We get the needle, medicine, ear tag, and rubber bands (in case it is a male) and head out as a family to the pasture. Sure enough a beautiful little calf lying in the field. It gets up and starts moving…a nice healthy calf. Even better. But who is the momma?

Turns out momma is a first calf heifer whose bag is not dropping and doesn’t want the calf. Chris (little brother) gave the calf its shots, put the tag in, and banded it. Then we got him up and sent him off for momma to find. No go. We spent about 45 minutes trying to get momma to hook up with the calf to no avail.

As I get into the Kubota to go out of the pasture with Rhonda, Logan starts walking over and goes through the crust into really soft stinky manure…in his baseball cleats. He had to leave in less than ½ hour. We get out and I wash off his shoes and get them cleaned up. I leave the Kubota parked by the pump house in the middle of the farm.

After washing the shoes off I go in the office to get the colostrum (the first milk) out of the freezer to thaw. A newborn mammal needs the colostrums to kick start its immune system and we had milked a cow to keep some on hand, just in case.

As this goes on Rhonda is ready to take Dillon to drivers education and Logan to his game. We say goodbye (I am preoccupied with my thoughts) and she promptly gets into her car to go. However, when backing up she runs into the Kubota bending the tailgate that Logan sat on for the calf and dented the hatch on her Trailblazer, right rear quarter panel, and broke the backup lens.

After I rant and rave about the situation (not at her or anyone else) I get back to business of dealing with the calf. Momma still is not taking it after Chris and I feed it the colostrum. We carry the calf to the shop and make a nice pen for it to warm up and stay the night. And I miss a meeting.

I know this may sound trivial because there are other people in this country and world that have bigger problems than this. Keeping an even head and dealing with the problems head on gets the job done instead of dwelling on it.

As I was relaxing in the evening with my thoughts, the newspaper, and the NBA playoffs I started thinking about the bigger problems agriculture has…image. Movies like Food Inc., organizations like PETA, and magazines like Time all want to paint a picture that farmers, ranchers, and agriculture is bad. There is no compassion for anything we do.

Now is when I really get upset for the day. The minor things that happen on a farm or ranch are good things when looked back on. No one was hurt and material things can be replaced or fixed. The best part of the day wasn’t when it started, it was how it finished. It finished by having a new born animal being cared for, not because of money but because it is my place to do it.

It is my responsibility to make sure the people and animals that are in my care get the best possible chance. Sometimes things don’t always work out, but this time it did. It is moments like this on a farm, overcoming adversity, that’s what makes being a farmer awesome.

What we do every day on a farm or ranch is completely contrary to what is in movies, magazines and on the websites of organizations that have an agenda above any animal’s welfare.  It is not everyone who can save a life and make it prosper every day.

Momma still won’t take the calf, but Dillon and Logan will have a new project and a new responsibility on the farm. They will learn another farm lesson that can only be taught by experience. One of them might even have an FFA or 4-H project. However, the memory of their experience will last with them for the rest of their lives, regardless of people against agriculture.

The Philly Eisenhower Experience – Day 3

I was too tired to write in the morning, but will tackle that task now. After being sick and fighting the crud I needed my rest, and there was a full day on the agenda. Breakfast starts at 8 am and I am one of the first down. I took my computer with me to show the Fellows that were interested what I was doing with precision agriculture and Unmanned Air Vehicles. Definitely not enough time to eat and do everything. Cest la Vie!

Today is the day we learn the results of the tests that were sent to us a month earlier by Dr. Cheng Zhu, Expert in Leadership Development, Doctorate of Harvard. I was just hoping I didn’t fail the tests. We were still in our groups from the day before, but positions were switched around in the room. Instead of being in the back, we were in the front (probably due to necessity.)

The first test results (Change Style Indicator) placed a person on a scale from 66 (Conserver side) to zero (Pragmatist) to 66 (Originator), a range of 132. I was a 2 on Conserver side labeling me a Pragmatist. I have never thought of myself as a pragmatist, the sound of the word makes me feel dirty or something.

The definition according to “The Free Dictionary” is: A practical, matter-of-fact way of approaching or assessing situations or of solving problems. I agree, but instead of fancy words that I don’t understand I call it common sense or being a farmer.

