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

My Very Busy, Beef-Filled November!

Hopefully, your Thanksgiving break was as awesome as mine!

When Turkey day finally rolled around this year, I was so excited to have a break! My November was packed with the most amazing beef-related events, and I just had to share them with you all.

I love to fill as many weekends as I can with volunteering within my county's Cattlemen's Association or the state association. The weekend of November 16th - 18th, I was able to do both!

As the county Cattlemen's Sweetheart for 2 years in a row (I gave up that title in May this past year), I was able to attend the "Farm City Week" luncheon provided for the tour buses that led residents and visitors around our wonderful county. The tour takes the passengers to different farms and shows them firsthand what Manatee County's agriculture is all about. Last year I offered to help in any way that I could, and this year I was asked about being a tour guide!

I LOVED being a tour guide! I was able to share facts, Ag-related jokes and stories, and I met some awesome people in the process. I invited our current sweetheart to ride along on the bus. If something like this is offered in your area, I highly recommend getting involved. If it's not something offered, look into what it would take to start it. I would talk to some of the farmers in your area, and see if they would be interested in an event or something of that nature! People love to shop locally, and if they can connect a product with a name, face or even family, that would make a huge impact on their impression of our industry!

The next day I led a part of our annual prospect show's workshop for the exhibitors. It's another Farm City Week event, and it's one of my favorites. I used to show and attend the workshop, (it's mandatory, but still fun) and now I'm leading my own workshop! I spoke to the kids about the variety of careers in agriculture available, and it was an awesome time! We even got to cook some steak on a grill with some of the more advanced "show jocks" and spoke to them about grades of meat and how to check for quality. It was an awesome time, and I love hanging out with those kids. You won't find a better quality of youth then you will at your local fair.

The event on Sunday was a little more adult than the previous two. Last year, I was asked to attend the Clearwater Uncorked Food and Wine festival to help out the Florida Beef Council showcasing some of our delicious steak. Last year, the steak was marinated in Sam Adam's, this year, we used Everglades seasoning. DELICIOUS. I tried to leave the samples on the platters for everyone else, but every now and then, I'd do a "beef shot". I'm only human!!

These events always leave me wanting more... BEEF. The people involved are amazing, the kids are great, and I leave feeling satisfied and so happy. I know that if my career path leads me into this industry, I'll never truly work a day in my life! Happy Holidays, thanks for reading!

The Beef Queen

Being Yourself.... Online and In Person

I get asked to speak at a lot of events for young adults, and there are a few topics I love to touch on after my main topic has been discussed. 99.9% of the time, I am asked to educate audiences about Florida's Agriculture, and more specifically, Florida's Beef Industry. This upcoming Saturday, for our county's annual Farm City week prospect show, my speech will be about becoming an advocate. I always include information about our beef supply, but this will be awesome as I get to talk about my journey from my awkward teenage years to self-proclaimed "Beef Queen".

After my speeches are done, I like to include a little section about college, life in general, and your online presence. I wrote about the elevator speech exercise for my last blog. (For that stimulating story, click here.)

I hear it all the time in my major (public relations).....

"Be careful what you post online, employers will see that!"
"Don't post pictures of the parties you go too, that will get you kicked out of college!"
"Don't use profanity, or you'll go to jail!"

Some of the warnings can be a little intense, but the message rings true. I am friends with people on Facebook and twitter one minute, and the next minute I'm in their class talking about something agriculturally related. It's important to me that I stay professional and polite on my page, because people see that. I hate the thought of someone going to a classroom to speak and saying, "College is not about the parties, it's about homework and being an adult", and then a student "friending" them and seeing pictures that should NOT be posted for anyone to see. That's irresponsible and unacceptable. I'm not saying that people aren't allowed to post on their sites, it's yours to post. However, I DO think you should use discretion.

I like to stress the "Dad-friendly" rule. This got a LOT easier... when my dad joined facebook. It helps keep me in check. Often, I'll see these young girls saying things, and posting pictures, and I turn into that adult. "What are they thinking??"

Social media is great. It's improved lines of communication, it helps with keeping companies and even politicians accountable, if they so choose, and it's made a way for us to reach out and tell our stories. I believe firmly that every person has a story that is worth telling. I would just hate for that story to be one that reflects negatively on your character. I have said all of this to say the following... here are some simple rules for staying true to yourself, but being successful with your online presence.

- Keep social media as "Dad-friendly" as possible. How would you feel if your grandma knew all about your Saturday night?

- Post positive things that you are proud of. Earned a B in chemistry? That's awesome! Failed that test because your teacher "hates" you? Not necessary.

- PG Pictures. We all LOVE to see pictures of you and your boyfriend, but we don't need to feel like peeping toms. Keep them as PG as possible, please.

