AgriPOWER Class VI is in session

In April, I was honored to be selected a member of the Ohio Farm Bureau's AgriPOWER Institute, Class VI.  This is a year long leadership seminar that is conducted in monthly sessions.  The focus is to create leaders in the agriculture field while teaching participants about issues facing agriculture at the local, state, national, and international levels.  There are twenty members of the current class.  For more information, check out http://ofbf.org/get-involved/agripower/

Members of the class came from all over Ohio for their first session July 18. After brief introductory comments from state Farm Bureau staff, the class members introduced themselves to each other via PowerPoint and Prezi presentations. Pictures and publicity photos followed.

Over lunch, members of the class received introductory remarks from Nationwide and the various departments of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. And, then we got down to finding our strengths as individuals and leaders with John Torres from the American Farm Bureau Federation. Some of us found the results to be eerily accurate! I really learned a lot about myself. I was particularly interested in the concept of focusing on one’s strengths and not the weaknesses. I think this will help me both as a leader and a mother. Why focus on improving weaknesses that will always be weaknesses when our potentials can best be met in focusing on our strengths?

After dinner, we adjourned to the suite where we continued to build friendships and learn about each other as classmates. We all spent time getting to know our fellow classmates. Quite a few of us also took this opportunity to call home to check on families and farming operations.

The first evening we enjoyed a formal dinner and etiquette training with Katy Endsley. I am sure we all learned many interesting tips that will help us fine tune our fine dining habits in the future. I personally found the custom of breaking off only the amount of bread intended to eat to butter to be very interesting. We all learned tips that will help us at future dinner events.

The next morning we were up and back in session before 8. John Torres continued with a personality workshop. It was fascinating to see how the results measured up to what we already knew about our classmates. Knowing the personality traits of our class members is helping us to understand how to best communicate with each other. Going forward, this will also help us in our daily lives as we return to our jobs and families. Now, I find myself analyzing my daughters, trying to figure out how to best interact with them.

We then adjourned for a tour of the North Market. Our hosts were Davis family members from the Blues Creek Meat Farm near Marysville, Ohio. They discussed their niche in agriculture and how they have tailored their business toward meeting the demands and needs of their customers. I farm near this business, and I hope to begin to market meat through them in the future! What a great opportunity to network with a neighbor! After our brief tour, we were dismissed for lunch on our own and to return to our homes.

Sleepy in Chuckery

A late night storm rolling across the Darby Plains

I love to listen to storms roll in. I like the rumble of the thunder in the distance. I think lightning is beautiful when it lights up the night sky. But, I draw the line at wind. However, that is another story for another day.

Last night I knew I would probably be up around 1. I have been getting up regularly for the past week with little Stephenie as she struggles through cutting teeth. But, I was suprised at 2 when I found Dennis wandering around the house. He was unable to sleep and decided to play games on his iPad, while in bed. I had finally convinced him to put on ear phones when the storm hit at 2:30.

With a crash, thunder shook the house and lightning lit the darkened houese. I snuggled under my John Deere blanket, yearning to be back in dream land. And, then I heard Madeline and Julie yelling from their upstairs bedroom that they could not sleep.

I finally had everyone downstairs and situated by about 3:15. Everyone had gone to the bathroom. Everyone had their favorite cups on the table with water. Favorite blankets had been distributed. And, I decided to go back to bed. I climbed into bed and found Dennis sound asleep and snoring LOUDLY. I knew then and there my long night was not over.

So, dear world, I am now very Sleepy in Chuckery. Hopefully I will be able to get some rest tonight.

AgriPOWER Class VI

I have been selected for Class VI of the Ohio Farm Bureau's AgriPOWER program.  I am so excited!  I just returned home from our first session, and I am amazed by what I have learned about myself and my fellow classmates.  From learning about our leadership styles and personality types to an etiquette class and a tour of Columbus' North Market, our first session was very information packed!

So, while everything is still fresh in my mind, I thought I would think about what I would like to gain from my AgriPOWER experience.  I hope that I can become a better leader both in my agriculture community and the world community in general.  I hope to gain insight on how to better communicate my opinions to those around me.  And, I hope I can become a better listener.  I know that I need to be a listener if I am to learn anything.

