There are few things that get my adrenaline going like a good ol’ auction!  As a young 4-Her, I gave my parents a few gray hairs by raising my hand – again and again.  I remember my mom saying, “Do you know for sure that you have enough money in your checking account to cover that ewe?”

Fast forward about 30 years and I still love a good auction … especially one with Coach® purses and week-long vacations to tropical climates!  Today’s technology allows a person to participate in this auction in one of three ways: (1) in person; (2) by sending your bid with someone; or (3) online.  Plus, it all goes to a good cause because proceeds benefit the Iowa 4-H Foundation.  (Side Note:  My husband just loves it when I flash him a smile and say, “It’s going to a great cause, Honey.” LOL.)

The list of auction items is being updated continuously, so be sure to bid early and often.  Bidders will be contacted via e-mail when they’ve been outbid. Online bidding ends at 5 p.m. on Feb. 18. All of the auction items are listed at http://www.iowa4hfoundation.org/news/events/Gala/galauctionindex.htm.

The inaugural 4-H Gala was held last February in Des Moines, and it was a wonderful first-time event.  But honestly, I believe this year’s gala is going to be even better!

I hope you’ll join me in supporting the Iowa 4-H Foundation’s 2^nd annual gala and auction.  Tickets are still available if you’d like to attend in person.  For more information, visit http://www.iowa4hfoundation.org/gala/.

Those who know me, know how much I love to plan a party!  Since Bailey our Black Lab will turn one on February 8, it seems like a perfectly good reason to celebrate.

Honestly, I’m hoping that making a home-made canine cake will inspire my two kids to spend some “quality time” in the kitchen.  (At this point, I’ll use any reason to get them interested in food prep!)

I’ve been told that dog cake recipes are relatively simple, which makes them especially kid-friendly.  They usually don’t involve too many ingredients or complicated steps.  Batches are small, so baking times are minimal.  What’s most appealing to me is that it doesn’t matter what the finished product looks like – a dog will eat it any way.  Best of all, Bailey won’t care that I have yet to perfect my piping skills!

What’s your favorite way to spoil your pet on his or her birthday?  Do you have a favorite recipe you’d like to share with me for a dog cake?

Iowa farmers and those involved in the agriculture industry are invited to participate in a series of free, online training webinars sponsored by the National Corn Growers Association. The seminars are helping farmers learn how to best use social media to engage in conversations with consumers about modern agriculture practices, represent corn grower interests and counter misinformation being spread by some regarding agriculture practices.

“Consumers are turning to social media to learn about modern agriculture,” says Jay Lynch, an Iowa Corn Growers Association director and a farmer from Humboldt. “Not all of the information about agriculture that is being presented by the media or online to the public today is correct. However, by using the social media we in the Iowa agriculture industry can counter this misinformation by telling the real story behind how we raise the food that consumers eat.”

The next webinar will take place February 17 at 10:30 a.m., where leaders of the discussion will walk listeners through setting up social media profiles on various sites, and how to begin building a following – social media essentials to help the ag industry speak with consumers.

For a full list of social media trainings, visit http://www.ncga.com/socialmedia.

See Agovcates in Action

Troy and Stacy Hadrick are perhaps the strongest example of what farmers using social media can do to influence change. The Hadricks are ranchers from South Dakota who turned a media nightmare into a grassroots campaign to tell America’s agricultural story.

Troy and Stacy will share their story with farmers in Iowa in the month of February, when the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) and Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) Young Farmers Committee present “Advocates for Agriculture: Lead Out Loud.” The presentations will take place Monday, Feb. 7, at The Hotel at Kirkwood Center in Cedar Rapids, Tuesday, Feb. 8, at the FFA Enrichment Center DMACC Campus in Ankeny and on Wednesday, Feb. 9, at the Siebens Forum Buena Vista University in Storm Lake.

All sessions are free and will begin at 6:00 with a meal, followed by the program. Register a week in advance by contacting your county Farm Bureau office or by contacting ISA’s Katie Holtz at kholtz@iasoybeans.com or 515-669-7660.

