Julianne Johnston, digital managing editor for Pro Farmer, didn’t realize how unique it was being a female in the ag commodity world was until she spoke at Farm JournaI’s Executive Women in Ag (EWA) conference five years ago.

“I realized I was in a male-dominated field, but I didn’t think it was a big deal until a young lady came up to me and said she was excited to finally meet me because she’s been following my career,” says Julianne. “That shocked me but also made me realize how important mentoring – even from a distance – truly is. The women who attend EWA are eager to learn and ask amazing questions. The excitement from that event is hard to explain, but it energizes me.”

Each year Julianne has been part of a female roundtable during EWA for a live taping of “U.S. Farm Report” that also includes Naomi Blohm of Stewart-Peterson and Angie Setzer of Citizens LLC. J views her fellow roundtable members as friends rather than competitors. They challenge and encourage once another because they’re all professionals and mothers.

In fact, surrounding herself with positive role models has been key to Julianne’s success.

“Early in my career I was focused on learning as much as I could from the established Pro Farmer editors. At the same time, I was newly married. Not long after that, we were starting a family,” says Julianne. “It’s a good thing I was raised by a hard-working farmer, because I look back and realize I didn’t know anything different than working hard and juggling everything I was blessed with.

I remember a moment when I had a baby in one arm, was on a press conference call with Senator Grassley, and was on deadline for on a story. I hadn’t yet had time to shower for the day when my doorbell rang. It was then I realized I had hit maximum capacity!”

Fortunately, Julianne was part of a corporate culture that allowed her to shift jobs after her second daughter was born. She worked fulltime from home for AgWeb.com when it launched in 2000.

“It was exciting to be the first and only editor for AgWeb.com when it launched. I was on my own very and it was make it or break it time,” says Julianne. “As the growing season began, I wrote a headline, ‘How are Your Crops?’ hoping to get a few emails that would generate story ideas. My inbox was quickly flooded with emails, and ‘Crop Comments’ was born!”

Based on her 25-year career in agriculture, Julianne offers this advice to young FarmHers:

1. “Don’t let fear keep you from following your dreams! On the other side of fear is freedom from fear. We all must face our fears at some point if we want to conquer them, so my advice is to be prepared. When I attended Iowa State, just 25% of the students in the College of Ag were female. Now it’s split evenly, as it should be, and young women should find that encouraging

2. Surround yourself with good people. Form your tribes early in your career. Having strong female role models has made all the difference in the world. It reassured me that a career, in whatever field I wanted, was possible. Make friends with people who will cheer you on, and choose your spouse wisely. I’m blessed with a supportive husband. He wants the best for me and I want the best for him. My sister-in-law Linda Haywood, who was one of the first female ag instructors in Iowa, made sure my speeches for FFA competitions were written and practiced. I remember having long conversations at my county fair with Annette Sweeney, who later became the first female Iowa House Ag Committee chair. Annette made me feel special because she saw something in me. And I’m forever grateful to Carol Balvanz, who’s now with the Iowa Soybean Association, because she gave me my first “real” ag communications job at the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association. I have stayed connected with these women through my career and am grateful for the time they have spent mentoring and encouraging me.

4H and FFA also taught me the importance of networking. I leaned to meet new people. That’s one area that I hear from young people they don’t look forward to, but it’s so important. I enjoy talking to young professionals about their education, career and goals. I enjoy networking with farmers, women in ag, people in the commodity world and ag communicators.”

Let’s talk passion! No not the kind in romance novels, although some of that is desirable. I want to talk about having passion in your life to give it meaning.

What are you passionate about? I could do a Top 10 list here again, but my passions are not what I want to focus on. Some of us have too many, and I will readily admit to my addiction. It’s difficult for me to say “no” when I’m asked to serve on a committee.

Last Sunday my church, which is a small country church, decided to call off our Sunday service due to weather. Minus 20 degrees would be too dangerous for some of our members. Instead, Janice and I watched a service broadcast by a former minister of ours. The topic of his sermon was “passions.”

I’ll admit that our slow Internet connection made it difficult for me to keep my attention focused on the church broadcast, so I found my mind wandering. (The reminds me… did you know that the average adult attention span is now eight seconds? We have a shorter attention span than the notoriously unfocused goldfish!)

As my mind wandered off the sermon to a related topic, I started thinking many people could use more passion in their life. Farmers are passionate about their soils, their animals and their crops. But we’re even more passionate about our communities! Active residents contribute to the strength of our schools, the wellbeing of our kids, and the prosperity of our towns.  

Volunteering – freely giving of our time and talents – in all shapes strengthens our communities, unites people, and provides us with valuable experiences. I’m very passionate about all the organizations that I volunteer with. It’s what makes our communities our hometowns. 

