I think the Miss America pageant has found a real gem with their 2009-crowned winner, Miss Katie Stam. As a past 4-H member, this Indiana farm girl gives credit to this youth program and her passions in community service. In fact, that is the topic of her platform: Passion for Service: Promoting Community Service and Involvement As a former farm girl and 4-H member, Stam believes in the power of agriculture and giving back, and after her crowning in January, she has been on the fast track to spreading the word.
Miss America had some awesome experiences in 4-H as a kid, spending every summer in the performing arts and creative dramatics program and visiting 4-H friends and family at the Jackson Co. Fair. Stam credits her 4-H experiences to her values in leadership, mentorship and community service. As an American starlet, Stam could use her crown and her platform to transform the way young people think about giving back to the communities and the power of 4-H.
Stam is currently being considered for Time Magazine’s annual 100 Most Influential People List. The annual list asks the public to rate each candidate on his or her influence on the world. Those recognized fall in one of five categories: Leaders & Revolutionaries, Builders & Titans, Artists & Entertainers, Scientists & Thinkers, and Heroes & Icons. Within each category, the 20 most influential people are selected, for a grand total of 100 each year. If you think Stam deserves your vote, visit TIME. Voting ends April 28
As a past 4-H member, I’m so proud of Katie Stam, the 2009 Miss America, for her strong background in 4-H, local communities and agriculture. Stam will undoubtedly make a huge impact during her year of service in representing America.
Earlier this week, Chuck summarized 
Over 85% is the approval percentage of lamb producers, feeders, seedstock producers, and first handlers of lamb and lamb products who voted in a 
I’ll bet some of you think texting is just for a contest. That there’s really no worthwhile application to distribute information to your customers this way. Wrong. Check out Aphid Alerts via mobile phone texts, sponsored by Bayer CropScience. My good friend Joel Jaeger, 
The next Farm Foundation event is less than a week away and will feature U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack as the keynote speaker.
As sustainability initiatives move from fringe to mainstream many companies are wondering how to “go green” beyond Earth Day celebrations and recycling paper and cans. 
going green actually means from a business standpoint. He noted that a sustainable business plan not only helps a business practice what they preach, per se, but is also created and executed in a way that helps companies save money. The agency’s CO2 Management Initiative helps a business focus on five key areas: water, energy, materials, waste, and transportation. Similar to how the Fieldpoint Calculator, designed by the 
Slip on your cowboy boots and slap on that cowboy hat. When May rolls around, there is only one place you’re going to want to be: the inaugural
You can find out what biotech is doing to help the Earth today by texting biotech to 77513. It’s an Earth Day think being produced by the Biotechnology Industry Organization. You can find out a lot more on their website.
I think I heard something about today being Earth Day. I can’t say that it really excites me. Maybe it’s because farmers tend the land every day and view care of their property as an integral part of their life. So why do we need a special day? Maybe it’s because this day has been used by so many people and organizations who are antagonistic to modern day agriculture and even to human existence. The Earth Day website says it, “marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970.”