Tampa Bay on the First Day

Well, all the preparation and excitement has all come down to this- the 2007 Commodity Classic in Tampa, Florida. I can’t explain how glad I am to be here, enjoying beautiful weather and a great atmosphere, while leaving all the winter weather behind. In fact, on my way to the airport extremely early this morning (before 5 a.m.), I heard on the radio snow could be headed Missouri’s way tomorrow. I know Iowa is supposed to get some more as well, and after the bad winter storm that hit recently, many Iowa residents are still trying to recover. Also on my way in, we ran into a hailstorm. So, needless to say, I was glad to finally touch down in Tampa Bay and see gorgeous weather with sunny skies.

As soon as I got to Tampa, I decided to head over to the Convention Center, which is where the majority of the events for this year’s Classic will be held. I actually have a perfect view of the Center from my hotel room, which is pictured above.
When I got to the media room, I met Bob Callanan, Communications Director for the American Soybean Association. He was very helpful with getting me registered, and while he was helping me get squared away, we were talking about his involvement with Commodity Classic and what kind of preparation goes into an event like this. With a total of 5,000 people expected, I can’t even imagine what goes on behind the scenes. So, I did an interview with Callanan to not only talk about the preparation involved, but to provide you background information on what the Commodity Classic is all about. He has been with ASA for 13 years and has been helping with Commodity Classic for 11 years.

This is a picture of a yacht I could see from my hotel room. I just added this in for your viewing pleasure. And that little circle on the back – yes, that is a hot tub. So, I may go try to find the proud owners of “Just Lucky II” and see what they do for a living, because whatever it is, I think it might be my calling.

A once in a lifetime experience...

Let me start of by telling you a little bit about myself. I am a junior at the University of Missouri-Columbia majoring in Agricultural Journalism. What led me to choose this major? Well, actually, a lot of things factored into the decision. Although I didn't grow up directly on a farm, agriculture has always been a strong presence in my life.

I have several family members that are farmers and ranchers in Missouri, which allowed me to get involved at a young age. My father is an agricultural education instructor at Santa Fe High School and he suggested I join FFA in high school. Looking back, I can honestly say that was one of the best decisions I ever made and one that truly was life-changing. I started participating in public speaking events, which allowed me to research current events in agriculture. By doing so, I gained a strong passion for Missouri's largest industry and a love for agriculture that is stayed with me throughout my life.

Because of my public speaking experience, I began working in broadcast during high school at the age of 16. I often say opportunities fall into my lap. But the only reason I have these opportunities to begin with is because of the experience I gained through FFA. Now, as a college student, I am a farm broadcast intern for Brownfield, the largest ag radio network in the country. I anchor news, write web stories and interview agricultural leaders. I am surrounded my agriculture everyday at work and couldn't enjoy what I do anymore. I expanded my knowledge of broadcasting to the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources where I produce a weekly podcast (photo, taken by MU AgJ sophomore Kyle Spradley, of an interview with Former Tigers Head Basketball Coach Norm Stewart during the Ag Day BBQ). I started the podcast last semester as a way for student to keep up on news from the college and agriculture. Now, it is a way for younger Agricultural Journalism students to learn first hand about broadcasting, and in particular, farm broadcasting.

My goal as an agricultural communicator is to tell agriculture’s story in everything I do. I am currently serving as the 2006 Missouri State Fair Queen, and Missouri’s Ambassador for Agriculture. This really puts the icing on the cake for my communications experience, because I am able to travel across the state communicating agriculture's story. My personal goal when fulfilling my duties as Missouri State Fair Queen is to allow everyone (both rural and urban residents) to truly understand the importance of agriculture in their everyday lives.

Well, that is enough about me; let's move on to what you should expect from me next week!

I am extremely excited about this post for two reasons: 1) It is my first blog post and I can officially call myself a "blogger" and 2) I know that I am preparing for an experience of a lifetime that will allow me to network and learn more about U.S. agriculture.

Before I go any further, I just want to give you my own definition of a blog/blogger is. I think of a blog as a way for “bloggers” to post personal insight about anything they desire, but in a conversational format. Blogs are meant to be informative, as is any type of news or media, but are usually presented in a more fun or enjoyable format. So, a “blogger” is able to use the internet to add personal opinion about the topics they want to make public.

Monsanto is giving me the opportunity to get first-hand experience and speak to leaders from across the country through the Future Ag Journalist Fellowship program. Right now, I feel a little overwhelmed getting everything together for the trip (and school doesn't ease that pressure any) to the 2007 Commodity Classic. But I look at it this way: I am going to get out of my trip what I put in. So, I am putting in a great deal of thought into planning for the Classic because I definitely don't want to miss anything.

Monsanto has been extremely helpful by sending me agendas, plans, etc. While looking everything over, I realized I will be extremely busy during the Classic. So, I decided to make a goal of what I want to accomplish while I am there.

Here is what I came up with: providing Monsanto and the general public with as much news possible, so they feel like they are actually there getting the same experience I am. So, what does this mean? I will communicate what is going on at the Commodity Classic to you through stories, blog posts, audio and pictures. I know by doing this you will be able to see and hear the highlights that I am without having to be there.

So, I hope you enjoy my posts and the total experience as much as I know I will. You can count on posts that are full of detail and personal comments that might even make you smile a time or two!