It's Not Where We Start! It's Where We Finish!

As we look forward to 2013 with plans and resolutions...I am motivated to reflect on several moments from 2012 to not only encourage myself to never settle for what masquerades superficially as "What Is", but rather to focus on "What Is Yet To Come!" Hence...the title of this blog post: "It's Not Where We Start! It's Where We Finish!"

What I discovered and appreciated with the start of a new year was the opportunity to reevaluate and refocus my career goals. With prayer, guidance, amazing love from my Lord, family and friends, I started this “Bright Ideas! Brighter Future!” blog and renewed my Lamp Public Relations & Marketing business. Through those actions, I met "life changing" people and made strides that I never imagined possible. With that said, here's a reflection and dedication of my Top 7.5 Audacious New Year Ideas that may be life-changing for you too:

1. Reconnect with Friends/Business Acquaintances: If you escaped the holiday season without sending any Christmas cards or writing an annual family letter...use the month of January to reconnect with friends and business acquaintances and tell them what your goals are for the new year. By doing this in early 2012, I was able to help with the publicity of two local media/public relations events ~ one for the Harlem Globetrotters through MetraPark and one for Women of Faith. Also, by June...a grade school friend connected me and my business with a friend of hers who was looking for some strategic marketing and planning expertise for her new business, Prairie Preservations

One of the publicity stops with Harlem Globetrotters Ant Atkinson allows time for my kiddos to come meet this basketball hero.

2. Use Social Media to Expand Your Network: Since starting my Twitter account at  (https://twitter.com/lampprpro) in Nov. 2010 at the annual American Agri-Women convention, I've significantly expanded my circle of influence.  For example, during a February weekly online Twitter chat through AgChat Foundation,  a farmer-led foundation "empowering a connected community of agvocates", I connected with an independent, Maryland-based filmmaker, Conrad Weaver of ConjoStudios, who reached out to me about helping him market and promote a project called the Wheat Harvest Movie (now called the Great American Wheat Harvest documentary film). Knowing the scope and magnitude a project like this would entail, I was able to connect with a local independent communications consultant and in April we collaborated our businesses for this project and were named the National Executive Co-Coordinators. 

 3. Appreciate Where You've Been...So, You Know Where You Can Go:  The Great American Wheat Harvest documentary film allowed me and Team GAWH several opportunities to travel back to my hometown area of western Nebraska. Growing up near Scottsbluff and having been away from the area for more than 20 years, I never imagined a national/international project would have hometown ties. I consider it an honor and privilege to have come from such a stable and encouraging upbringing, so I am able to take that experience and enthusiasm with me wherever I go. One of our trips to Scottsbluff included working with Teresa Scanlan Miss America 2011, who hails from Scottsbluff/Gering, on a public service announcement and appearing with her and the filmmaker on KNEB Radio to promote the film.

Above: Teresa Scanlan Miss America 2011 and Jody Lamp, National Executive Co-coordinator, Great American Wheat Harvest documentary film. Below: Conrad Weaver of ConjoStudios; Teresa Scanlan, Miss America 2011; and Jody Lamp of Lamp Public Relations & Marketing, appear with Kevin Mooney of KNEB Radio on News Extra.

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4. Find Your Passion to Empower Others: While working throughout the spring and summer developing and implementing the strategic marketing plan and fund development program for the film, for a few months I also wrote a weekly agricultural-based column for the Gering Citizen newspaper. With the help of national AAW president, Karen Yost, in May, my business partner and I were able to work once again in western Nebraska with local business leaders to help start a NEW AAW affiliate ~ the Western Nebraska Agri-Women.

New members, congressional and AAW representatives at the inaguration of the NEW Western Nebraska Agri-Women event in Scottsbluff/Gering, NE

5. Believe the Unbelievable...... Believe that you will meet people you have never met before...Believe you will go places, see and do things you never dreamed about before...And most of all...believe in your strengths and capabilities. One of the most spectacular things I  got to witness this past year was the Guinness World Record Breaking Harvest For Kids event when farmers from many different communities in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan area came together to bring in a record harvest of 249 combines rolling down the field in front of thousands of spectators all with the goal of bringing hope to kids around the world through Children’s Camps International. (the following photos appear courtesy of Harvest For Kids)

6. Invest Time in Yourself:  Even if your travel schedule overwhelms you or you think it's selfish to take a break from your family to concentrate on a personal project or dream...DO IT ANYWAY! You'll never regret the time you take to spend time alone. In a blog post I wrote earlier this year called, "STOP!! Smell the Roses!" I shared how my business partner and I carved out two extra days after some business travel to concentrate on our personal projects. My project is four years of researching, organizing and writing of a historical period in the development of our nation's horse/agricultural industries. I continue to be fascinated by my findings and encouraged to press on. I highly recommend never putting off doing today what may not be here tomorrow.  Life is too short and fleeting to take casually. 

