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Yesterday was LP's 2nd Birthday and both My Farmer and I were commenting that we weren't sure if it wore out him or us more.  Needless to say I haven't done too much today but clean-up post-party, play with new birthday gifts and I started a Facebook page for my blog.  Please go and "Like" my blog's page!  Also be sure to keep checking my blog for a birthday party post and a post from the AgChat Foundation Regional Conference I attended this past weekend.

Happy Birthday LP!

Today is LP's 2nd Birthday!  It is amazing to think he is already two years old.  To celebrate today we are going to have our family over this afternoon for a train inspired birthday party (I'll be sure to post photos later this week!).  In the meantime, check out how LP has changed over the last year!

Developing Your Pinterest Potential

How many of you enjoy going on Pinterest?  I know I love going on Pinterest to get ideas for holidays, kids crafts and activities, photography, recipes and I've been on the site a lot lately getting ready for a certain soon to be 2 year old's birthday party.  Besides collecting ideas for myself, what is my "Pinterest Potential" to reach others?

Pinterest is simply a virtual bulletin board.  What makes it unique, is that your pins on your bulletin board can be seen by millions of people.  This is an opportunity to reach millions of others with similar interests as you and grow your network, your business and your views.  So how are you going to utilize your "Pinterest Potential"?

My "Pinterest Potential" is showing the value of agriculture in every day images and pins.  I've been on Pinterest for over a year and about a year ago I started a board that shared different fun facts about farming and agriculture called "Living to Farm, Farming to Live."  Then around nine months ago I was asked to join a couple "shared board" about agriculture.  The first is "Farms & Rural America, Food & Agriculture".  This board is a "tribute to farmers, rural lifestyle, those working in agriculture and people with an interest in any of those."  It is a great board for people that have an interest in where their food comes from.  As of this morning, there are 199 contributors to the board and there are 2,147 followers to the board.  The second is "AgNerd".  This board has a similar purpose as the other and has 69 contributors and has 555 followers.

One person who I think has done a great job of developing their "Pinterest Potential" is Katie On the Banks of Squaw Creek.  Her blog and Pinterest boards center around her family, kids and renovating her 100 year old farmhouse on a turkey farm.  Katie has seen a lot of traffic to her blog from Pinterest.  What might draw people to her blog initially are her decorating for small room ideas, or her tips on working with kids that are picky eaters.  But once they get to her blog they have the opportunity to learn more about her family's farm.  One of her blogs that I pinned about a month ago included a cute printable sign she made that said "Wash your Hands and Say your Prayers because Germs and Jesus are Everywhere."  Once a person clicks on the pin to visit the website to download the sign, they'll also learn about how they care for their turkeys on their farm.  Katie has found her "Pinterest Potential."

So whether you'd like people to learn about your business, your product or even your farm, think about what your "Pinterest Potential" is and don't forget to utilize Pinterest, one of the fastest growing social media tools available!  Also, don't forget to follow my boards and pins on Pinterest and check out other social media goals I have set for the year!

So I've Been A Little Busy Lately...

It has been over a week since I last posted and I guess the only reason I can say this happened because life just simply has been busy.  Not too busy where I've been stressed out, but busy enough that my blog fell to the bottom of my priority list.  Maybe I should just say I've been having a lot of fun this past week.

Here's a quick look at what I've been having fun doing over the past week:

#1:  I attended the Iowa Farm Bureau's Speaker Corps Training.

Myself (with baby bump), Larry Sailer and Annette Sweeney
(Larry and Annette are fellow farmers and friends who also participated in the program)

#2:  My Farmer and I attended the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival in Des Moines. Ohhhh, Bacon!

Me and My Farmer after enjoying a day of bacon

#3:  I helped at the 2013 North Iowa Battle of the Badges hockey game that raised over $30,000 for Make A Wish.

The Police and Fire hockey teams after the game

#4:  I helped the North Central Iowa Ag in the Classroom with their program at my local school.