Everyone got up and had to line up from highest score on one side, to zero, then to the highest score on the other side of the scale. There were more people on the originator side (about 2/3). However, I was not alone and had another 2, a kindred spirit in James Rosen. I called us the negative numbers.

Ariel Hernandez (Philippines) was the highest on the originator side with a score of 24 and Gong Weibin (China) had the highest score of 12 for conservers. And imagine that, both farmers were conservers. In reality, not much separated one side from the other (36 points) on the 132 point scale or 27%. We all like to have goals and objectives to help guide us.

After a working lunch, we received the results from the FIRO-B test. It is designed to help a person understand their behavior and the behavior of others in an organization. The results consisted of two rows and three columns, a total of six boxes. The score in each row or column was then added to get a total for each.

The interesting class result was on the column for “Inclusion” and the row for “Wanted.” Out of 21 scores that I counted, 17 had a score of 3 or less (0). Inclusion is defined by the test as “…Relates to forming new relations and associating with others.” Wanted is defined as “The extent to which you want or will accept that behavior from others.”

 In a nut shell the result means that we may get many invitations to attend meetings or discussions but often turn them down or don’t show up and we pick and choose which social events to attend. We are also not bothered by rejection and are exhausted by constant meetings. In other words, we could care less for being invited and it depends upon the situation. A very interesting trait for the class.

We also did an exercise involving blind folds. We were handed two puzzle pieces and as a group (about 15 people) had to decide which two shapes were missing and which two colors. This was a tough exercise with type A personalities. Our group guessed both colors and one shape ahead of the other group before time expired.

Class was officially over and we left to change into business attire and walk to the Rittenhouse Hotel for individual and group pictures. The time for hamming it up started. Not only did we get professional pictures, but everyone’s camera came out to take pictures. A great moment.

Next was the discussion meeting with Ambassador John Negroponte. This was a wonderful experience and opportunity to interact with a world leader that I grew up reading about. The questions from the Fellows were outstanding. The insight that he provided is beyond description.

A social hour followed and it was a great opportunity to talk to Fellows that I had not spent much time with and to chat with former New Jersey Governor, Christine Todd Whitman. My usual audience is my ladies (cows) and the conversation consists of them mooing to bring them hay. Most definitely a step above the norm.

Dinner followed. The Fellows were spread out at different tables and had a chance to interact with EF Trustees and Directors. This was proved to be very beneficial for my trip to Argentina. I sat at the table with 1988 Fellow Julio Hang and his wife. Julio is from Argentina and his brother has a farm. I look forward to seeing him again on my visit there.

Then to the watering hole. Since this was the last night for the US Fellows, we decided to kick up our heels and drink some adult beverages. It is not a party time, but a time to get to know each other better and to develop a better network. Don’t get me wrong, we definitely had a good time but being 40 something’s has allowed us to use better common sense.

The US Fellows definitely lived up to expectations and then some. With a time together of just two day, it was not long enough to really get close to everyone. I look forward to getting together with them next year during the closing session of our adventure. What a great time with a great group of people. Too bad it had to end.

Philadelphia Freedom

The last week has seen me thinking about my trip to Philadelphia, PA for the 2011 Eisenhower Fellowships’ Opening Seminar. 20 International and 10 U.S. Fellows will be converging there to meet and converse for the first time of what I hope is many. Philadelphia is also the where the EF headquarters is located.

If you know me or follow my blog you will find that I tend to think about weird stuff, stuff that doesn’t matter sometimes but occupies the far reaches of my brain. I have always asked “What if?” and “Why?” which led me to be less than proficient in math above algebra. The answer to those questions from my math teacher was “Because!” That doesn’t work for me, I need to know.

I am an optimistic and inquisitive person who likes to understand fully the workings of something. If I don’t receive what I believe is the proper answer I will try asking the question differently until I am satisfied (or the person calls the police.) I want to know and to wrap my hands around the subject. So be careful about piquing my interest, you might get more than you asked for.

Anyway, I have been giving plenty of thought about my EF adventure in April and trying to grasp the whole Eisenhower thing. The EF Mission Statement is: “Eisenhower Fellowships engages emerging leaders from around the world to enhance their professional capabilities, broaden their contacts, deepen their perspectives, and unite them in a diverse, global community - a network where dialogue, understanding, and collaboration lead to a more prosperous, just, and peaceful world.”