Source: Iowa Soybean Association’s E-Gold Standard E-Newsletter Jan. 27 issue.

I continue to be amazed by the technology that is at our fingertips today – sharing video with family members by phone or video-conferencing meetings from miles apart. I’m amazed with the tools that have allowed agvocates in rural America to connect with consumers on a daily basis, using mobile Twitter while they care for their livestock or combine their crops.

And some of these tools, well, they’re also just plain fun! Yesterday I decided to test the capabilities of one such new technological device, the Vulkano, during a four-hour flight to an American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) board meeting. The Vulkano allows you to watch your home TV from anywhere in the world as long as you have Internet service.

The Vulkano device is hooked to your cable or satellite box, which then connects to the Internet through a wireless or wired hookup. The neat thing about it is that it gives you a remote control on your computer, so you can change the channels just as you would if you were sitting in front of the television.

So, on my flight, I simply opened my computer and tuned into our home television while I was 38,000 feet in the air and hundreds of miles away from home. Talk about impressive!

There was a downside, however. I couldn’t get the remote to work on my laptop. Since our kids had been watching Disney Channel’s “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody,” that was the only channel I could watch.  Although that particular show wouldn’t have been my first choice, the whole concept of watching my home TV still amazed me.

I’m amazed at what technology and gadgets the Vulkano allow us to do both in business and in our personal lives. Do you have a story of a cool new gadget you’ve tried out you would like to share?

It was 6 below when I left my office yesterday morning, so I decided to make a pit-stop at Casey’s for a cup of vanilla cappuccino – and a good reason to let my vehicle warm up for a few more minutes!  Two hours and 115 miles later, it was a balmy 0 degrees in Des Moines.

Visions of tropical destinations entered my mind each time I left one meeting in a heated office building only to drive across the metro in a cold vehicle to attend yet another meeting in a warm office building.  I returned home later that day, however, only to be reminded that I’m actually living in a Winter Wonderland.  It’s all in one’s attitude.

As I turned into my driveway, I saw “snow art” decorating our front yard.  My son was playing King of the Hill with his BFF Bailey, our 11-month-old Black Lab.  Then he asked me to peek at the “cool” snow fort he had built.

“Bear Grylls is right – It’s much warmer in a cave,” said my little Man v. Wild fan before proceeding to demonstrate how he fits perfectly into a hole he had dug with my garden spade.

Whether you’re 9 or 90, there are plenty of fun ways to warm up on a cold winter’s day.  Here’s what tops my list:

• Enjoying a hot cup of soup for dinner with my family (after all January is National Soup Month);
• Playing outdoors, tossing the ball with Bailey or sledding with my kids; and
• Reading by the fire, but this has to happen before my kids wake up or after they go to bed!

What’s your favorite way to warm up on a cold, winter’s day?

Starting last Friday, ag industry professionals from around the world gathered in Atlanta at the Georgia World Congress Center for the 2011 Ag Connect Expo. The expo provides a world-class international forum for agriculture industry professionals – bringing together the latest in equipment, technology and ideas.

This year, over 380 exhibitors will be present ranging from Trigger and Bullet, in celebration of Roy Roger’s 100^th birthday, to Cabela’s. (Oh, what I wouldn’t give to have my photo with Roy Rogers and Trigger!) In addition to the exhibits, this year the expo is featuring more educational and networking events. The education breakout sessions provide content covering ways to increase productivity, business management tips and sustainability practices.

Attendees also have the option to attend a free session in the Innovations Theater, sponsored by Successful Farming. One session I would have loved to hear was “Telling Agriculture’s Story: The Role of Media in Agriculture Advocacy” presented by Jeff Caldwell of Successful Farming and others.

For more information about the 2011 Ag Connect Expo, click here. To stay up to date with expo happenings, visit Jeff Caldwell’s Ag Connect blog, here. And if you’re at the show, let us know what’s going on by using the official Ag Connect hashtag on Twitter, #AgConnect, with all your tweets.