- Pretend that a future (or even current) employer WERE looking at your page. If you have a problem with your job or a co-worker, find a solution. Don't bad-mouth on the internet. That has gotten people fired before, I've seen it happen.

- Use your best judgement and be yourself. Don't try to put on a front by any means, but act as if your profile directly reflected your life.... because it does. How you portray yourself online is a direct reflection on how people actually see you, especially since most of the people you are "friends" with or "follow" aren't people who are lucky enough to spend time with you to know any better than what they see online.

Please feel free to share this information, and educate someone you know that has an issue with posting negative or harmful stuff online. It's a bigger deal than they think, and it will probably come back to hurt them in the long run. I'm not perfect, and neither is my online profile, but I'm proud of how I come across as a person in real life, and online.

Thanks for reading, have a blessed week!

The Beef Queen

Elevator Speeches - Don't take the stairs!

Most college students, especially those in any of the communications majors, have heard the term elevator speech. Most of us have heard it again. And again. And again......

If you haven't heard this term (regardless of your major or job) then it's something you should learn. Quickly. Elevator speeches have several names, but they are basically all formed around a simple principle. If you only have a small amount of time to speak to someone, and you need them to remember you, it's easy to get caught off guard and flustered.

Enter, the elevator. Speech. :)

Why do I need an elevator speech? I'm a bio-med major, or I already have a job!

Elevator speeches are great for a number of different occasions, each speech can be tailored to the event. This little blurb about you should include: Your name, something interesting about you that sets you apart (as it relates to the event/person), and something that you see as a goal or a challenge.

Examples: My name is Kelly Davis, I call myself "The Beef Queen" because I am an advocate of Florida's beef industry, and my dream job would be serving as Florida's first female Commissioner of Agriculture.

This is an example of an elevator speech for a job interview. There are different examples for different situations. You could have one ready for a job interview, meeting someone at work or at school that you admire, speed dating (even regular dating), etc.

These are great for people who find it hard to "brag" about themselves, which is one way that people describe talking about themselves. This little prepared speech comes in handy in a million different situations, especially when you hear the dreaded "Tell me about yourself".

I speak at a lot of 4-H clubs, FFA chapters, and other types of school and business meetings. This is always something I try to bring up, especially when there are younger people involved. It gives you an edge when you can answer something like this on the spot. Your confident, because you have something to say, and it will help people remember you.

At the last 4-H meeting I spoke at, I had each of the members write down some interesting things about themselves, and what they wanted to be when they get older. After I was done with my presentation, I had some of the students share some of their information as if they were just meeting me for the first time (which was effective, as many of them were!). This is a great way to encourage kids to get confident when speaking about something they love or are passionate about, whether it's drawing, sewing, speaking, cooking, showing cows, politics, or whatever it may be!

Hopefully you have a desire to go figure out your elevator speech, and I know you won't be caught off guard the next time you meet someone! Keep it simple, and keep it YOU. You're pretty great, and everyone deserves to know that!

Thanks for reading, have a great weekend!

The Beef Queen

Vegans: How Lifetime and LMN Help Me Cope

My best friend Emily and I are huge LMN and Lifetime channel fans. Like, seriously. We can solve (or commit) any crime, and household dispute, and pretty much predict the future. Rarely, we are stumped. Usually though, we are pros.

I love the shows that run on these networks. My boyfriend calls the channels the "men-bashing networks", or MBN for short. He's got a great imagination. I just tell him to watch his back. Joking, of course.

I am a senior in college, and probably the only senior still living on campus. It works out, because I only need my apartment for a few months before I graduate, and the campus housing is more flexible (but more expensive) than off campus housing. You win some, you lose some.

After finding my randomly-assigned roommates on the housing website, we started a facebook chat about microwaves, toasters, furniture, sunflowers, and roommate night. One roommate suggested steak and potatoes (she sounds awesome) and the other responded that she is a very picky vegan.

I chose to attend a non-agricultural school for several reasons, including location (45 minutes from my hometown and my beautiful 2 and a half year old niece), and the fact that I would have more exposure and more experience with people who think differently than myself. If you read my blog, you know that I like to see things from all sides, and I like to educate myself so that I'm not speaking without first researching.

Here's where Lifetime comes in. The show Wife Swap was on last night. The wives "swapped" are supposed to come from completely different lifestyles. The episode featured a family who had a small income, and hunted to supplement and keep their family healthy. They shopped at a meat market, and ate venison (deer) and even rabbit twice a day if possible. They wanted to be healthy, but couldn't go out and afford expensive meat. They understood the value of meat in their diets. The other family ate raw food and lived a vegan lifestyle. The wife was very passionate against hunting and believed that she could obtain an almost food-like substance from "sun-gazing". Needless to say, I was captivated.