I have also done background checks on the people that will be presenting at the seminar and reading the bio’s for all of the 2011 Fellows. It is a very diverse and successful group of people. But why have headquarters in Philadelphia of all the places in the U.S.? Why not Washington, D.C., New York City, or Los Angeles? Why bring International and U.S. Fellows there?

I believe the answer is FREEDOM! Philadelphia is the world’s cradle for Democracy and Freedom. It is a city that birthed hope for not just the citizens of the U.S. and New World, but for all people in every country. Freedom that was conceived out of conflict, achieved through Revolution, and defended proudly for over 200 years with blood, sweat, and tears. FREEDOM!

Freedom consists of two words: 1) Free [adj.] Enjoying personal rights or liberty, as a person who is not in slavery: a land of free people;   2) Dom [suffix] – State, condition, or quality of being; the ‘place’ where people are free. Put those two words together and the definition of Freedom [noun] is: “The condition of being free; the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints." What a simple but powerful word FREEDOM is.

30 people who are strangers to each other are converging to the birthplace of Freedom where 55 men literally put their lives on the line for that dream. 55 men and a little hall that has given hope, opportunity, and success to billions of people worldwide. The birthplace of three simple documents that has withstood the test of time, but are constantly under attack: The Declaration of Independence, The U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.

Thank God for my ability to express my First Amendment Right by writing this blog. How many places in the world will not let you do that? How many countries try to keep people from being free or speaking out? I also love to express my Second Amendment Right by hunting and target practicing any time I want. What forethought went into making the Freedom of Speech and the Right to Keep and Bear Arms the first two amendments, amendments that have ensured every U.S. citizen Freedom for over 200 years. Smart, smart men were the 55 signers. Sorry for rambling, back to the task at hand.

Combine Philadelphia and its history with the personality, vision, and example of General and President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The strong personalities that he had to deal with during WWII like Presidents Roosevelt and Truman, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Generals Omar Bradley, George Patton, Douglas MacArthur, Charles De Gaulle and Bernard Montgomery.

As President he had to deal with people in both Republican and Democratic parties, Joseph Stalin, Nikita Khrushchev, and Mao Tse-tung. Communism was spreading and Eastern Europe countries were falling like dominos, the Korean War, the space race, the division of Germany, and the Berlin Blockade.  He could have used nuclear weapons or gone to war more often, but he tried to find lasting solutions to the  problems of the day.

This is why Philadelphia is the home city for Eisenhower Fellows. A strong will and vision is why! Freedom is why! Just like the gathering of 55 men in 1776 to light the eternal flame of Freedom to solve problems, 30 Fellows will learn better leadership skills to uphold that tradition. 30 Fellows will come together as strangers but leave as friends with a mission to help formulate solutions to problems in the world of today and the future.

The Liberty Bell, which is the symbol of Freedom, is cracked and flawed; it isn’t perfect but it has withstood the test of time. Nothing is perfect, not the U.S. Constitution (it needed the Bill of Rights and the chance for amendments) nor Freedom. There are those that are free that wish to take freedom from others. How do we solve that problem?

How do we solve problems like delivering enough food by 2050 to feed 9.5 billion people? What solutions will be found to ease the effects of drought and famine? What opportunities lie ahead for achieving peace among people and countries? What will I be able to learn and contribute to any of these causes? Will I be strong enough or smart enough to help formulate if not solutions, at least conversation and direction that might lead to solutions? We shall see.

It is both scary and exciting to do something you don’t know or understand, to meet new people with different backgrounds and ideas. Just like the 55 signers of the Declaration of Independence, I am certain they were scared, but they created a network to solve problems. And the 30 2011 Fellows, we will be doing the same thing by following the mission of the Fellowship, we will create “a network where dialogue, understanding, and collaboration lead to a more prosperous, just, and peaceful world.” Hopefully like the 55 signers.

THE SHOP

I LOVE my shop. It was built in 1982 and I remember its construction. After the concrete was poured, the frame went up, and the insulation and tin put on it was a place to roller skate. That was something that my sister and I did when we went to town and my folks went shopping, we skated. Since we did that we had our own skates as well.

Ahh, the stories that old shop could tell. It housed parties from high school, college and after Rhonda and I was married. It was host for our boy’s birthday parties where all the kids and parents would have an ample supply of silly string and shoot each other. We didn’t care if pop was spilled, food dropped, or the bad guys were in the line of fire, it was easy to clean.