I would also like to better understand American agriculture.  There are many types of farmers in the US.  Not every one fits the stereotype of "Old MacDonald" in bib-overalls.  When I stop and think about American Agriculture, I cannot help but feel great pride that I can consider myself to be a farmer. But, I know that there is a lot I do not know about this industry.  What a better place to learn than in a very diversified class of Ohio farmers!

Thank you, Ohio Farm Bureau and Madison County Farm Bureau for this opportunity!

There is just something women love about their minivans!

Our beloved truck behind our bus at Niagra, New York

For years and years and years, my husband has wanted a minivan. And, not just any minivan would do.  Dennis has had his heart set on a Honda Odyssey. So, when he decided he wanted to trade his Corvette in on an Odyssey in 2004, I was less than enthusiastic. Who in their right mind would trade a Corvette for a minivan? I guess Dennis was starting to realize his fatherly instinct. But, I soon convinced him we did not need a minivan. Somehow we decided to trade the Corvette in for a GMC Sierra 2500 HD special order truck. At the time it made perfect sense. But, little did I know that someday Dennis would still get his Odyssey.

Our Sierra has taken us many places. It has been to Silver Creek, Nebraska on three seperate occassions. It took us to the Presidential Inauguration in 2005. In 2006 it hauled a diesel engine to Reno, Nevada for Dennis' parents. They even took it off-road in the mountains and dessert. Dennis towed the truck to New Orleans in 2007 to assist with the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. In 2008, we towed the truck behind the bus to Georgia for my sister's wedding. And, in 2009, we towed the truck to Massachusetts for a family reunion. Yes, we have made a lot of memories with the truck. It has also brought three of our daughters home from the hospital. The truck would have brought Julie home, but it was in Reno!

I was content without a minivan. Dennis had nearly resigned himself to the fact that a van was more of a want than a need. We were truck and car people. Then, one day in the summer of 2009, a little surprise presented herself. . . we found out I was pregnant with daughter number four. Suddenly it was clear that we could not all fit in our Honda Accord. And, it would be a tight squeeze to get two adults and four car seats bearing children into the truck. So, Dennis began his search for a van. Ironically, it was me who found our Odyssey. . . on FaceBook, nonetheless!

A Back-to-School Tradition: A picture with the Odyssey

Our Honda Odyssey joined the family on Dennis' birthday in 2009. We soon found ourselves wondering how we lived without the van. With my pregnancy, and complications brought on by the H1N1 virus, I seldom drove the van until late November. But, whoever was watching my girls would drive the van. The Odyssey became a "community" vehicle.

The first long trip for our van was to Nebraska for my grandmother's nintieth birthday. The trip was rather unventful for the Odyssey until a deer jumped out in front of us near the Indiana-Illinois line. We assumed that the damage was minimal since the van was still drivable, but nearly $5000 in repairs later, we know now that the damage was substantial.  It was substantial enough to keep the van out of commission for quite a while!

We realized how much we missed the Odyssey when it was gone for two weeks for repairs. We have never had to use the truck as our primary vehicle since Stephenie was born. And, let me tell you that it is a real pain to climb in and out of a TALL truck to buckle in four little girls! Even more so if you are vertically challenged, like I am!

But, all is now well. The van is back home. The girls have all hugged their beloved Odyssey. I have danced my happy dance. And, Dennis has his vehicle back, er . . . uhm. . . did I mention that Dennis is now a pick up truck man?

Do you want to drive my tractor? (Frozen Parody) from Farmer Derek

My family and the United States of America

Have I mentioned that I love my family? And, I love this great country that we live in. Since it is Independence Day, and I am supposed to be working on a HUGE genealogy project, I felt it was okay to take a break to write about my pride in both America and my family.

Visting the Alden House in Duxbury, Massachusetts

I am not sure when my first ancestors set foot on the North American continent. I have some ancestors who were Vikings, so they may have been the first. But, I do know that some of my ancestors and their relatives were at Jamestown in Virginia. I also know that John Alden and Priscilla Mullens came to Massachusetts in 1620. They came looking for a new life and freedoms that were not extended to them under the rule of the British Crown. John Alden was also one of the signers of the Mayflower Compact, so even he knew of the task ahead in setting up a government for and of the people.  I can honestly say that I am the thirteenth generation of American farmers in my family, and I am raising the fourteenth generation!

