NOT ME!

I know it has been awhile, but life does get in the way. I have been to D.C. three times, London, Holland, Philadelphia and places in between. Somewhere in there I was able to poke seeds in the ground. The weather has been too wet and there are jobs that need to be done on the farm that should have been finished by now. BUT IT’S NOT MY FAULT!

How many times do we hear and see this during a day that we are not to be blamed? If only my parents were better or if the coach would just put me in or corporations are keeping me down are common themes on Facebook, the media, and in communities. It is the fault of the previous administration!

There is a pattern I believe that develops…the more people complain that someone else is at fault the less successful people are. Being a farmer I am able to see a group of people that might complain about the weather or the government, but at the end of the day they are still successful and get their jobs done. No one is there to take up the slack to bail them out.

Another pattern has developed that rewards bad behavior. Charlie Sheen comes to mind. Drugs, prostitutes, and other bad behavior are now being rewarded with money from an influx of commercial spots. Society also seems to reward those with bad behavior while people that stay steady and keep their nose to the grindstone are looked down upon.

We all have to make choices in life, one way or the other… and not doing something is a choice. I can either stay home and watch TV, work on the farm, or spend time with my family at sporting events. Whichever I choose something else has to lose out. I either get work done or I don’t. No one else is going to do it for me.

I am not looking for sympathy, as a matter of fact I believe it is overrated in most cases. Most of the time sympathy is given by enablers. “Oh you poor thing, it’s not your fault it is the fault of (Fill in the blank).” The choices we make every day effects our future outcomes and there are people out there that are a bad influence.

Food stamps also come to mind. While I do believe in helping others we ultimately have to help ourselves. Being dependent on the government, parents, or a sugar daddy is no way to live. They are enablers of bad behavior as well.

Food stamp expenditures have double since the last Farm Bill and the media is having a field day putting blame on everyone except those that want to be dependent. Go one step further and look at where our government’s largest expenditures are outside of military…dependency payments (Social Security, Medicare, Food Stamps, etc.)

The solution lies within each of us. Instead of placing blame for a failure or an outcome that is not wanted the problem needs to be defined and a solution (or solutions) needs to be made. Attitude and outlook on life is everything and if a person has a goal in mind they can be successful.

If life was easy and without hurdles how fun would it be? We wouldn’t be overjoyed by our successes that keep us going. These little steps to success in reaching out goal are an important part for an individual and for those that look to us as a role model.

The world’s greatest basketball player said it best: “Some people want it to happen, some wish it to happen, others make it happen.” ~ Michael Jordan. His six championships didn’t come easy and they came towards the end of his career. He didn’t blame anyone but worked harder to achieve his goal.

It is ultimately ours to take or give away. To be or not to be, to do or not to do. Society needs to quit blaming everyone else and do some self analysis. Which reminds me, the equipment didn’t get fixed today but it’s not my fault. It is yours! If I didn’t think you wanted me to write this I would have had my jobs done.

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.

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.

The Philly Eisenhower Experience - Day 2

The first full day with all of the 2011 Fellows was awesome. Open minds and open conversations permeated the atmosphere. Friendships were quickly formed. What was interesting was the number of the international Fellows that were interested in agriculture.

It is always amazing when strangers come together in a leadership atmosphere they always become friends. There is a drive and determination to learn more, do more, grow more. And when you bring people of this caliber together the level of conversation and thinking it out of this world.

I have found my partner in crime, Rhett Proctor. Rhett is from Massachusetts and is the other agriculture Fellow. There is a lot of common ground and experiences and both of us being country boys in the big city leads to having fun after hours.

Along with that it is interesting to watch kindred spirits be drawn into small groups during the conference. You have those that are more professional, those that are more reserved, and the group that likes to kick up their heels a little. Whichever group you get into, more bonding and knowledge is shared.

As usual with leadership meetings are the exercises to get to know one another. These exercises not only do that but are designed to help the group as a whole develop a common bond and sense of direction. Trying to write a six word haiku that describes you was great.

The best one I saw or hear was from Tominiyi Owolabi of Nigeria. He is a key legal advisor on financial sector reform to the Central Bank of Nigeria. His haiku was: “Frustrated lawyer. Trying to break out.” His interpretation of this was trying to escape the prison he has built around himself out of work.

Mine was “Boys, toys, dirt. Still growing up!” For those of you who know me well you are either shaking your head in agreement and or laughing. Everything I do is to help make my boys life better. I love the toys on my farm from tractors to tools and my heritage, livelihood and soul is centered on my farm. As for still growing up, I am always trying to learn and I am definitely a kid at heart. Always have fun.