 

7. Continue To Learn....School is Never Out for the Pro: Globally and locally, agriculture faces an ongoing plethora of challenges ~ productive landmass decline, food production practices, government regulations, consumer awareness or lack thereof....As I've traveled and worked with my fellow agricultural enthusiasts, organizations and associations throughout the United States and Canada, I'm inspired to pursue a master's degree in leadership education. While researching several options, I've already inquired and met with chairperson at my alma mater's University of Nebraska-Lincoln's department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication. What are you doing to increase and expand your knowledge base?


7.5  And lastly....Never Be Afraid to Let Your "Light" Shine: Even when we think no one is looking...someone is always watching to see how we will rise to occasion, respond to a situation or how we will step out boldly to lead the charge. If you're not satisfied with where your life/career/family goals are at this moment...remember..."It's Not Where We Start! It's Where We Finish!" that counts. I leave you with one of my favorite quotes and bid you a prosperous new year! Go MAKE great things happen in 2013:

Our Deepest Fear

by Marianne Williamson from A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?

 Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. 

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. 

We are all meant to shine, as children do. 

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. 

As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

A Salute to "Agvocates"! Meet My Friends!

My life revolves around agriculture. Always has! Always will! Yours does too, whether you think you're directly involved in crop or livestock production or not. If you eat food, you have a connection to agriculture. Today, as we celebrate National Agriculture Day, I'm reminded of my journey and dedicate this blog to recognize and salute some of the "agvocates" I have had the distinct pleasure of connecting with through social media or meeting in person and learning from these past few years! I "tip my hat" to them and the tireless hours, energy and resources they put into bringing awareness and understanding to the agricultural industry.  The Journey Up until my advanced reporting class at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with my fellow journalism students, I only had an slight indication of my desire to become an agricultural journalist. Had it not been for every one of my J-School classmates rejecting the "Ag" beat, I may not have ever started writing for agriculture or started my own public relations and marketing business in June 2009. My passion then and now continues to be perpetuating, portraying and "agvocating" every and all positive aspects of what our American farmers and ranchers do. It all started with social media. After jumping into Facebook and connecting with other "agvocates" I attended my first Montana Agri-Women meeting May 2010. I became a member that night when I heard, "Montana Agri-Women are a force for truth!"  Later that year, I attended my first American Agri-Women national convention and became even more connected with those who had been in the "agvocating" trenches for longer than I could have imagined. Who could be against agriculture? Certainly an eye-opener to hear just how prevalent and powerful those opposed to livestock production had become through social media outlets. In Dec. 2010, it became even more real to me. My travels took me from Billings, Mont.,  to Las Vegas for the first Summit of the Horse event. Not only did the event offer an opportunity to be amongst resounding leaders in the horse and livestock industry, including the well-known Temple Grandin, but it produced a onslaught of foes, including a television news station anchor who only interviewed the likes of a well-known animal rights "blogger" and took her rhetoric as fact for his story and coverage of the event. Not only did he use her as his only source of information, but it was later discovered and determined that she gave false identification in order to attend the event. That's why we continually need those in agriculture to step-up their advocacy efforts and become an "AGvocate" for their industry. Time to Meet My "AGvocate" Friends Mindy Patterson: Communications & Media, Missourians for Animal Care "I am working to fight against the threat of the radical animal rights movement nationwide. The threat of which is attempting to destroy the very heritage of American horseback, farming culture, and animal ownership -- and is ultimately an assault on American's private property rights.   Mindy remains diligent as one of the organizers for 2nd International Summit of the Horse - April 2-5 - Oklahoma City - The Summit is a gathering of men and women who make their living with horses, and those who care deeply about ecological balance on healthy lands. Also a summit of concerned citizens who understand what is necessary to keep the land, the horses, the people, the cultures, and the economies vibrant and healthy. “Now is the time for all of those who care deeply about the land and the horse, to come together as ethical and moral horse people, and find ways to address ignorance and a lack of understanding by activists and policy makers.”   Update: Since the first Summit, President Obama signed a bill from the Ag Appropriations committee that for the first time since 2005, did not contain annual riders banning USDA inspection of horse meat, thus opening the door for horse processing in the United States to resume.      However, the fight to restore the humane and regulated horse processing that will help restore the horse industry and normalize the equine economy continues. For more information on how you can help, go to summitofthehorse.org

Jody & her friend Mr. Freckles at Billings Livestock Commission Tips for "Sharing Your Story" 1. Use social media outlets like Facebook or YouTube to upload your videos. 2. Forget being Perfect or Polished in the beginning!! Try Passionate and Positive!! Gets your point across every time!! 3. Just ASK!!!! No one has told me "no" yet!!!   American Agri-Women: Overview & Mission American Agri-Women is the national coalition of farm, ranch and agri-business organizations. It seeks to educate its members and the public about agriculture and to promote agriculture and women's leadership. AAW's mission is "to be a force for truth, a reasoned, non-partisan voice for the agricultural community to the public." It is not an auxiliary to any other farm organization. For more information visit http://americanagriwomen.org

	Ryan Goodman: Graduate Research Assistant, University of TN, Knoxville http://agricultureproud.com/

Ryan says he's just an ordinary kid from Arkansas who grew up on a cattle ranch and wanted to get out of Dodge. His family operated a commercial Angus and stocker cattle operation where he soaked in the ranch life.