As a kid growing up I would spend time in the shop learning to weld, turn a wrench, and change oil. When I was younger our tools consisted of a rock and a railroad spike and one was usually missing. The thousands of shots made, tough games played against a friend who was in college while I was in high school, and passing on my knowledge to my brother and boys.

My shop saw celebrations like the end of harvest, 4^th of July dinners and conversations with friends, and the satisfaction of building something out of pieces of metal or wood. The aroma of a celebratory cigar and ice cold beer still lingers after my hard work paid off appealing the Natural Resources Conservation Services’ (NRCS) decision regarding the Conservation Security Program (CSP.)

The simple things like sitting down with my dad while taking break and talking about anything under the sun. Starting the fire in the wood stove first thing in the morning before feeding cows and having coffee with my folks was not routine, it was fun. And preparing a warm place for a calf born on the coldest day of the year and watching it thrive from your hard work and dedication.

The shop would be bigger if the tears that were shed in there made it grow. Clearing my mind with busy work after my dad passed away and talking with my Uncle and listening to his stories about my dad. Stories that I didn’t really believe but he confirmed. The scraped knuckles, smashed fingers, and accidental burnings produced swearing that would make a sailor blush with shame.

Easter egg hunts would take place in the shop if the weather was too cold or wet. My shop saw three boys (my brother and sons) learn how to ride a bicycle, shoot free throws, and run a plasma torch. My wife learned how to change oil in her vehicle and check her brakes as well.

My shop is a microcosm of me. It has some throw back flavor of my dad, but the rest is mine. It definitely is not politically correct, but will be made appropriate when different visitors come a calling. The visitors it has hosted have been cub scouts, college students, Congressmen, Legislators, agency folk from D.C., Congressional staff, reporters, organizations, business leaders, and neighbors. All have been friends.

My shop is famous in the ag circles of Idaho. The fridge is always stocked with pop, beer and water, but the reason for its notoriety is the posters. Posters of swimsuit models, jokes, and calendars, most of which would be deemed politically incorrect adorn the walls and are “insulation” according to my dad. Antlers of elk and deer provide a dual purpose of decoration and hanging place.

The shop has hosted many different meetings, meetings of the mundane and normal farming nature to high powered meetings with people from around the country and world. Some meetings were held to help area farmers be more successful and to answer their questions regarding farm issues. My shop also hosts a precision ag field day where the food is good and farmers can obtain recertification credits for applicators licenses.

4-H meetings were held in my shop until we found an alternative place.  And Halloween time provided special moments in the shop. We like to raise pumpkins in our garden, and usually have more than we can use, so we invite friends over so their kids can carve them. Hole saws, electric jig saws, drill bits, and other shop tools make quick work out of carving pumpkins.

Dreams were born in my shop and some of those dreams have been reached while others are being worked towards. Planning for the farm has taken place there from day to day operations to 15 years down the road. I do some of my best thinking in my shop (outside of a tractor of course.)

Like I stated, it is a microcosm of me. From the fun loving, juvenile side of my personality (did I mention posters?) to the serious, business side of me with the right tools for the job. There is history there in the form of manuals, calendars, and tools from my grandfather’s time and a basketball hoop to shoot around on. Also, the gun safe holds treasures that are near and dear to me.

Why talk about my shop, because it is my place of work, my office, my space, my security blanket. Problems have been solved there because it is comfortable and non-biased. Guys love shops and the toys and tools that go in them. Talk can flow freely in a shop because to most people it is where leisure time is spent.

While pondering my Eisenhower Fellowship (EF) and the meeting coming up in April, I wonder if I am like a fish out of water? As I look around my yard I see equipment, fuel tanks, a fort, cows and tractors. That is also how I think of myself, a person of the earth who loves big toys, animals, kids, and my family’s heritage. I am not a champagne or wine person; give me an ice cold beer any day, especially after a hard day’s work.

I am comfortable in my shop with jeans on, an old T-shirt, and boots, not a suit and tie. However, that is the world I am heading into, a world of politics and position.  It would be nice to have the 30 International and U.S. Fellows come to my shop to do seminars. I believe it would be more relaxing and everyone would be on an equal footing. Come as you are and dress appropriately so you don’t get mud or manure stains on expensive clothes.