At lunch I had a great conversation with Anati Canca of South Africa. She sought me out (if not I would have grabbed her) and is the executive director of Technology Transfer of the Agriculture Research Council. Great conversation but never enough time.

We went through group exercises again and then the US Fellows broke away and walked to the Eisenhower Fellowships building for orientation. The conference room where my interview was held in September looked very familiar, but somehow was more inviting; less stress. The great part, receiving a key to the building, a tradition that symbolizes your home in the Eisenhower Family. Awesome!

We walked back to the hotel, dressed down, and traveled to Tom Ferguson’s home. Tom Ferguson is the EF Director of Development. Great food, good times, and wonderful conversations ensued. Mixing with everyone and being able to learn more in a relaxed atmosphere cannot be overlooked.

Another kindred spirit is Flavio Nogueira of Brazil. He has been very helpful by informing me of customs in his country and for Argentina and Uruguay as well. I hope that my travels down there will allow me to meet with him because this will probably be my closest international Fellow friend.

After the bus ride back to the hotel, Flavio, Rhett, and Omar Al-Madhi of Saudi Arabia were led astray by EF Alumni Associate and IT person Holly Logan. We went to a local watering hole to continue our conversation and bonding. What is interesting throughout my conversations with everyone are the problems are the same regardless of countries.

It was always in the back of my mind “What did I get myself into?” Well, I now have a new family. A family that is scattered around the world and would provide help at the drop of a hat. A family with similar values and concerns along with trying to find solutions to issues that are not only in their country, but issues that know no boundaries. I have truly been blessed to be a part of the Eisenhower Fellowships.

Feeling 80ish

I was a product of the 80’s growing up. Walkmans, Atari, Air Jordan and other stuff helped to define the 80’s. “Gag me with a spoon” was a commonly used phrase and big hair and mullets were the norm. During Homecoming it would be the 50’s, but today’s high schoolers celebrate 80’s day!

The products, movies, fashion trends and songs of the 1980’s kind of define who I am as a person. I like Nike shoes; I enjoy most songs from the 80’s and can listen to whole albums without getting bored. Video games passed the time away while mom and dad watched 60 minutes or Dallas. I couldn’t get enough time in watching Larry Bird battle against Magic Johnson.

1980 came in like boom (literally). May 18, 1980 Mount St. Helens erupted spewing ash into the atmosphere. It was a Sunday and we were working in the garden wondering what the boom was. We found out later in the afternoon when the sky became dark and ash started to accumulate. Mom had to leave for church because a party was taking place for the senior class. Later that year I remember going with my grandfather to pick apples in the canyon. He said that those were the largest apples he had ever seen on wild trees.

I also remember our sitting president, Jimmy Carter in 1980. I can’t understand why a farmer would hate farmers so much. His grain embargo of the Soviet Union created a downward spiral that didn’t end until after the mid 80’s. And not just the grain embargo, his policies as well.

Interest rates soared to numbers never seen before. Farms were going under one after another around the country. Land prices reached all time highs and inflation made the dollar about as useful as toilet paper. I remember these items because it affected my family. I read the papers and watched the news (when I wasn’t shooting hoops in the shop or playing the drums downstairs) and understood the consequences.

While in 6^th grade putting my rocket together for the rocket shoot my teacher came to me and told me to get my things. My grandfather was in the hospital. I remember putting my things away with tears in my eyes. We traveled to the hospital and he was gone. The end of an era.

However there is something more that helped to define not only the 1980’s and me, but America as well…Ronald Reagan! I was in 6^th grade when Ronald Reagan was running for president. For a class assignment I was one of the few chosen to be a presidential candidate. I wanted to be Ronald Reagan but wound up as the Independent candidate John Anderson. I can’t remember the details of everything, but Ronald Reagan won the class election. I came in 2^nd.

During that time the United States had hostages in Iran, 52 to be exact. They were released after President elect Reagan took office in January 1981. This story dominated the evening news and newspaper headlines. I don’t really remember why it happened, but I remember how it ended.

1981 was a big year. Not only did Ronald Reagan get sworn in as president and the release of the hostages happen, but the first space shuttle launch took place in April. I remember sitting in the grade school gym watching a small TV from the back (6^th graders had to make room for the rug rats) and feeling proud of my country’s achievement. GOD BLESS AMERICA!

While in high school, I remember gathering around another TV in 1986 to watch another space shuttle launch, but this time it blew up. We were watching because Christa McAuliffe was to become the first teacher in space. Her alternate was from Idaho, Barbara Morgan who eventually became the first teacher in space in 2007.

