Greetings from Home

Schools out for the summer, the corn is being planted and I have been busy! Finally I have gotten a chance to join social media and start blogging. Since February, I have joined in the Great Lakes Regional Dairy Conference Planning committee meetings, hosted educational events and will be soon boarding a plane to Australia for a month long study abroad program.

March was the time for colleges to have spring break and for Michigan FFA to host State Convention. As a past state officer, I am always filled with a sense of pride when those blue corduroy jackets take over MSU’s campus. During convention, my fellow ANR Commers produced the Convention Connection, the daily newsletter of convention. On the first day, I was a featured writer promoting the MI Dairy Ambassador program. Did you know six of the past eight ambassadors were members of FFA? Hopefully this article, sent out to the 2,000 attendees, will encourage others to apply in the future and extend the outreach of the program in the future. In true spring break fashion, I enjoyed my break in the sun. I, along with 10 other MSU students, went on a mission trip to Guatemala as an alternative spring break. The best part of my trip…teaching MSU students about agriculture, the different dairy breeds we saw and climbing a volcano!

For the last 30 years MSU has hosted Small Animals Day at the pavilion on the third weekend in April, this year was no different. Over 5,000 came through to visit the MSU pavilion, horse and poultry farms and learn about agriculture from MSU’s student groups. I could be found right next to the “Milk a Cow” area with Earlene the Dairy Queen. My booth was a pit stop to milk a fake cow and learn about what cows eat. Thanks to the MSU dairy farm for providing me with corn, hay and silage, and UDIM for fact sheets and recipe books – Lansing families learned about dairy diets for cows and humans.

Murphy Farm Days was April 30 where 120 elementary students from the Saginaw area came to the farm for a day to learn more about agriculture. With the help of some MI Dairy Diplomats and a Saginaw Valley student, we had the students become farm kids for the day and help us with the morning chores of feeding calves. We set up a relay course with the process of feeding calves which included measuring out water, milk replacer and grain. The kids were great sports, even continuing to race in the rain. This experience showed me it is important to create interactive educational workshops highlighting life on the farm, care farmers have for their livestock and nutritional components we gain from dairy. Throughout this year, I am going to try and create resources targeted toward the general public and farmers which have simple take-away messages and can be used at events like the ones I have participated in.

To learn more about the Murphy Farm, visit: http://www.sisd.cc/education/dept/dept.php?sectionid=109.

What’s in store for this summer? I will be traveling abroad, even visiting some dairies, to Australia until the middle of June. I hope to keep those interested posted with my dairy involvements. Breakfast on the Farm will be on June 20^th in St. Johns, Mich., inviting 1,000 from the area to free breakfast on the farm and tours (http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200905100400/DEWITTBATH01/905100544). I will be part of a nutritional exhibit showcasing the benefits of dairy in your diet. I also hope to extend this blog to all who have served as ambassadors to Michigan’s dairy industry and have them add, creating a community blog.

Check back to read up on my adventures down under and wishing you a happy springtime!