One thing I have noticed is that it’s getting very difficult to find volunteers. People are so busy with their jobs, kids’ activities and other responsibilities that they’re using it as an excuse to not get involved with their church, their school board, commodity organizations or local civic groups. No wonder chronic loneliness is a modern-day epidemic!

Scientific research shows us that we are hard-wired to give. “When we give to others, it makes us feel better. With the release of more endorphins, we become happier and our immunity even gets a boost,” writes Maria Shriver in a blog post entitled, “5 Important Reasons To Give Back This Holiday Season (& Always).”

To be a robust society, we need people with passion. Whether it’s putting together the local little league ball team or being on the local political county central committee, get involved! The more you give, the more you get back. People who lead from their heart are more joyful and motivated. If you’re involved with the local 4-H club or Girl Scout troop, you will enjoy it more if you put more effort into it. And your passion will make that group all the better!

Passions + Action = Purposeful Life

We need to get away from awarding every child with a participation ribbon and start teaching our kids the satisfaction that comes from putting passion into whatever our activity is. Find your passion, and go for the trophy!

Just north of Gann Valley in South Dakota, you’ll find yourself surrounded by rolling cattle pastures where the Sinkie Ranch began. Today it’s operated by 5th-generation rancher, Taylor Sinkie, and her dad, Matt. Taylor has proven to be a driven young professional with sights on continuing the family operation.

Taylor’s favorite memories while growing up have one common theme: working with her dad. In fact, it was her dad that planted the seed she should start her own business. When she was young, her father told her there is always an opportunity to start a business. When she turned fourteen, Matt explained she could apply for a loan to buy livestock, and after a couple years the loan could be renewed and could be used to add more livestock to the herd. She grew up on a cattle operation, which began her interest of branching out to start her own herd. After she received her loan at 14, purchased a few of the show heifers she had previous shown. At 16-years-old, she had the chance to the renew the loan and buy more livestock.

Taylor is one of many talents, from working business logistics to interacting with new people and photography. She wanted to find a way to combine all talents into a career. While growing up, Taylor always had a love for photography. Her dad bought a camera, camcorder and tripod to take pictures and videos for their 2012 online sales in January. Once her work was posted, she started receiving calls and texts from potential clients looking for help with their online sales. That is when her photography business took off!

Taylor takes pictures and videos any clients that need a photographer for their online sales. She has also tried her hand at taking some family photos, senior pictures of my sister, Taryn, and some baby pictures of my son, Kelon. She admits she likes livestock photography the most, but enjoys the variety of taking pictures of people because she can be more creative through poses and scenes.

On the foundation of her interests and personal determination, she developed a website and Facebook page where she advertises upcoming sales and Sinkie Ranch. She uses her love of photography as content to post for the sale and initialize conversation with prospective customers. In addition to Sinkie Show Steers, Taylor and Matt  have started a Latham® Hi‑Tech Seeds Dealership. She is planning to use her Latham® dealership as a way to continue expanding on the ranch. In both her club calf operation and seed dealership, Taylor admits the joy of the sale doesn’t come until she sees her customers succeed.

“I visit our customers to take their seed orders and help them select the best hybrid or variety for their farm,” says Taylor. “I also keep track of the bookkeeping and inform our customers when seed is ready for pickup or drop-off.”

Achieving a degree in Business Administration at Southeast Technical Institute is the next to-do on Taylor’s list. She graduated from Wessington Springs High School in May of 2014, and plans to start online classes in the Spring of 2017 and graduate in the Fall of 2018 or Spring of 2019. She knows this degree will help advance both her club calf and seed business. Taylor has achieved the task creating opportunities for what she loves at a young age, which can be a hefty task for many.

Showing calves with her family is a bond that has been growing since Taylor was little. “Going to a show with my family is something we bond over whether we win or lose; we always have a good time,” Taylor says.

Taylor’s dream is to provide the same environment that she grew up in for her family someday. In 10 years, her goal is to own 50 head of cattle, 30 breeding ewes and farm. She has taken the reins of the future of her life in agriculture, undoubtedly serving as an inspiration to others. She shares advice for anyone looking to find and opportunity and make agriculture their lifestyle.

“You can’t give up if someone tells you you’re not good enough,” she says. “Anyone can accomplish anything, but they have to be willing to understand that failure leads to success.”

Growing up on her family’s dairy farm two miles east of Clarksville, Iowa, Pam Bolin saw her mom and dad work as a team. There weren’t “men’s jobs” nor “women’s work.” There were just jobs that needed to get done, so the family members divided and conquered.

