6.5 billion people, now that is a lot of people! But, exactly what do all of them have in common? According to www.AgWeb.com, all of these people have AGRICULTURE in common.

This Thursday, September 29, 2011, Farm Journal Media will begin its first-ever “A Day in Agriculture” broadcast at www.AgWeb.com. This day long event will cover how one day in agriculture has an impact on billions of people all over the world and how agriculture touches the United States economy.

To participate in “A Day in Agriculture” with Farm Media Journal you can do the following:

• Send a video showing what you’re doing on the farm that day
• Submit several photos with captions of your farm
• Tweet live updates of what you are doing that day (#dayinag)
• Call in to the AgWeb editors and provide an audio update
• Post a status on Facebook as to how you are involved in agriculture
• Provide a blog-like submission of your life on the farm

For more information about “A Day in Agriculture” with Farm Media Journal or to view the broadcast on September 29, visit www.AgWeb.com.

One might wonder, how does the CropLife Ambassador Network have anything to do with education? The CropLife Ambassador Network (CAN) has everything to do with education. CAN takes professionals into 4th through 6th grade classrooms to help teach tomorrow’s decision makers about agriculture. They are speaking out for agriculture in a way that is influencing the future.

The ambassadors range from farmers to agriculturally based business men and women who volunteer their time to educate the general public about modern agriculture. CAN has presentations that address several National Education Standards. These are what help teachers to incorporate the ambassador visits and presentations into their teaching plans. As National Education Standards are updated over time, the CAN program makes sure to update and change the presentations to meet the standards.

The CropLife Ambassador Network has a growing list of school requests and as the requests increase, our demand and need for ambassadors increases. Are you interested in speaking out for agriculture and influencing the future? Become a CAN volunteer today!

For more information about the CropLife Ambassador Network, please visit http://ambassador.maca.org/

Candy corn is most commonly found in stores during the fall as a type of Halloween candy. But, does it have anything to do with corn? Indeed it does, one of the primary ingredients just happens to be corn syrup!

The list of corn products is way too long to list but at your next meal, take a look at the ingredient lists. Some form of corn is more than likely one of the main ingredients in nearly everything you eat. Different forms of corn are all around us. 

 In candy corn sales alone, the National Confections Association has estimated that 20 million pounds of Candy Corn are sold each year. That’s a lot of Candy Corn! What candy will you be eating before, during and after Halloween this year? What crop will be one of its ingredients?

My name is Keri Bickel and I am from Southwest, Ohio. I am currently a Senior at The Ohio State University majoring in Agricultural Communication with a minor in Crop Science and plan to graduate in March 2012. 

While growing up on a Registered Holstein dairy farm, I became an active 4-H and FFA member on the county, district, state and national levels. Holstein dairy cattle were only one of my many projects throughout my 4-H career. I found myself with livestock projects of all species, sheep, goats, pigs, beef and dairy and even non-livestock projects consisting of crops and hay. Once my 4-h youth days ended, I didn’t stop then. I became a 4-H Advisor and mentor for our youth. 

I had decided my college major because I wanted to help spread the word about agriculture outside of the agricultural industry. After discovering and looking into the CropLife Ambassador Network Social Media Internship, I decided this was something I wanted to pursue. I can’t think of a better program that is partnering with teachers and schools to help educate and spread the word about agriculture to school aged children other than the CropLife Ambassador Network. During the next several months, I look forward to sharing more about the CropLife Ambassador Network program with you!

Social Media Internship Applications are now being accepted  for the CropLife Ambassador Network.

To apply, review information on this page and send current resume by August 19, 2011 to:

Goal: To create an awareness of MACA’s outreach education program among the agricultural industry in addition to the elementary education industry.

Tactic: Utilize college students studying agriculture, ag education or ag communications to increase the CropLife Ambassador Network’s presence in social media outlets. Selected students would be encouraged to pursue Facebook, Twitter and blogging opportunities to build a fan base and increase interest in the education program of the CropLife Ambassador Network. In addition, create positive dialogue in the social media arena that aligns with the mission of the Mid America CropLife Association and the CropLife Ambassador Network.

Timeframe: Resumes are due by August 19, 2011. Interviews will be held via phone August 23 & 25. Selected intern will be notified by August 31. Intern will start on September 6, 2011. Receipt of final report by December 16, 2011 will conclude the internship.

 Requirements: Students will be expected to develop a unique and interesting concept for a Facebook fan page, Twitter feed or blog and both develop a fan base and post interesting content. Content should be updated daily (for Facebook and Twitter) and at least 3 times a week for blogs.  CAN program coordinator will send periodic writing prompts to facilitate the generation of content. Additional content will be the responsibility of the student based on web searches, information gained in college, or personal experiences. Students will also be required to maintain data on the growth of their readership, fan interactions and other feedback.

Compensation: Intern will be paid $1000 for the social media work on behalf of the Mid America CropLife Association. This income will be provided in two installments, one after the completion of the midterm meeting (by Oct 28) and one upon receipt of the final report, and will be taxable income.

Professional Development: This opportunity should be considered an important professional development opportunity. Students can expect to exit the internship with a meaningful portfolio of work to present to present and future employers. In addition, as more and more companies and associations become active in social media outlets, this experience and the date and exploration of what works and doesn’t will be invaluable to future employers.

For more information: Please contact Janet Braun at janet@maca.org or 314-849-9446, 800-625-2767.

2011 Internship Guidelines

 Objectives:

The purpose of the CropLife Ambassador Network’s Social Media Intern program is to provide an opportunity for a college student to work as a part of the MACA staff during the fall of 2011 while gaining experience in communications.