While I realize these are the extremes in most cases, it did give an interesting perspective. Please stay tuned for experiences with a vegan roommate. I pride myself on never shoving what I believe in anyone's face, and I believe that we all deserve a choice in what we put into our bodies, or choose not to consume. (Even if it sounds completely crazy to not want a delicious burger or some awesome taco salad - see Taco salad post from last summer!)

I think this will be a great learning experience for both of us. As my good friend Ashley H says, there are three desired outcomes when dealing with animal-rights activists (or just mis-informed consumers in genereal): Win/Win (both parties feel great about the outcome/conversation, Compromise (both leave having learned a little something) or even just the old "agree to disagree".

Thanks for reading this, and thanks for all of your support...... and prayers. I'm sure I'll need them!

:)

God Bless,

The Beef Queen

Youth Field days: The Importance of Agriculture Education

There are many benefits to a great research facility. There are the obvious reasons: we learn from what we have done right, what we are doing wrong, and learn how we can be even better. The center in Ona, an extension of the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences Cattle Range Station, is an awesome example of how a research facility should be run.

One of the benefits that many may not know about is that not only does this facility test, grow, plant, harvest and experiment on behalf of farmers and ranchers; they also give tours and help educate the youth in Florida and around the country. We all know that kids soak information up like sponges, and they want to learn. If more facilities team up and offer educational (and maybe even fun) tours, there will be great benefits to follow.

This past Thursday I attended the youth fall field day with many of my friends and some awesome representatives of our industries in agriculture. I had the opportunity to lead a group of kids and their parents around the well-planned tour, and I had a blast! I learned more about the operation than I expected, and I think a lot of people will agree.

We, as advocates, can talk all day long about agriculture till we are blue in the face. We know the benefits and the process like it's the back of our hands. We get it. I never understood why other people didn't. Seeing those kids and their parents learn these great facts and usable information really hit home. It helps to show them and give them something tangible. Instead of "the corn is planted in rows" or "cows are ruminant animals", we need to show diagrams and pictures. Explain what you mean, and why it's important. Cows are ruminant. 1 stomach, 4 compartments. Rumen, reticulum, omasum, and the abomasum. Did the facility just have the kids recite that? No... There was a real stomach for an example!

I'm not telling you to carry around a calf reproductive or digestive system in your car, or to cut a hole in your heifer to show how they eat in case anyone comes to your farm; let's leave that to the experts. I am saying that there are visual aids readily available! Get in touch with the beef council, your local cattlemen/cattlewomen, industry representative, ag teacher, farmer. Someone is bound to have something cool for you to share! We have great resources, we just have to find them!

I would like to say thank you to the staff at Ona and everyone who participated in making this event a success! Hope to see you all there again next year! Stay involved, and make sure you reach out to someone with a cool fact or information that might surprise them! When we continue to educate, we will in turn be asked more questions, which forces us to better educate ourselves. It's really a win-win situation!

Example: cows are ruminant, which means their system is set up so that they can actually digest fiber. Humans are mono gastric, which means fiber cleans us out! ;)

God bless,

The Beef Queen

JFCA Youth Fall Field Day - Ona, 2012

It's been almost a year since the last field day, and I can't wait to go! I can't believe how much fun this last year has been. I definitely feel like I've grown since sweetheart... And I'm not talking about my height! :)

The Florida Cattleman's Annual convention, held in Marco Island, FL is in about 4 days! A year since I've given up my title,a year since what I thought was the end of my career. Now I realize it was just a crucial stepping stone! According to my business cards, and the fancy polo I'm wearing today, I have become an "industry advocate". This just means that I have decided to be a positive representation for the beef industry, and I could not be more excited!

Many people say that after sweetheart, you are a "has been". I say that you are only as good as you think you can be, so I simply refuse to be as has been. I believe that I owe this industry something, as it's given me so much!

That all being said, I'm looking forward to seeing all the kids and adults today getting educated about agriculture. It's what makes my heart skip a beat, but don't tell my boyfriend that! :)

Joining me today will be the current Manatee county Cattleman's sweetheart, my successor Maria. She will be representing the county in the annual contest this year at convention. I feel that she is prepared to represent us well, but as always I am excited for all the girls running. Whether they know it or not, this is a life-changing experience, if you want it to be. All I know is my life changed, and I thank God for the opportunities I've had.

I'll update about the field day later. Wish me luck, because this year I'm actually going to have a group to lead around. What a difference from last year, but as always, bring it on!

Thanks for reading this, and supporting all the youth and cattleman in this industry. Pray for those producing and representing, because Lord knows we need both sides. Pray the humidity and heat give those kids a break today as we are out in the heat enjoying this awesome event. Have an awesome rest of your week!

God bless,

The Beef Queen