From 1984 to 1987 I went to the state basketball tournament, all four years. During that time we took fourth place twice (1984 & 1986) and won the state championship twice (1985 & 1987). Also, we went undefeated in 1987 starting the longest basketball winning streak for all classifications in Idaho.

I also remember going into the accounting room to work on the first computers in the school. They were a novelty and required learning programming to run. Not knowing it at the time, it is amazing how this “gadget” really changed me and people all over the world.

Back to President Reagan and his accomplishments. He took office during the worst recession since the Great Depression. Communism was running rampant and was not far from our doorstep. Cuba was entrenched and the Contras were fighting the communist Sandinistas in Honduras. Reagan very much disliked communism. Those might not be the words he would use; he would probably say he was for freedom and democracy.

For eight years I was able to call Ronald Reagan my President. Eight years during my transition from little boy, to young man, to adult (according to voting age of 18) I was able to live under his policies and learn how he brought people together to achieve great things.

President Reagan worked closely with British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (the Iron Lady) and Pope John Paul II to undermine the Soviet Union. President Reagan’s speech at the Brandenburg Gate in 1987 was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. And to think I watched that speech, the greatest I have ever heard.

Then in November 1989 the wall came down. People used sledge hammers to make holes in the wall. People poured over the wall. Although Ronald Reagan wasn’t president, he was able to see the fulfillment of his dream, dedication, and hard work.  Ronald Reagan defied all of the nay sayers and held true to himself and his beliefs, for the betterment of all the people of the world.

And to think that those three people, Reagan, Thatcher, and Pope John Paul II were the key. It is truly amazing when you realize it might not have happened. Both President Reagan and Pope John Paul II were shot and came close to dying. I don’t know if it is providence or Divine Intervention, but it definitely is remarkable.

The 1988-89 season is also when I first saw my future wife. I was walking into the gym at Walla Walla Community College to the locker room and volleyball practice was going on. School hadn’t started, but I was heading to get my locker and put my things in it. Anyway, there she was in the serving corner and she smiled at me. Talk about providence. We would finally date three years later at the University of Idaho.

The close of the 80’s also saw protests in China, Tiananmen Square. The vision of a lone man standing in front of a column of tanks was astounding. His courage and determination to defy oppression and stand up for freedom should be remember always. As of this date his whereabouts is not known.

Why am I being so nostalgic about the 1980’s? It defines who I am. It helped to shape my political thinking, my family, and my life. It also helps that I just finished a great book by Michael Reagan titled “The New Reagan Revolution.” I highly recommend it.

Ronald Reagan is my political hero. He saw what was wrong with America and the world and stayed true to himself. Because of that, he didn’t have to lie or put on any bravado…he was always himself. He held strong his conviction that freedom is the greatest thing on earth and worked hard to achieve that for those in the U.S. and the world.

Two friends replied to a Facebook posting a while back. I watched former USDA Secretary Yeutter speak. I could not get over how easy he smiled and how I envied that because I am too stoic. Two people that I respect greatly said the same thing, be who you are. Don’t try to be anything or anybody else.

I don’t think I can pretend to be someone else. I am who I am. I have great mentors today and was extremely lucky to watch one of my heroes be himself. The 1980’s helped to define who I am as a person and to shape my views today. Ronald Reagan led the charge for my fascination of politics. As for my future wife, she has my heart and helped shape not only me but my family as well.

 

Eisenhower Fellowships – Day 180

It has been six months (give or take a day or two) since learning I was an Eisenhower Fellow (EF). There have been interesting conversations with alumni, staff, and current Fellows either in person, by phone, or email. The latest has probably been the most meaningful by far.

All of the 2011 Fellows, both international and U.S., were assigned to take two leadership assessment tests. We were sent an email containing the link to the websites so we could finish our assignment. There was a due date of March 23. A follow-up email was sent reminding us to finish it if we already hadn’t. Keep in mind, it was a mass email for all of the 2011 Fellows.

A second follow-up email was sent to remind us again, but this time there was something different. After the mandatory business paragraph emphasizing why the assessment needed to be done on time, the second paragraph really caught my eye and hit home.

The devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan had just happened, leaving a country and its people in turmoil. Every morning there had been coverage of the disaster between protests in the Middle East. I was emotionally detached and just vaguely listening because it is the news, background noise to start my day. But the second paragraph in the email changed all of that.

The EF staffer let all of the 2011 Fellows know that Shunsuke Niwa would not be attending the opening EF session in Philadelphia in April due to the crisis in Japan. Shunsuke will be participating in the Northeast Asia Regional Program this September-November, but will not be traveling to the U.S. I and the other 2011 Fellows would not be meeting Shunsuke.

