#tellingmyfarmstory

I talk a lot about sharing your story to connect the bridge between consumers and producers ~ one of the best ways to tell the story is through photos !  A picture is worth a thousand words~ We have heard this a million times and we have heard it a million times because it is true!  Who does not love to look at photos ?

I recently got a new camera – I call it my “big girl camera” and I am taking photos of everything.  People, animals, scenery, things !  I even now keep my camera with me as I might miss an amazing shot! ( I know I am turning into a photography nerd)

So what is the point of today's post?  Even if you are not a fabulous writer or its hard for you to express your thoughts or share ideas about what you do, you can take photos and post to social media !  Facebook , Pinterest, Instagram........... You get where I am going !

~~Pictures are truly worth a thousand words ~

~Take a picture ~tell your story ~

~Its that simple ~

snapped a quick photo minutes after baby lambs

 were born on my farm

Think Outside the Box

This past week two music sensations have literally "popped!"  The Peterson Brothers of Kansas and Scott Shelby of Texas.  These young men have taken their talents and showcased their love of American Agriculture with a whole different twist than you and I might ever think of doing. 


The Peterson Brothers changed a popular pop tune into a farm themed song and played it out in a you-tube video on their farm. Farming, Ranching, Singing, Dancing, Celebrating what they do ! That's it ! That Simple! You can watch their video that is now well over 1.5 million views here Peterson Brothers - I'm Farming and I Grow It  

Scott Shelby has followed his dream by heading to Nashville, Tennessee this past week where his hit WagonWheel is now available on i-tunes!  Scott has taken his passion to numerous venues throughout the United States including national junior cattle shows, state fairs, and private events.  You can find out more about Scott following his dream at www.scottshelby.com  His first official music video Young and Invincible can be seen here 
Young and Invincible.

So whats my point with all of this?  Besides promoting these young men following their passion my point with all of it is they are AGvocating for American Agriculture and might not even know it.  By doing what you love and believing with your whole heart and soul about rural life they are expressing that by thinking outside the box , trying something new and different and fun and in the meantime thousands of us in rural america are following along on their coat tails.  By sharing the you-tubes and i-tunes songs and videos we are sharing in a piece of their dream and really a piece of our own.  To showcase what we love and what so many of us believe in and do each and every day.  How many of us that blog and tweet and facebook on a daily basis have already used these guys as topics for discussion this past week?  I have , I have!! And I am proud of that , proud to be a cheerleader of others doing good for all of us! 


Support those that support us - check them out - enjoy - have fun and when you decide that its high time that you start AGvocating get out there and do it - Just be YOU , be YOURSELF, showcase your God-given talents and get after it !  


American Agriculture needs ALL of us !  YOU have a special way to showcase what you do - Just Do It - Its that simple.


Best Wishes Boys - Proud of you for following your passion- the world needs more of you !
I for one am a crazed fan :) 

Just a Farmers Daughter

What's new? What's on trend? What should I wear to this or that?

These are just a few questions we tend to tackle each week on Fashion Friday at the Couture Cowgirl.  But sometimes we need to hop over to my first love ~ The Family Farm, MY family farm. 

I had the opportunity this past week to guest blog for Just Farmers Just Farmers is a digital sandbox for those interested in using conversations, relationships and community to harness the power of humanity’s inner want for social interaction in all forms. This is what my farmer friends had to say about their site it is " a play on our everyday profession as Farmers we have created “Just Farmers…”. Just Farmers is not specifically about the agricultural meaning of farmer and really is a more broad look at how through the use of different social channels conversations are being grown into crops of relationshipsand the harvest are the communities brought together in the end.  More simply Just Farmers… includes those people interested in farming communities of engaged committed individual people by engaging in conversations." I was thrilled!  How exciting first of all to share my thoughts with a whole other audience and secondly to talk about something I truly loved.  I got quite a bit of feedback on my blog so decided that I needed to share with all of you ~ so here it goes~ I hope you enjoy it !

(yes this is me and dad)

I can’t remember a time growing up when our old ranch house did not have a baby calf on the back porch, a little lamb in the bathtub, stray kittens in the washroom or baby chicks under a heat lamp in the living room. Of course this was not all at once but it was a common occurrence.  That’s just what happened when you lived on a farm, right?  And being a farmers daughter I was there right alongside my dad nursing them back to health and finding a place for them in the world of our farm – A farmers daughter ~ nothing I loved more!

As I grew up I was proud to have the title of 4-H chapter president, National Junior Hereford Association director, College Ag Ambassador, and as time went on Marketing Manager of the company for which I worked, State president for California Women for Agriculture.  I strived to do my best in all that I did, making many friends along the way and leading as best I could trying to live up to the titles I was so very blessed and honored with.

As I started my journey in social media I again wanted to do my best, to share the story of my family farm, to engage in conversations with consumers, to build the bridge and assist in connecting the dots with those that might have questions about the industry I had come to love.  I wanted to be the best Agriculture Advocate I could possibly be! I wanted fellow social media friends to look to me for assistance, to be a resource for them. I wanted to be the first one to post an interesting story or comment when our livelihood was viewed in ill light.

And then one day I thought to myself ~ Why? This is not a competition.  Who am I?