Pam saw the same division of labor when she visited the neighbor’s dairy farm. And when she married “the boy next door,” Pam’s three sons grew up seeing their parents work as a team. Their sons also took turns doing laundry, making meals and doing the dishes because their mom enjoyed working outside as much as she did inside.

“I think we all need to look at our passions and pursue them,” says Pam. “I don’t play the gender card. I never wanted to get a position simply because I was a woman. I wanted to be voted into office or selected to represent the industry because I was qualified for the job.”

Early in their marriage, Pam and Dave became involved in Swiss Valley Farms’ Young Cooperators (YC) program. They served on the YC board and were just one of two couples selected to represent Swiss Valley at the 1982 National Milk Producers Federation’s Annual Meeting where they had an opportunity to meet other young dairy farmers from across the United States. This conference really opened the door for them to become more involved in the industry they both love.

“Dave was asked to run for district director for the Swiss Valley Cooperative. Because he was already serving as a county Farm Bureau officer and had a seat on the National Guernsey board, Dave suggested that I put my name on the ballot. While Dave was fully supportive of my involvement and believed in my leadership abilities, the man who had asked Dave to run thought it was a great political move. He said, ‘There are two other gentlemen running, so Pam probably won’t win any way. This will be a great way to keep the Bolin name out there, so you can run again in a couple of years, Dave’.”

Pam ended up tying with one seasoned dairyman in that election, so the tie-breaker was giving an impromptu speech about why they wanted to hold the position. Twenty-nine years old at the time, Pam stood up and shared her belief in the dairy cooperative system and talked about her experience being involved with the YC program. She got elected and became the first female to serve on the Swiss Valley Farms Co-op Board of Directors.

“To be involved off the farm, you have to have support from your family. Dave has been so supportive,” she said. “It also helped that both Dave’s parents and my parents lived in the area and could help with the farm when we both traveled. I couldn’t have served on the Swiss Valley without their help because our boys were 3, 6 and 8 when I got elected.”

During her 26 years on the Swiss Valley co-op board, Pam held several positions. She became board chair in 2007 and held that position until she “retired” in November 2015. However, retired doesn’t really describe Pam nor Dave. Although neither one milks, they both help with animal care. All the milking cows and calves are kept at New Day Dairy where their middle son lives with his family. Pam goes there to check on the calves two or three times per day as needed; Dave focuses on the 82 heifers at their place.

Pam also remains active in dairy industry promotions through Midwest Dairy. Each state has its own promotion group, and then six state representatives are chosen to serve nationally on Dairy Management Inc. These promotion groups partner with restaurants, as well as promote dairy menus through programs like Fuel Up 60 on a national level and Live Healthy Iowa on a state level.

“I’ve always worked full time on the dairy, and that’s something Dave and I discussed before we got married. We wanted to be partners in the operation,” says Pam. “Dairy farming is more than a livelihood. It’s really a heritage that we get to carry on. The Bolins have been farming here for 126 years. I feel blessed to share what I love doing with the next generation.

During prayers yesterday, my 6-year-old granddaughter listed things she was thankful for: ‘spending time at Grandma and Grandpa’s house, safe travels for Mommy and working with Daddy.’ Even though our other two sons aren’t involved with the dairy, Matt and James have said they appreciate having the dairy here so they can share it with their kids.”

Pam’s workload is a lighter these days now that Dan and Lynn are responsible for the day-to-day farm management, but she enjoys remaining involved with the dairy and staying active promoting the industry. She’s enjoys having more “grandma time” as she helps balance the workload when Dan and Lynn travel on behalf of the dairy industry.

Thanks to industry leaders like Pam, today’s FarmHers have role models who inspire them to live their dreams. Click on this link to virtually meet other women, who have been featured as part of our “Roots in Boots” series. If you know of someone you’d like us to feature, please comment below.

The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) unveiled the latest initiative in its “Better Seed, Better Life” communications program Tuesday in Chicago during the Opening General Session of its 2016 CSS & Seed Expo. This video gives viewers a look inside the life of a “Mom, Gardener, Plant Breeder” by making food production relatable and interesting to consumers.

Jessie Alt is a mother, home gardener and professional plant breeder. Beautiful imagery captures how much Jessie enjoys sharing her passion for growing a home garden with her two daughters. Then we see the passion Jessie has for producing new and improved varieties of nutritious crops in a sustainable manner.

The “Mom, Gardener, Plant Breeder” video is part of a larger, ongoing advocacy and social media campaign to share information with consumers about the importance of seed improvement and its connection to quality of life. It’s been so rewarding to chair the ASTA Communications Committee for the past two years and watch how our industry’s advocacy and outreach program has grown. At the 2014 CSS, we shared research findings used to create the communications plan that is now being implemented.

