ESPYs for MN Agriculture: The Siehl Prize

Tonight is the ESPYs, the night when the biggest names and moments in sports for the past year are honored on a grand stage.

But back in May, the Minnesota agriculture version of the Siehl Prize was awarded. I see it as the lifetime achievement award for Minnesota agriculturalists, awarded in three categories; production agriculture, agribusiness, and knowledge.

Check out my article about the 2013 Siehl Prize laureates for the Minnesota Agri-Growth Council in their July newsletter: http://www.agrigrowth.org/Newsletters/July2013.pdf

If you'd like to learn even more, you can see past laureates and even watch the acceptance speeches from these larger-than-life individuals at the awards home page, hosted by my alma mater, the University of Minnesota's College of Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resource Sciences:
The 2013 Siehl Prize ceremony: http://www.cfans.umn.edu/siehlprize/ceremony.htm

It looked like the place to be, and I hope to attend in the future.

For some quick history, here's the origin of the Siehl Prize as provided by the website:

"Before his death in 1982, Eldon Siehl searched for a unique way to draw attention to professional, humanitarian, and academic accomplishments in agriculture — to loudly and proudly celebrate the men and women who feed the world.

Siehl believed a high-profile recognition program was sorely needed. Although surrounded by an abundance of food, Siehl saw Americans growing more and more distant from their agrarian roots. He envisioned the Siehl Prize as a constant reminder of our connection to the land. Thus was born the Siehl Prize for Excellence in Agriculture.

The Siehl Prize is a tribute that will forever acknowledge the personal and professional investments of agriculture’s foremost leaders. Thanks to the Siehl Prize, people who have dedicated their lives to meeting the world’s ever increasing food and fiber demands will, indeed, be recognized.

As Eldon Siehl intended, the presentation of each Prize is a salute to those special people who have turned their love for the land into a lifetime of exemplary work. By honoring excellence, the Siehl Prize enlightens public awareness and knowledge of agriculture, and encourages accomplished professionals to extend their leadership throughout the world. Virtually everyone walking the earth derives sustenance from those who contend for the Siehl Prize, whether it is food on a plate or food for thought. Eldon Siehl felt it was important that we all come to learn the names of those people — to put a face on agricultural achievements.

Every year the Siehl Prize for Excellence in Agriculture pays tribute to the irrepressible spirit of agriculture. It applauds those stewards of the land who each day promote conscientious study, enhance production, and advance methods of distributing food and knowledge."

Seed rivals shake hands

Here's my latest article in the Minnesota Agri-Growth Council newsletter about the ground-breaking Monsanto/DuPont agreement:
http://www.agrigrowth.org/Newsletters/May2013.pdf

Matt Cassel at Fuel Up to Play 60

At the link below is a piece I created for Hoard's Dairyman this week about the Fuel Up to Play 60 program in Minnesota. You can learn more about it there, but the really fun part was talking to WCCO's Mike Max (http://www.lifetothemax.tv/) and the Minnesota Vikings' new quarterback, Matt Cassel. Matt was a really down to earth guy and answered the same questions with a smile on his face from Mr. Max, a reporter from the Pioneer Press, and finally me.

It was obvious to see his fervor the nutrition and exercise program dairy farmers created in conjunction with the NFL and USDA. Welcome to Minnesota, Matt, and thanks again!

"Fuel Up" rewards youth:http://www.hoards.com/blog_FUTP60-Vikings-Cassel

Look Ma, I'm in the Congressional Record

I was updating my curriculum vitae (the résumé for academia) and realized that, in a past life, I testified in front of the Senate Committee on Agriculture (Or officially, the "SUBCOMMITTEE ON DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN MARKETING, INSPECTION, AND PLANT AND ANIMAL HEALTH and the SUBCOMMITTEE ON PRODUCTION, INCOME PROTECTION AND PRICE SUPPORT of the COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY").

I pulled up the record and it reminded me of my year-and-a-half at Holstein Association USA, and our time in Vermont and Massachusetts. I also remember that Secretary/Senator Johanns was on the committee. I had talked to him in person twice before (though I'm 100% sure he has no clue of that) and I dreamed of trying to tie in his education at a Minnesota school (St. Mary's in Winona) to break the ice through a joke. I would start my answer, "Well, like you I was educated at a fine Minnesota institution of higher learning..." But, he ignored me since all the Republican Senators ignored medisagreed with the policy I was pushing.

