Tallahassee: The Next Frontier

WOW! What a splendid weekend I've had!

Hopefully everyone had a marvelous holiday break! As of December 15th, 2012,  I can officially say that I'm a college graduate. I'm the first in my family to graduate, so it's been a really exciting time for me! I earned my bachelors degree in Mass Communications, but my focus is Public Relations. (If you've read my blog before, I'm sure you just rolled your eyes and said, "Duh!"). :)

What's next, you ask? I'll tell you!

This past weekend, I moved up to Tallahassee to start my internship at a law firm just a few blocks away from the capitol. I'm very excited, and today is my first day on the job! I'll be up here assisting one of our agriculture lobbyists that the Florida Cattlemen rely on. I'll be here through May, and I'm already LOVING the town. I'm keeping a private journal of all of my goings on, so I'll be able to look back years from now.

After a long 5 hour drive (made even longer when I got pulled over for exceeding the speed limit - ask my mom, we weren't speeding, it was a case of mistaken identity!!), we found ourselves in Tallahassee. Mr. Winn and Mr. Sam, my two bosses, helped get us accustomed to the area and mom and dad helped me get settled in to my cabin in the woods.

Everyone has been extremely pleasant, and I'm so ready to jump in full throttle. I'm currently learning to navigate the websites of the Florida House of Representatives and Senate, and soon we will be in session! (March 5th through May 3rd). The first few weeks will be relaxed but I will have to learn the layout of everything so that I'm prepared to be the best intern I can be when session starts. I have been learning a lot, and it's only my first day! I'm not sure how much I'll be able to share, because there is so much involving legislature and politics, but I'll be posting as much as I can. I look forward to seeing all of my fellow Cattlemen and Cattlewomen at the FCA Quarterly in March, it's a great time full of education, great people, and memories! The legislative quarterly was were my passion was fueled, and it was the first time that I really thought I could make a difference. I encourage you all to get out there, learn about your passions, and then see where they'll take you! My passion took me to the state capitol, imagine what great things you can accomplish if you let your dreams run away with you!

I'm still wondering why it's taking so long for me to get a spot in the senate or the house... I've been here for a whole day! :) If you can, say a little prayer for me. I'm a small town girl, a long way from home in a very intimidating place! Thanks for your support, it's what keeps me going!

God Bless,

The Beef Queen

Clearwater Uncorked Food & Wine Festival

As a BEEF industry representative and advocate, I love being able to go to events that not only give us a chance to reach out to consumers, but also to have a blast!

I was invited by Ashley Hughes, the director of promotions and marketing for the Florida Beef Council to attend the Clearwater Uncorked food and wine festival. The cattlemen who joined us cooked up some amazing flat-iron steak, and it was a crowd favorite. We had so many people tell us how tender and delicious it was, and everyone was given a recipe card so they could make it at home! Everyone said they wanted to make it, so I hope that there will be a huge amount of beef served this holiday season!

The recipe, along with many others, can be found online at Floridabeefcouncil.org, and I suggest you check it out!

Not only did I get to hang out with Ashley and some of our awesome cattlemen, I also got to spend some time with the new FCA Sweetheart, Kaitlyn Gill and her mom! I love fellow cattlewomen, because there is never a dull moment!

I wanted to blog about this event, and I wanted to share a story that cracked me up. I was handing out the recipe cards, and people were taking extra cards to share with their friends. One woman in particular came up to sample the steak and I said, "Here's a recipe card." She replied with a disapproving look and said, "My husbands a chef. I think he can figure this out." I told her to enjoy her day, and watched her walk away, eat the sample, and turn around, walk back to the booth, grab a recipe card, and say, "I think I will take this home to my husband. He needs this recipe."

I laughed for ten minutes after that happened, because it just goes to show how people can walk up with one idea, and leave with another. We were able to talk to so many people about Florida's BEEF industry, and it was such an informal setting that people are willing to stop and talk, and share stories.

These are positive lines of communication that need to be opened between producers and consumers. I love my life, and I love the people in it. A special shout-out to my parents, without whom I wouldn't be able to travel back and forth to these events. They are keeping my dreams alive, and I love them for it.

Here are some pictures of the event. Enjoy! Thanks for reading, Have a great holiday!!

The Beef Queen

Myself, Carl M, and Kaitlyn Gill outside of the event trying to avoid helping clean up. :)

There were some interesting characters at the event!

Fellow state Sweethearts - Kaitlyn Gill, FCA Sweetheart 2011 - 2012, Me, Sweetheart 2010 - 2011

Had a blast!!! Hopefully there will be a second annual Uncorked festival!