Just as seeds grow into plants that produce food, it’s our hope that the proverbial seeds planted by this video will plant new thoughts in the minds of consumers, leading to a greater understanding of agriculture and a new appreciation for the safe and wholesome food supply that Americans enjoy.

Providing a more sustainable food supply and increasing choices for American families at the grocery store all starts with a seed, and better seed means better life. I love how this new video uses human interest to connect with consumers about science. (Then again, I might be a little biased. See for yourself!)

Watch the video here and share it online with #JustGrowIt. Whether you want to “grow” your knowledge about plant breeding, or “grow” a better home garden, follow @Better_Seed for tips, tricks and other fun facts about seed.

Media images most often show super models as young, tall and thin females wearing the latest fashions. Farmers are most often portrayed as older men who are sporting overalls. At least that was the case… until an Iowa photographer was determined to show that tough and beautiful, female farmers defy stereotypes.

“Too often, the beauty of a woman, of an image, is judged by a face,” photographer Marji Guyler-Alaniz, who founded FarmHer, is quoted as saying in this Yahoo! Beauty post. “These are beautiful women, doing beautiful work and my goal is to bring an appreciation to what they do.”

I felt vindicated as I read that article. Here’s why…

As a 21-year-old new college grad entering the male-dominated world of agribusiness, I tried to mask the fact that I was young and female. I dressed in khaki pants and men’s button down shirts. I pulled my hair back and didn’t spend a great deal of time in front of the mirror unless I was headed to the Statehouse. When I was lobbying on behalf of agribusiness at the state level, I tried my hardest to look – and sound – smart. I donned glasses and a suit. I walked and talked with purpose. And I earned people’s respect.

Fast forward 10 years and I made a career move that took me from living and working in the Golden Circle around Des Moines to working on a Century Farm that was located 100 miles north of our state’s capitol. Once again, I entered a conference room filled with men. Once again, I did what I could to mask my femininity. I remember joking once that a girl can never own too many short-sleeve polo shirts with a seed company logo.

I worked hard to be taken seriously. I challenged the status quo. My out-of-the-box ideas were often met with skepticism, but I held firm to my convictions. I even started The Field Position blog in 2008, when most people had no idea what business purpose an “online journal” could possible serve.

While I was smiling on the outside, I was longing to “just be me.” That caused me to ponder the question, “Who am I?” (Yes, these are the deep thoughts I would have while driving hundreds of miles alone on the open road without books on tape and before Sirius satellite radio!)

Attending the first Executive Women in Ag (EWA) six years ago was a real epiphany for me as I realized I wasn’t an anomaly. I found myself sitting in a beautiful downtown Chicago motel filled with strong women who weren’t masking their femininity nor downplaying their intelligence. Words alone aren’t adequate to express how comforting it was to find myself in a room of women with whom I could relate.

I’ve come to see that, like Donnie and Marie Osmund, I’m a little bit country and a little bit rock ‘n roll. Some days I prefer to wear flannel shirts, blue jeans and cowboy boots. I also look forward to buying a new dress, wearing lipstick and attending a nice dinner. I can run a meeting. I can run a business. Or I can run my kids to a football game or to a horse show.

That’s why I’m so passionate about the FarmHer movement. I love that FarmHer celebrates women and encourages them to be who they are! I love that the FarmHer series on RFD-TV shows women as strong yet beautiful. And I love that women like April Hemmes, Cristen Clark and Steph Essick are role models for the young ladies who want to farm their own ground.

Women have been blazing trails for decades and today they’re being recognized for their contributions. Women’s roles have changed, and are truly changing the agriculture landscape. Today’s young women are growing up with female role models, and at Latham Seeds, we’re proud to help shine a light on these women on Mondays when we feature FarmHers. If you know of someone you’d like us to feature, please comment below or email me.

If you find yourself driving through western Iowa, keep an eye out for the Degner Family Farm just west of Lytton, Iowa. You’ll see a picturesque farmstead with a red barn, bin site and cattle lots, and you’ll most likely be greeted by the aroma of freshly baked cookies from the kitchen inside the white house. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of their dogs, Pepper, Jake and Duke!

Kayla Degner’s #rootsinboots traces back to a family that has focused on working hard from farm chores to school or other activities. While growing up, she and her brother got involved in 4-H and FFA. Those groups allowed Kayla to see career opportunities in the ag industry. That led her to ISU where she wrote an agriculture magazine column, which ultimately lead to her to major in agricultural education-communication option.

