February- Supply/Demand/Input costs

Although these three topics don't sound highly entertaining to the average 10 year old, I was surprised to find out how much my group of 4th grade agriculture enthusiasts actually knew about them!  It seems hard for me to keep up, for each class I go to with these kids I find that they have recently studied the topic we are discussing and they are so knowledgeable!

Today we started with a discussion on Supply and Demand.  Supply and Demand are so important to farmers because it is what drives the price of their commodities they sell each year.  We discussed the relationship between supply and demand and also the relationship of price to each of these.  When we were done with our discussion each student was given an arrow and we too a short quiz where they were asked questions like: What would happen to the demand for milk if it went on sale for $.25/ gal.  I'm pleased to say these kids are quite smart and did a great job!

Our next activity focused on input costs.  The class was split into 3 teams and were given 25 seeds in a cup.  they were given 10 situation cards which had scenarios such as: "Rainstorm hit your crop- remove 7 seeds from your cup" or "Storms in Georgia prevent crop from being harvested-grain price increase-put 15 seeds in your cup"  Students enjoyed learning about different obstacles farmers face each year and also about the importance of Ag lending.  They sometimes found it necessary to receive a "seed loan" from the seed bank. They were all very good at explaining what they needed their seeds for.

I have a blast each month watching these students enjoy learning about agriculture!  I'm so very proud of them and cannot wait until next month!

NDFB YF&R Leadership Conference

I know this post is late but I didn't want to miss putting it on my blog!

Last month I had the opportunity to participate in one of the most amazing leadership conferences I've been to in my life!  North Dakota Farm Bureau has put a lot of focus into supporting each generation and has allowed the Young Farmer and Rancher committee the opportunity to put on a conference each January that focuses on a variety of topics including leadership development, current agriculture issues, political policies and much much more!

This year we had a variety of amazing speakers that hit on many target areas that we as young people deal with each and every day!  Dr. Ron Hanson, a specialist in the transition of farms and ranches between generations spoke about the importance of communication in relationships and also gave a great talk on how each generational transition is different but it is important to find the right one for your family.

Katie Heger gave an amazing presentation about stress management.  It is a topic that often goes undiscussed in our industry but is something that is very common among producers and ag professionals.  She did a great job at talking about issues people face today and gave some really helpful resources for people to use when facing these issues.

Sandy Clark, NDFB's Lobbyist gave an update on what's going on in the Legislature and provided a lot of information about how we can communicate with our lawmakers.

There were question an answer sessions, expert panels and lots of discussion.

The weekend wasn't without fun, however!  We participated in farm Olympics! My team, Hawbaker's Haymakers, had a blast!  We enjoyed Ice Cream donated by the dairy association and also had the opportunity to participate in social media throughout the weekend!

Chris & Bria Brossart enjoying some ice cream treats!

Old Collegiate friends reuniting!

Even the board members got in on the tractor driving!
Tom Tarnavsky testing out his skills!

NDFB Field Staff Tom Bodine helping his little ones learn the art of tractor driving!

My team! Hawbaker's Haymakers!

Ron Hanson giving a great break out session!