I loved my  community of farmers and ranchers more than anything and wanted to know  what was the best way to represent them, I realized it was quite simple – by being ME , being who I am – a farmers daughter.  I wanted to continue to be a resource for fellow farmers and ranchers because I believe it is my moral obligation to share my story not only to represent my family farm but for those that might not feel comfortable expressing their thoughts.  I needed to listen to them, understand and share. I needed to reach out to consumers whenever I could, to engage in conversations, share my stories of farm life and why we do what we do because I have learned through my adventures in social media that people don’t buy into what you do but why you do it .  I am eager to celebrate not only what I do but what my fellow farmers and ranchers do too, encouraging others to do the same.

So what is my point?  Am I an agriculture AGvocate or not?  Do I need a title to describe the work I do for American Agriculture?  I used to think so but as of late I have come to the conclusion that I am just ok being a farmer’s daughter. For I learned about being the best representative for our industry that I could be through all of those baby calves and chickens and kitty cats-

I learned that:

1.                              life is not always fair – sometimes as much as I took care of an animal it died, life happens and so does  death

2.                              being a team player is important- I needed to work with dad to get the job done

3.                              key to success is people not information- everything is not in a book it is gained through experience

4.                              I have gained grace through the blessings God has given me

5.                              follow your heart and intuition in all that you do, especially when explaining to others what you do in farming

“I believe that each of us has an essence, a quality at the very core of our being that makes us who we are. It is what guides our thoughts, our feelings, our tastes; it sets us apart from everybody else. I believe that finding ways to express that essence is one of the greatest joys in life. What else is as satisfying as leaving your mark on something and making it your own. “

I wish these were my words but they are from Oprah Winfrey and I read them awhile back and have kept them close because I believe they help me in sharing my ag journey with others and I believe that they can help each and every one of you.  We all have a message, a story to tell.

So as we all struggle to find our place in telling our agriculture story I think it is important to just BE – be You – and don’t try so darn hard. For you have lived it and no one can take your stories and experiences away from you.

many happy returns ~ guest blog

Well today is a BIG day for The Couture Cowgirl ~ Why you ask?
Its our first ever guest blog!  I am really quite blessed by the circle of friends I have met via social media, many of whom I have yet to meet in person.  But sometimes you come across someone you just know will be your "real life" friend once you meet them.

 Aimee Whetstine is one of those special people.

I have followed Aimee and www.everydayepistle.com for almost a year now.  She peaked my interest because she was a young woman that was not entrenched in day to day agriculture like me but she stood up for farmers and ranchers like no other. When she did not know something about what we do she did her homework, she asked questions, she connected the dots, she created the conversation.

Thank you Aimee for being a tremendous advocate for American Agriculture, for having a faith that is contagious to all who read your blog, and for having that common sense approach so many of us are missing in our day to day life.    Enjoy our blog today as Aimee takes a try at a fashion  - "Many Happy Returns" caught my eye and thought it would fit perfectly in The Couture Cowgirl spot today.

I hope y'all enjoy Aimee as much as I do - follow her blog weekly at www.theeverydayepistle.com
I will guarantee it will bring a fresh perspective to your day.  Enjoy -

Until Next Time ~

Many Happy Returns - 

Returns. The ability to take things back. Don’t know how I would shop otherwise.

Sperry cute

The crazy town that is Macy’s during a shoe sale is no place to make a decision. It’s grab and go. Four pairs snagged at the pre-sale this past Saturday should be on their way to me from Kansas City as you read this.

Will I keep all four? Probably not. I don’t need them all. But I couldn’t decide in the store.

They all fit. All comfortable. All on sale. Allgorgeous. If I left them in Macy’s unspoken for, I risked losing them to another suitor.

Remember The Limited’s old return policy?No sale is ever final. Those were the days.

Now you have to watch and make sure you don’t overstay the time limit. Sixty days are standard for generous stores and online orders. Thirty at the trendsetters. And always, always, keep your receipts.

put me in, Coach

My method is three-pronged. Try on once I get home. Make a decision as soon as possible. Return upon deciding. Not a moment to lose. While there is still time for the credit to hit my charge card’s current billing cycle.

From the pages of their books and blogs, wardrobe consultants urge me to go in with a list. Shop the list. Buy only what’s on the list.

I had a list this past Saturday. Silver sandals,black sandals, other comfortable shoes.

Macy’s, however, did not get a copy of my list when they sent their buyers a-purchasing for spring 2012. Maybe it’s too early in the season for sandals. Maybe comfort is out this year.

Nothing was a perfect fit for my list. Nothing except for the four pairs that fell into the catch-all category other comfortable shoes.

Sam Edelman stripes done right

Buying and returning is not an efficient way to shop. Yet I think the wardrobe consultants would side against efficiency in this case.

They consistently tell me dressing stylishly and within your means takes an effort. It takes time. And it’s worth the investment.

As image consultant Brenda Kinsel writes in Brenda’s Bible: Escape Fashion Hell and Experience Heaven Every Time You Get Dressed, “You’re allowed to change your mind. It’s one of the redemptions you have in life… (p. 42)”

Redemption in shopping and returns.

Sold to the lady wearing the gorgeous shoes.

I have swept away your offenses like a cloud,
your sins like the morning mist.
Return to Me,
for I have redeemed you. Isaiah 44:22 NIV

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~