He's currently working on his Master’s degree at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. He became involved in blogging and social media because of his passion for the cattle industry and wanted to share his experiences with others. 

"I want to hear what others have to ask, share my knowledge, and sometimes learn with them. I want consumers to become more educated about food production before they criticize our work, and hopefully gain an appreciation for the work those of us in agriculture do daily. I want to hear others share their stories so we can stand up with a strong voice and tell the world how we produce the food on every plate. This is my journey, and I welcome you to come along for the ride."

Follow Ryan's journey:

Other blog titled “Sitting in the Pasture“

Videos on YouTube at AgProud

"Friend" Ryan on Facebook and join the I am Agriculture Proud fan page

Follow Ryan on Twitter as AR_ranchhand and use the tag #AgProud with your posts

Send Ryan an email with questions, comments, or suggestions (agricultureproud@hotmail.com).

 

• Scott Vernon: Professor of Ag Education & Communication, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo; Founder of "I Love Farmers...They Feed My Soul"
•  http://ilovefarmers.org

Scott Vernon started "I Love Farmers...They Feed My Soul" in 2009 as a response to political events in California surrounding the Proposition 2 ballot initiative by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) on poultry cages, veal production and swine gestation crates.

With Vernon as the lead, the effort was launched by a passionate group of college students as a unique, fresh and creative campaign to engage young people in a conversation about their food and who produces it. Entering its third year, "I Love Farmers...They Feed My Soul" has become one of the most popular efforts to support American family farmers and ranchers.

In a recent interview with the High Plains Journal, Vernon explains, "We are not a school club or a member organization. We are a 'movement,' much in the sense the way environmental groups are movements. We grow from grassroots enthusiasm and passion of young people. We organize around college campuses for convenience, but are not officially associated with any school,"  

The group uses phrases and sayings on a variety of merchandise (the sell of apparel helps fund the cause) with phrases, "I'm hot. I'm dirty. I farm." And the most popular merchandise features the text "WTF? Where's the Food? Without the Farmer?" 

Over the past two years, the group has had several events in conjunction with fairs and agricultural activities. The first original event was held on Nov. 10, 2011, and was called "WTF? Day 2011." Teams of students from Cal Poly, Fresno State, Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, UC Santa Barbara and the University of Arkansas came together wearing WTF? T-shirts and spent the day on their campuses talking to their peers, asking them about their food and starting conversations.

"I Love Farmers...They Feed My Soul" is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization. Donations are tax exempt. Support is needed and appreciated. To purchase apparel or learn more about I Love Farmers...They Feed My Soul, visit one of their sites on the Internet:

Website: www.ilovefarmers.org

Blog: www.iloverfarmers.org/blog

Store: www.ilovefarmers.org/shopping

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/pages/NEW-I-Love-Farmers-They-Feed-My-Soul/289556722050

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/ilovefarmersorg

• Michele Payn-Knoper, Cause Matters Corp.

Helping to connect farm & food. Michele Payn-Knoper (MPK) is a professional speaker inspiring connections for agriculture advocacy, food literacy & conversations about both. See http://causematters.com/.

For 10 years, MPK has been connecting the farm gate to consumer plate. She speaks around the world, building a community focused on agvocacy, such as #agchat/#foodchat on Twitter.    Giving a voice to the people who feed the world by connecting farming with food choices, MPK also provides agricultural advocacy training, motivational farm keynotes and consulting for hand-selected projects related to agvocacy leadership, social media strategy and rural economic development. Check out MPK's social media sites at: http://www.causematters.com http://twitter.com/mpaynknoper http://gplus.to/mpaynknoper http://www.linkedin.com/in/michelepaynkn... http://youtube.com/mpaynknoper http://twitter.com/agchat http://twitter.com/foodchat   "God Does Not Call the Equipped! He Equips the Called"     So, do you think you have what it takes to be an "Agvocate"? You bet you do! Remember, if you eat food, you're connected to agriculture!    One of the best greeting cards I ever received came in the form of a "Thank You" from the Johnson County CattleWomen of Wyoming after being one of the guest speakers at their first summit. The note stated, "Thank you so much for speaking at the first annual Women's Ag Summit. You were a hit and we love your energy and honest love for the ag industry. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!"   Honestly, I'm certain that I enjoyed it more! While it wasn't the first time I  had an opportunity to speak to a group, it was the first time I organized a presentation on How to Use Social Media in Agriculture. Thanks to Michele Payn-Knoper's advanced social media class at the American Agri-Women national convention, I felt confident and equipped!   I do not take my passion, energy and honest love for the ag industry lightly. I will do my part to use the tools like social media to continually share our stories for truth and hope for others to do the same.    As we celebrate National Agriculture Day 2012, go thank your American farmers and ranchers. Their livelihood and our future are at "steak". It's the reason we "AGvocates" do what we do.