If you’ve checked out my blog or follow me on social media, you’ve probably figured out that I have a passion for agriculture. I’m a farm kid, but moved to a city nearly three hours from our farm after college. Living in a city and interacting with individuals on social media have taught me a lot about what can be improved with showing non-farm folks about agriculture.…
What Do Farmers Do In The Winter?
January 8, 2015Many assume that winter equals vacation time for farmers. I mean, we see them busy out in the fields in the spring and fall, so why wouldn’t they spend the off-season in their recliner?…
Thanksgiving
November 26, 2014The American Farm Bureau Federation announced recently that the cost of a Thanksgiving dinner for ten will cost just under $50.00, or about $5.00 per person. I’m thankful for the relatively inexpensive cost of food in America and that I get to spend Thanksgiving at home with my family. What are you thankful for?…
Wine Bottle DIY: Santas and Snowmen and Christmas Trees, Oh My!
November 24, 2014I’ve been really busy the last few weeks preparing for my church’s biennial holiday craft bazaar. Now that it’s over, I can finally share some of the crafts I’ve been working on and instructions on how to do it yourself! As you may know, I like wine. Fortunately, many of my friends do, too. They helped me collect nearly 60 wine bottles in a few short weeks to complete these adorable Santas, Christmas trees, and snowman decorations. Turns out that…
Four Food Buzzwords and What They Really Mean
November 11, 2014“All natural” “Locally grown” “But it’s organic” “I only eat grass-fed beef” We’ve all encountered these phrases, whether they came up during conversation or were printed across the produce bin at the grocery store. Do you really know what they mean?…
What it’s Really Like to be a Farm Kid
October 16, 2014I’ve talked before about growing up on a farm. It wasn’t the glamorous “up every day at the crack of dawn” or “I have to feed my livestock every single day regardless of bad weather or holidays” lifestyle some farm kids experience. I grew up on a corn and soybean farm, so my family was able to go on to occasional summer vacation and I got to sometimes sleep in on school holidays. Previous blog posts about being a farm kid…
I Got My Start in 4-H
October 9, 2014Pumpkin Pie in a Bag
October 8, 2014Remember the Cherry Pie in a Bag activity? Here’s another classroom favorite appropriate for fall. Students can apply math skills by measuring ingredients and learn about pumpkins and agriculture. Pair it with an activity to learn about pumpkin growing cycles, read a fun fall or Halloween book, or create unique Jack o’ Lanterns based on each students’ characteristics and personality (activities coming in future posts, so check back soon). This activity is appropriate for ages 3 to 12, depending on the accompanying…
Pumpkin Spice Cookies
September 18, 2014It’s September! You know what that means- the season of pumpkin spice everything (literally everything). I’m definitely a fan of pumpkin spice lattes and my pumpkin spice candle, but the pumpkin spice M&Ms and pumpkin spice Oreos take things a step too far. Here’s a recipe for an acceptable pumpkin spice-flavored snack: pumpkin spice cookies with cream cheese frosting.…
What Happened to Learning?
August 18, 2014I read a great article today. It’s part of the discussion the National Geographic magazine is hosting this year that explores food, specifically looking at the future of our food and where it comes from. You can read the article for yourself here. It’s a discussion between three food writers about why we need to bring back home economics (now known as family and consumer sciences). I’m 4 years out of high school and fresh out of college, and in the…