Better Because of YOU ~

Its Christmas time and that means Christmas Eve mass with my family. During that time I always light a candle in honor of all of those who have gone before me, I reflect upon holidays past with them and the joy that they brought me while they were here on earth. I also light another candle for all of those who have made me better. This year its quite simple who I will think about ~ it is my fellow champions for agriculture, my fellow ag advocates.  Those who have taught me how to better get the conversations started, to share my own stories, to recreate my experiences for those that might not understand what we all do.

I have had an amazing year travelling far from my family farm this year.  From each and every corner of California to the Plains of Nebraska, to the Big City of Chicago, the farmlands of Kansas, the biggest little city of Reno, and windy New Mexico is just some of the spots I got the opportunity to meet fellow ag enthusiasts who were like me!  I learned from you and from that I have become a better self. 

“I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence, but it comes from within. It was there all the time.”

I will be honest in saying I have searched high and low to be the best advocate I can be, I have looked up to so many of you to try to pattern myself after who you are but what I have come to learn is that I have had it within me all along I just need the push from all of you to create me and get to a place that I needed to be – for all of you I am truly grateful.

May all of you have a blessed Christmas!  Thank you for being an extension of me!  My hope for me is that I can be the kind of Ag Champion that you can look up to , the one that can give you strength and make you realize that you have had it inside all along , you just need to let it go !

Until next time~