I was nervous as all heck, but reading the transcript made me think back to one of the craziest days ever. It was an honor, and I think I did an okay job representing dairy farmers. I would love to do it again, but only God knows the chances of that. If you want some dry reading on dairy policy, have a go at it:
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-111shrg62717/html/CHRG-111shrg62717.htm

New faces in Minnesota agriculture

Here's the March newsletter from the Minnesota Agri-Growth Council. I am happy to contribute to their publication, and learned quite a bit about some of the movers and shakers in Minnesota agriculture!

Click below to read the article and entire newsletter:
http://www.agrigrowth.org/Newsletters/March2013.pdf

Why is the Pope on TV?

As a non-Catholic (but Catholic church attender), I've always been puzzled by some of the practices of the religion. I blogged some of my first thoughts on the subject of Catholicism vs. Lutheranism in my first-ever blog post, "Too much Christmas," read it here: (click). One of the most puzzling to me, is that it allows its most important decision to be publicized on TV, and that the networks care to follow it so closely. It isn't that I don't think the church should allow it, but why not make some money off the ordeal (especially with recent financial problems looming in some areas) with exclusive rights or something. Like the Super Bowl. That got me to thinking...

Most of the time, the Catholic church seems very similar to Major League Baseball - old school, proud of its heritage, and, in the truest sense of the term, an "old boys club." Much like what was described in Moneyball (THE BOOK, the movie is good, but READ THE BOOK!) But, there's one event every so many years that people seem to get really excited about; papal elections. Unlike pretty much everything else the Catholic church does, this one gets big press. I'm not old enough to know whether this is a new phenomenon in our 24 hour news cycle or a relic that's been happening for decades, but consider this:

• 23 percent of the U.S. claims to be Catholic - that's 74 million people
• Only 24 percent of those (including priests, students at Catholic schools, etc) have attended mass. I'm not saying you have to go to mass to be a Catholic (though your priest might), I'm just saying not all 74 million people are attending a service every Sunday. That's nearly 18 million people.
• 150 million people watch NFL football games (that's over half of U.S. adults, a little less than half of the entire population)
• Only 16 million people make it to NFL games each year (it's dropping). In other words, about 10 percent attend mass if we pretend that none of those people are repeats, which many are.

I hope to illustrate that (and I literally would if I were any good at graphic design) - there are about as many Catholic SUPERFANS as there are NFL SUPERFANS (mass and game attendees, respectively). However, an NFL "mass" costs much more to get into, unless you're a "really good" Catholic.

I joked on Facebook several weeks ago that I was eligible for the papacy. The truth is, this isn't the case. But if it were, I would be game for a marketing overhaul of the church, to make it look more like the NFL than the MLB. For example the NFL gets extensive media coverage on its draft while the MLB does its draft over telephone. The NFL figured out how to make its championship game the biggest TV event of the year, while the MLB World Series is only important to the two cities involved. The NFL also announces trades in a dramatic fashion with big names, while the MLB's farm system often moves a big player in return for 10 little names.

Here are three quick suggestions for the Vatican:
The Draft          Announce the appointment of cardinals with the same fanfare as papacy - let them all sit in a room with about twice as many priests as there are cardinal positions so we have drama and possibly a cardinal bracket. You know, like the Pope bracket: http://www.popebracket.com/

The Mass          Allow ESPN (or maybe CEN (pronounced "SIN") - the Church Entertainment Network) to do a 30-second highlight of the changes form last week for those (the 77 percent) who didn't make it. And sell seats for $50.

Trades              Rather than moving priests around every once in a while as they do today, allow parishes to donate vast amounts of money to a great cause in a type of reverse political campaign and solicit their new priest.

So those are just 3 of my ideas. The black smoke came out of the Sistine Chapel for the first time - making me think of this blog. If the church and it's members feel that I'm fit to be Pope or VPM (Vice Pope of Marketing), let there be white smoke.

Recharging the batteries

Now that it is no longer my full-time job to write all-day every day, I feel inspired to write and write often. I'm doing this through contract work and freelance writing with my new company, SJO Communications. But, I hope to also have time to spiel some ramblings on politics, religion, agriculture and anything else that invades my mind. 

I'll also showcase my published writing when I think the general public may appreciate it. Here is a recent piece on immigration reform for the Minnesota Agri-Growth Council:
Immigration reform peeks from the shadows http://agrigrowth.org/Newsletters/Feb2013.pdf

And this was my response to the Dodge Super Bowl commercial:

“God made a farmer,” but did he make an advocate? http://www.hoards.com/blog_God-made-a-farmer

That's all for now! 

Stay tuned or go salivate over Alise's blog at a4kinit.blogspot.com.

-Lucas