The first reply that came through that I was able to see was from Erfa Iqbal of Pakistan. Erfa is a staff officer to the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Her email, kind words and graciousness motivated me to write my own words to Shunsuke. However, Shunsuke’s reply definitely changed how I watched and processed the news in the morning.

Shunsuke’s (Shun as signed at the end of the email) reply was this: I am Shunsuke Niwa, writing from Tokyo, Japan. Though I was supposed to participate in MNP 2011 Program with you all, the unprecedented natural disaster that hurt Japan recently prevented me from visiting the U.S. this spring.

I would like to express my deep appreciation to you all for supports, thoughts and concern you and your countries have given to Japan since the worst earthquake and ensuing tsunami we have ever experienced occurred on March 11. The death toll is about to reach ten thousand, and we will need to tackle various issues in the coming years. I am currently responsible for the management of Tokaido Shinkansen (bullet train), the main transportation artery in Central Japan Area, and will do my best to help Japan's resiliance through maintain the operations of this high-speed railway system. I believe I will be able to learn lots of lessons through this experience and will share it with many people in the world through EF's great network. I really look forward to meeting you all in person some day.

Normally I would not post things like that, but Shun’s response really put things into perspective. If you haven’t been keeping up with the news there were four missing bullet trains with an unaccounted number of people on board…and Shun is responsible for their management. What responsibility Shun has during this crisis.

I cannot fathom the turmoil and grief that must be taking place in Japan. Couple that with the nuclear reactor, there is definitely a crisis that needs to be dealt with and will take considerable time to make right.  

Then another email was sent to Shun from Rajsekhar Budithi of India. Rajsekhar is the CEO for the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty. He shared the guts of an email that had been circulating in India:

- 10 things to learn from Japan -                     

1. THE CALM
Not a single visual of chest-beating or wild grief. Sorrow itself has been elevated.

2. THE DIGNITY
Disciplined queues for water and groceries. Not a rough word or a crude gesture.

3. THE ABILITY
The incredible architects, for instance. Buildings swayed but didn’t fall.

4. THE GRACE
People bought only what they needed for the present, so everybody could get something.

5. THE ORDER
No looting in shops. No honking and no overtaking on the roads. Just understanding.

6. THE SACRIFICE
Fifty workers stayed back to pump sea water in the N-reactors. How will they ever be repaid?

7. THE TENDERNESS
Restaurants cut prices. An unguarded ATM is left alone. The strong cared for the weak.

8. THE TRAINING
The old and the children, everyone knew exactly what to do. And they did just that.

9. THE MEDIA
They showed magnificent restraint in the bulletins. No silly reporters. Only calm reportage.

10. THE CONSCIENCE
When the power went off in a store, people put things back on the shelves and left quietly
  
The world could learn a lot from Japan

Yes, the world could learn a lot from Japan and I am positive I could have learned a lot from Shun in Philadelphia, but will miss out on that opportunity due to disaster. However, I have already learned much from this ordeal: This is exactly what the Eisenhower Fellowships was meant to be, a worldwide network of friends that have the best interest of all people at heart.

I may be a hayseed in a very rural part of Idaho, but I have never been closer to world events than now. Even though I have not met Shun, I hope my heartfelt words make a difference and give strength during this time of need. I know that the kind words to Shun from my class of Fellows have made a huge impact on me.

The interchange of emails and the professionalism and graciousness of Shun is definitely a testament to the quality of people that become Eisenhower Fellows that I hope to live up to. These are everyday people that want more and give more and take responsibility highly. I am proud to have been chosen as an Eisenhower Fellow and hope that one day I will be able to meet Shun face to face.

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.

Love Thy Stranger!

In most tribal dialects, the word stranger does not exist. It is not because they know everyone; the word stranger is the same as enemy. I find myself a stranger at times…I am probably stranger than anyone you know.

Living in a small community means that you know quite a few people, their family, and where they live. You have probably been to their house or had a conversation with them during dinner at the local greasy spoon. But do you really know them?

How many people take the time to get to really know someone? What have been the pains and enjoyments in their life? What have been their best accomplishments or total failures? What really makes them tick?

I have lived in the Kendrick community all of my life. It is a small town of 369 people. Three miles down the road is Juliaetta (over 700 people) and the two communities are basically one. There are many people that I know. They either watched me grow up, grew up with me, or I watched them grow up. But do I really know them?