The EF slogan is: “Leaders bettering the world around them.” I believe if Fellows would come to my shop they would become better people by getting out of their comfort zone. I think if everybody had a shop there would be fewer problems in the world. As a matter of fact, maybe Congress should meet in my shop to get back to basics and get a clearer perspective of how things should be, not ideal or frivolous but down to earth.

Eisenhower Fellowship: Day 174

It has been 174 days since I learned on September 28th, 2011 (Rhonda's Birthday) that I was an Eisenhower Fellow. Now that my schedule has calmed down a little I need to give an update on the latest happenings regarding my Eisenhower Fellowship. It is still amazing the opportunity I have and the people I have been dealing with or will meet.

I have been working on finding agriculture contacts in Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay for precision ag, remote sensing, and UAVs. The later has proved to be the hardest to find. When you are on the “bleeding edge” of something there are not many of you to converse with. However, there are other things to learn, see, and do.

In April I will be traveling to Philadelphia, PA for the Opening Seminar for the 2011 Eisenhower Fellows. There will be 20 international Fellows and 10 from the United States.  The list of International Fellows and the USA Fellows can be found by clicking the names. In order to understand what I am doing please click the above links and go through each person's bio. What an opportunity to listen and learn from these people from all over the globe. I can’t wait for the conversations to begin.

The session opens on April 6^th with EF President John Wolf (Click for Bio). Mr. Wolf served with the Department of State. The following session is “To get to know one another, identify key topics/issues/challenges of fellowship” facilitated by Bob Halperin, 2002 USA Fellow and Executive Director at the MIT Center for Collaborative Intelligence. After that we have dinner at the home of Tom Ferguson, Director of Development at EF.

On April 7^th I will learn the results of two different leadership assessment tests that I took a few days ago. The main session for this day (9-3:30) is titled “Conceptualizing and Leading Change and related leadership issues,” facilitated by Dr. Cheng Zhu (Go to Pg 15 of the .pdf) from the Center for Creative Leadership. Each person’s leadership style will be talked about and analyzed.

USA Fellows will have lunch at the EF House and receive orientation. Group photos will be taken at the Rittenhouse Hotel. From 5:15-6:15 we have a seminar with Ambassador John Negroponte, Former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and to Iraq. A reception for Fellows, trustees, sponsors, and EF staff and then dinner caps off the day.

After looking at the agenda for the umpteenth time, I am both excited and nervous. I am definitely getting out of my comfort zone and heading into a larger world of top corporate executives and international business leaders. I visualize myself as a farmer who manages his wife and kids, which is completely different than having a corner office and hundreds of employees. My power lunch consists of a hamburger and fries at the local greasy spoon.

With that said this is why applied. I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and learn more. I pull my pants up one leg at a time just like everyone else. After reading the bios of the USA Fellows, there is common ground. They volunteer just like I do, and sports is a common theme. The beauty of this gathering will be the different perspectives each individual brings to each session. I can’t say “what an opportunity” too much.

I have had two different experiences similar to this. The first was going through Monsanto’s Wheat Industry Leaders of Tomorrow (WILOT) program. There were 11 in that class from different parts of the U.S. with each bringing a different perspective. We stay in touch and see each other once a year. The other was the Leadership Idaho Agriculture (LIA) program. There were 31 people in that class from all over Idaho from farmers to ag related companies to government. The common theme is you arrive as strangers and leave as friends.

I will be mingling with a Member of Parliament in Sri Lanka, the Head of Technological Research and Development Branch of the Israel Defense Forces, Chief Political Writer for ABC Television Australia, and Additional Principal Staff Officer to the Prime Minister of the Federal Government of Pakistan. There will also be one more farmer there with me from Massachusetts.

It is about personal growth as a leader and networking. I use my network to find out about different subjects from different parts of Idaho or the U.S. Now the world will open up. And I have had the opportunity to get a glimpse of that world view.

2006 Fellow, Bill Warren, lives two hours away from me. He recently hosted a Nuffield Scholar from Australia. In trying to find contacts to Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay Bill put me in touch with the visiting Scholar Helen. To sum up the conversation, agriculture in Australia has the same pressures put on it as we do in the U.S.

I am excited as all get out for this opportunity to listen and to learn from the perspectives of people, not media. Without the EF organization, I could not afford to partake in an adventure like this and to grow as a person and hopefully as an effective leader.