Qualifications:

The MACA Intern:

• Must be a permanent resident and full time college student in one of the following states: Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
• Must exhibit strong communication and leadership skills
• Must exhibit a genuine interest in elementary agricultural education.
• Must submit a resume
• Must have a good working knowledge of Midwest agriculture.
• Must be a available for assignments no later than September 6 through December 16, 2011.

Intern Responsibilities

The CropLife Ambassador Network intern will work in the following areas:

• Efforts will be for the CropLife Ambassador Network outreach education program of MACA.
• Social Media-including but not limited to Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Blogging
• Speaking to groups in ag industry about outreach agricultural education.
• Speaking with elementary school teachers about incorporating CAN into classroom and about ag issues.

 Work Schedule

The intern will not have normal office hours and will work at his/her own convenience from home or school. Must be available from September 6 – December 16, 2011

 Supervision

• The intern will work directly with CAN program manager, Janet Braun.
• The intern will communicate with program manager on a bi-weekly basis about content.
• The intern will be required to submit a summary report of activities, accomplishments, contacts made, experiences, and recommended future direction, upon completion of the internship. Must be submitted to program manager no later than December 16, 2011.

Compensation

• The intern is encouraged to investigate and seek credit hours for the internship through his or her school, in addition to the scholarship awards.
• Compensation will be provided in two $500 payments;
• Upon successful completion of duties at Mid-term meeting (by October 28) and upon successful completion of duties and receipt of the final report (by December 16).

In the 1920′s and 30′s providing food for our families took 50% of a homemaker’s time. I’m assuming out of 24 hours, a homemaker’s time was about 12 – 14 hours. So food preparation took 6-7 hours.  Today, it takes between 38 to 70 minutes per day. 

I’m not quite sure how much time I spend on homemaking. In fact, I would probably be embarrassed if I took the time to calculate it. However, I do love to cook from scratch.  In fact right at this minute, I have a homemade blackberry pie in the oven. Most of my friends never even attempt a scratch crust. I won’t touch any other kind. Even so, except for Thanksgiving Day, I know I don’t spend 6-7 hours on food preparation.  But I probably do spend more time than today’s statistics indicate.

In the early days much of the decrease in time was due to the technology of running water and electricity. Since the 1950′s the technology of agriculture and food processing has played a large role. In the 1920′s, a homemaker would have grown her own blackberries, picked the blackberries, and preserved the excess for future use. Considering the first self service food store opened in 1916, just getting staples was also time consuming. Not including baking, my fresh blackberry pie took me about 1 hour to produce.  Sure, it’s fun to go pick fruit in season,  but for me it’s more for entertainment than out of necessity to feed my family. I don’t garden right now because of time constraints. Even if I did, again it would be more for entertainment. The amount of time required to preserve all the food for when it’s not bountiful would not allow me time for much else.  I thank farmers and the entire agribusiness industry for giving me the time to pursue my interests, take care my elderly father and enjoy a delicious homemade blackberry pie in under an hour!

The CropLife Ambassador Network assists those in the Midwest working in the agricultural industry to agvocate for our industry. To become an ambassador and share your passion for ag with our youth in elementary schools across the Midwest visit CAN’s website. Or if you know a teacher in the Midwest who would like us to engage her students in what we do, refer them to our website.

~Janet Braun, CropLife Ambassador Network Program Coordinator

As I wrap up my time as CropLife Ambassador Network’s social media intern, I wanted to reflect on what an ambassador truly is … and, what you can do to be an ambassador to someone else.

An ambassador is willing to step out onto a ledge to promote what is important to them.  We should be willing to step out and promote agriculture full-heartedly.  After all, it’s our livelihood!

If you are looking for a way to become an ambassador for the industry that feeds the world, consider participating in classroom presentations.  Donate a few hours a year and visit midwestern schools.  For more info, check out this page.

Also, you don’t even have to go in person to make a difference!  Enter our video contest (entries this period due July 30), win up to $500, and see that video used to educate students in and out of the classroom.

If you are a teacher, pass on the heritage, beauty, and importance of agriculture.  Invite a CropLife Ambassador into your classroom, use our WebQuest, color ag pages, or discover agriculture through lessons designed just for an elementary classroom.  Start a learning journey for you and your students here.

Blogging for the CropLife Ambassador Network has been a eye-opening experience.  In the search to find topics, I learned new facts about various industries and saw inspiring stories of classroom visits!  There will be a new Social Media Intern this fall who will carry on providing information for people who are willing to become ambassadors for ag.

Don’t forget, only We CAN connect youth with agriculture!

~Lisa Schluttenhofer

cheese curds

I’m in Wisconsin right now!  Wisconsin is the dairy state, so I fully expect to visit some dairy farms to get fresh Wisconsin cheese curds!  

This state has some great examples of agritourism, or farms and ranches that allow the public to see the industry.  Farmers have a great opportunity to show what agriculture truly is; modern agriculture relies on technology, science, economics, and of course, hard work!

Agritourists can learn about modern day dairy farming and processing (it’s not really milking by hand anymore!), taste wine, honey, and other specialty products, pick their own berries, or even walk through a corn maze.  Every industry can teach the public about agriculture.

Americans can learn to connect agriculture and their food by seeing how food is processed- step by step from cow to ice cream cone, looking at how fruit is processed for juices, and how corn is turned into ethanol!

In Wisconsin, there is a cranberry festival that allows the public to tour cranberry bogs and taste unusual products!

This family lived on a typical row crop farm, but decided to diversify and start an agritourism business!

Tourism and marketing boards are starting to promote ag businesses!

Is there an agritourism operation or activity near you?

You CAN:  connect youth with agriculture!