Agriculture holds many favorite moments for this recent ISU graduate. After careful consideration, she shared this most unforgettable memory:

I was small at this age, so my dad lead Kibbles [her 4-H steer] to weigh-in for the show ring, which was quite a walk from our trailer on a snowy, cold, wet March night. Not long after the walk started, my dad got drug through puddles and snow banks by Kibbles. Finally, Dad let go of the halter but he was covered in yuck from head to toe! We eventually caught her, and I showed her the next day with no problems.

Kayla vividly recalls falling asleep on the back window in the tractor with her dad during planting season. If they had a bottle calf or lamb, she named it immediately and gained a new best friend. Without preparation, she recited her bottle calves names and the reason for naming them: Ramona after the fictional book character; Rupert after her favorite “Survivor” character; Stinky from laying on an air freshener; and Oreo after the cookie.

Kayla learned many life lessons on the farm. Rule number one is obey your mom and dad. And when dad says, “come outside,” he means it!

Both of her parents, Dennis and Julie, positively impacted her career choice with their involvement in agriculture. Her dad taught her to never give up, and her mom taught her a good home cooked meal is the key during the busiest times on the farm.

Kayla recently accepted a full-time position in the ag industry as a communications specialist. She admits females in the ag industry often need determination and hard work to prove their worth. Kayla shares advice for any young person entering the agricultural industry: “Be ready for change because agriculture is an ever-changing industry.”

What does suicide prevention and a presentation by an anti-modern farming activist from India have in common? You might be surprised…

A “rock star of the GMO protest movement,” Vandana Shiva, delivered a speech Nov. 16 at Drake University in Des Moines. If you aren’t familiar with Shiva’s views, here’s the Genetic Literacy Project’s link to why she is saying such awful things about GMOs.

I was alerted to Shiva’s speech by my friend Cristen Slings Clark, who blogs at Food & Swine. Cristen asked if I could accompany her to this speech, but unfortunately, I was working in southern Illinois at the time. Fortunately, other Iowa farmers and advocates were in the crowd.

One Iowa farmer challenged activist Vandana Shiva after “myth-filled” anti-GMO lecture during the Q&A session. I read about it in an article posted by the Genetic Literacy Project. That farmer who wrote that piece was my friend Michelle Miller, who goes by “Farm Babe” on social media. Michelle did a terrific job writing the article! Naturally, The Des Moines Register also published an opinion piece about the event by my least favorite writer Rekha Basu. I encourage you to read both articles, as well as do more research on your own. While I don’t share Vandana’s view on modern farming, she talked about another problem in India that is near to my heart and that’s farmer suicide. She claims that the use of GMO seeds has caused thousands of India’s farmers to take their own lives! Extreme stress is felt by many farmers, but I believe GMO seeds ease the burden. It makes me mad that this lady from India is getting rich by giving speeches filled with lies!

I agree, however, that suicide is a serious issue worldwide. My family has personally been affected by suicide. If you read my blog regularly, you know that I believe mental healthcare is a real need especially in rural areas. That why last Saturday – when our five kids, 10 grandkids, one great granddaughter and many in-laws gathered to celebrate Thanksgiving – we also got semi-colon tattoos.

Why? One of our daughters suggested we get tattoos and join the growing movement of Project Semicolon that honors the memory of loved ones while raising awareness of mental illness and suicide.

A semicolon is used when an author could’ve ended the sentence but chose not to. “The author is you and the sentence is your life.” Not being a good writer nor a good English student many years ago, I wasn’t even aware of how a semicolon was meant to be used. But getting a tattoo of a semicolon to symbolize a life not finished made sense!

Nine family members, including me and my wife, had various semicolon designs tattooed on to them last Saturday. The reaction from our kids and grandkids to Grandma and Grandpa getting “tats” made for a very interesting day, but the closeness we felt afterwards and the meaning behind the tats made for a very meaningful Thanksgiving. There were tears shed for our lost family member, but I believe those were healing tears. Farmers are not the only people prone to suicide and mental health stress. Veterans come readily to mind as I’m very concerned about the condition of our returning soldiers. We have family members who have served, so I know military service changes people. Many Americans think of the soldier lost in battle, but returning soldiers often have more problems than the physical harm to their bodies. I’m thankful for all the men and women who have served and for those who continue to serve, so that we may enjoy our freedoms including free speech. I’m also thankful for the technology that allows farmers to feed more families, more efficiently, than ever before. (By the way, The American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual survey of food prices put the average cost of a modest Thanksgiving dinner down about 24 cents from 2015. It costs less than $5 per person to feast on this traditional holiday meal.)

In this season of Thanksgiving, let’s also keep in mind the semicolon and what it means for mental health.