During the last year of my dad’s life, we were working on a field road with a neighbor. The neighbor introduced me as a person who was good at basketball to his hired man. That was pretty much it. It was not meant to be hurtful or cutting, but that I was good at it. I was out of college but still played city league. There was no mention of my love for farming.

After dad passed away, the same neighbor and I were talking one day and I mentioned farm toys. I love farm toys and have a nice little collection (but according to my wife it is too much.) I had collected farm toys since I was a kid and added a few over the years from auctions and the internet.

During our conversation I realized I took the neighbor by surprise. He had always thought of me as a basketball player and nothing else. He didn’t realize my passion for farming was much older than my passion for hoops. He was beginning to get to know the real me.

I have always been competitive and my wife Rhonda shares that same drive. We have passed that on to our two boys and during Wii tournaments (for lack of a better word) everyone is on the edge of their seat trying to beat each other…or gang up on mom for a good laugh.

My competitiveness in high school led to two different times Rhonda heard from people in the surrounding area that “Man, we hated you!” The first time I was coaching my little brother and his AAU hoops team. We were at a tournament in a nearby small town and the scorekeeper said that. She was from the town that was our biggest rival during my time in high school.

It probably didn’t help matters much that I only lost to them twice. My freshman year we beat them in the district tournament in six (6) overtimes to see who goes to state. My sophomore year we lost during the regular season. My junior year we beat them five out of six times, including the 4^th place game at state.

My competitiveness prompted me to do something that I look back on from time to time. During the district championship game we had the lead with a few seconds left on the clock. Coach pulled me to put someone else in. Our crowd had a bulldog on a noose (their mascot). I walked over, grabbed the bulldog and twirled it over my head all the way back to the bench. That is what a rivalry is about, so I cannot fault those people for “hating” me.

The second time occurred at the local airport. Rhonda and I were headed to Seattle to watch the Seahawks (her team) and the Raiders (my team). As we were checking in, the person behind the counter asked “Robert Blair? Did you play basketball?” I replied yes. “Man, we hated you!” she said. Rhonda, with her quick wit replied to me “Is there anyone in this area that you haven’t made angry?”

It seems like the same attitude happens in my small community. Not just with me, but with others as well. People don’t like someone because they have not taken the time to get to know them. They haven’t taken the time to find out what makes them tick.

There was a school bond measure last year and it was heated. I felt sorry for the school board members sitting on the gym floor while 250+ of their friends and neighbors looked down on them. They were in the firing line.

Listening to other people talk for over an hour, I could hear the anger in their voices. One  could definitely see where the alliances were. And they were attacking farmers and business owners. We were called big land owners, land owners, businesses, big businesses, etc. You get the picture.

I finally felt it was my time to speak. I thanked the school board, the superintendent, and all those present because I respect their time to address the issue. I then addressed the crowd. “Those of us that farm have been called everything but what we are, friends, neighbors, coaches, volunteers, fans, parents, or a list of other things. But never in my life have I thought of myself as a big landowner.”

I understand that in the heat of the moment or battle things are done that people whish were not, like twirling a bulldog over your head. Things are done that causes regret later on. But, these community members have not taken the time to really get to know the situation or their community members.

This is the same battle agriculture is fighting. People have not taken the time to get to know us. From “Joe Public” to the anti ag activist, they do not understand what makes “us” tick. They don’t understand that if we don’t take proper care of our land or animals we cannot make a profit to keep farming.

Most people don’t understand the long hours it takes to make a small family business like a farm work and be profitable. They also don’t understand that their naiveté about agriculture and their actions from that hurts not only farmers, but the communities that rely on them.

For every one dollar that is generated, it turns over in a community eight times. We purchase food, parts, and other inputs from local businesses. Our hard work is turned into money that supports the schools, roads, and cemetery districts. But according to them we are mean, greedy, rich people...just one step below Scrooge.

Just like at the school bond meeting, they don’t realize who the big landowners are. My wife and I own some land, but not everything we farm. My mom owns land, and works at a grocery store for benefits (and to keep her occupied.) Two other landlords at that time are in nursing homes on fixed incomes. The last landlord is the Nez Perce Tribe and they don’t pay taxes.

So whose fault is it for the misconceptions? Is it the person making the claims or is it us in agriculture not doing our job to get the word our? Farmers are secretive by nature and don’t  like to talk about what they own or how much they farm. But those around us have not done a good job of getting to know us either.

My challenge to those who read this is to reach out. Those in agriculture please invite people to your operation. Invite school kids, teachers, and other people in your community to better understand what you do. For those that don’t farm, just ask and I am sure you will be surprised and learn more than you bargained for. Just don’t be strangers. And to everyone, try not to twirl bulldogs over your head.