3rd graders starting their Embryology unit

#5:  I went to a meeting with my U.S. Congressman Steve King.

#6:  LP and I made and delivered Valentine's Day cookies.

#7:  I've enjoyed being My Farmer's wife and LP's mom!

LP and My Farmer enjoying our Valentine's Day supper
Fried Pickles, Greek Steak and Greek Spaghetti, Chocolate Melting Cake with Ice Cream

Friday Funny

Last week I said I'd share some more information from the Iowa Farm Bureau Young Farmer LV2FRM Conference.  Today, I thought I'd share some "You've Been to Farm Camp if..." sayings from Damian Mason.  I hope you enjoy and have a good laugh this Friday!

You've Been to Farm Camp if...

• Several articles of your wardrobe bear trademarks of seed companies.
• By the time you got your drivers license, you had already been driving for several years.
• The neighbor dies and your first inclination is to prepare and deliver a casserole to the immediate family.
• You consider "turkey bacon" an insult to the pig.
• You've attended hog roasts celebrating one or more of the following:  graduation, wedding, birthday or family reunion.
• You know at least three old guys who are missing fingers.
• You attended a school that was bordered by an agricultural field.
• The smell of turned dirt is perfume to you.
• Your neighborhood "block" is a square mile.
• By odor alone, you can distinguish between cow, pig, horse and chicken manure.

LP has just started his tenure at "Farm Camp"

Whether you're a full-time ag producer, hobby farmer, transplanted farm kid or just a country resident, you know what "Farm Camp" is all about.  If you've tended livestock, planted the crops, battled the elements and lived your life in the country, you've attended "Farm Camp."

Wordless Wednesday - Winter Fun

Winter Fun Inside

Winter Fun Outside

Farming - A Family Tradition

When you hear the words “family business” what do you first think of?  The local restaurant, or maybe your dental practice, or maybe the community pharmacy store.  Do you ever think of the farmers in your community?  My husband and I are proud to be 5^th generation farmers and we work hard every day so our kids can be the 6^th.  Five generations!  Can many other family businesses say that?

My family’s farming story is similar to other Iowa farm families.  My great-great-grandparents, Julius & Reka, immigrated to the United States from Germany in 1890.  They settled in Hamilton County, Iowa, where they got married, started a family and continued their engagement in farming, which was my great-great-grandpa’s trade in Germany.  An interesting side note is that they paid for the passage of their farm-hand, Fritz, to come from Germany a few years later.  Fritz then worked for the family to pay-off his passage.  So in 1890 in Hamilton County, Iowa, my family’s farming legacy began and still continues today.  My Dad is now the fourth generation to work on some of that original ground that his great-grandpa Julius farmed.

Our Farming Tradition's 6th Generation

The truth is my family is not the only ones who have made farming a family tradition.  In the United States 98% of all farms are family-owned.  So why do families make farming their heritage?  Farmers pride themselves on putting food on the table and preserving the land.  Through these goals, generations have learned a powerful work ethic and respect.  Because of this, the next generation feels a purpose to engage in farming and continue their family’s farming legacy.  Both my husband and I have always wanted to farm since we were little kids.  We are both so proud of farming today and feel fortunate to be doing so.  I can already see this sense of purpose to farm with our 23-month old son.  He loves to help on the farm!  If it isn’t the season to be in the tractor with my husband or I, then he’s “carpet farming” in the house.  If he doesn’t get up early enough to ride along for morning chores with my husband, then he’s at least taking responsibility for the dog’s needs at the house.  A farmer has already been made in the sixth generation.

This is a guest post I did for a local chicken hatchery in Rudd, Iowa - Hoover's Hatchery.  Check out their blog and follow them on twitter, facebook and pinterest.

I feel like this post had great timing with all the excitement from the Super Bowl's "So God Made a Farmer" Ram Trucks commercial.  I think my family's farming tradition explains, as Paul Harvey would say it, "the rest of the story", behind why "God Made a Farmer".