Early members of the Powers and Daines families also came to Massachusetts in the 1600s. Pennington family members came to Virginia in the 1600s and 1700s. One of my Pennington forefathers fought in the American Revolution. And, a descendant of John and Priscilla Alden was a signer of the Declaration of Independence as well as the second President of the United States, John Adams.

Members of the Pennington and Alden families fought in the War of 1812. Once again, my forefathers and relatives saw the importance of preserving the United States of America.

By the time of the Civil War, the Rolfs had migrated to the United States from Germany and Denmark. This was just in time to fight in the Civil War. Joachim Rolfs served in the Hessian Army while in Europe, and then was drafted into an Iowa militia during the Civil War. Several of my husband's relatives also fought in the Civil War as a part of the Ohio militia. These men fought valiantly to preserve the United States, even though they themselves could barely speak the language and were still learning American traditions. After the war, they came home and became naturalized citizens. They raised their children speaking both German and English. Many generations would continue to be raised bilingual.

By the 1900s, many more branches of my family's tree had arrived in the United States. And, many more generations would continue to serve in time of war and peace. Some came home to loving family and an adoring country, some came home to a country who scorned them, and some never came home at all. . . But, the family continued to fight for the United States and the freedoms this country provides. Even today, I have family and friends scattered world wide who serve to protect the United States of America.

A few summers ago my family went to Plymouth, Massachusetts for an Alden family reunion. On the way, we visited Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. We stood on hallowed ground an listened to the ghosts of the past. We stood behind canons abandoned in fields and imagined the battles of long ago. We bowed our head in silence as we stood at the graves of the fallen. We know that our forefathers sacrificed so that we could continue to live in the land of the free.

After we left Gettysburg, we headed on to Valley Forge. While there we listened to the stories of the struggle to survive the elements in a very young America. We saw the huts and primitive houses that the soldiers lived in. We were in awe that men would choose to fight a super power in order to give life to this country.

After Valley Forge, we travelled on to Philadelphia. We saw Independence Hall, and we saw the Liberty Bell. By now my two older daughters felt they were fast becoming experts in American History. They were very enthralled by the Liberty Bell.

Other stops on our trip included New York, Boston, Lexington, Concord, and Plymouth. In each place we found places where our family worked tirelessly to help create this great nation. And, we found ourselves very proud to be Americans. It chills my spine, even today, when I think about the first shots of the American Revolution. Who knew that simple defiance would lead to the formation of one of the strongest nations in the world?

And, so, today as we pack our picnic basket and head to our neighbors' house, we will remember the sacrifice of our forefathers to help create this great nation. Thank you to all who have given of themselves to make this country and continue to make this country great! GOD BLESS AMERICA! And, thank you to everyone who makes this country great!

My Afternoon with the Royal Family of Chuckery

Yesterday afternoon we walked away from our daily chores and took some time off. We loaded up the truck (yes the truck because the van is still in the shop!) and met Sharon, Jack and Rachel over at the Scotts pool. When we got there, everyone was leaving because there was a chlorine inbalance. So, Dennis went into the gate and asked the staff if the pool was closing. He was told that the pool should reopen within the hour. We proceeded to unload the truck and haul our gear up to the pool.

I was once again reminded that we have four girls. I had four little girls to change into swimsuits. All four need to have floaties and life jackets.  They all insisted on perfect ponytails.  Ah, the joy of all girls! Dennis put up his feet and dozed while I got the girls ready. GRRR!

But, soon enough, we were all in the pool. Madeline was splashing after her cousins, treading water in the deep end. Julie bounced around in the shallow end. Christy floated around somewhere in the middle. And, last but not least, Stephenie squealed because she detests water. However, she was soon laughing as she splashed water at her sisters.

We splashed for several hours, soaking up the sun and having fun. The older kids swam all over the pool gathering up as many floatation boards as they could find. Jack wanted to break his previous record of 6. Well, I think they managed to shatter that records with a solid 10 boards. And, to top off the day, Scott joined us. Supper was take out from Benny's.

Yes, I have a wonderful family. And, sometimes even the royal family of Chuckery needs to take a break from everyday life. Dear world, we are now ready for what you throw at us!