An Ag-Tastic Day

I'm a little late on this post, but it's one I have to share with you all.

Blame the five-course load and excessive student club involvement for my shoddy blogging abilities. I certainly do. But time management is a skill I'm working to develop, especially after completing my last two papers in the wee hours of the morning.

Last Saturday was jam-packed with agvocacy. It was one of those days that gives you the boost you need to keep working towards your goals. The kind of day where you're doing what you love, so getting through those impending midterms becomes more of a stepping stone than a roadblock. I'm so poetic today.

My morning started at the crack of 8am in the Butterdome (large, awkwardly yellow building on the University of Alberta campus) to set up for the U of A Open House. I attended the Open House exactly two years before as a wide-eyed high school student, terrified by all the huge buildings and studious-looking people. It was exciting to be on the other side of the booth, helping students decide what they wanted to take and educating them about their options at U of A.

Since I was an Agriculture student for my first year and am now in Ag Business,
I spent the morning hovering between these two booths

I left Open House in the early afternoon to drive about 100km south of the city to a little place called Genessee Community Hall to give a presentation on social media in the beef industry. I was presenting to a group of beef 4-H members and their parents at a regional learning day.

Presenting on different social media platforms

The presentation was on the basics of social media: what it is, how to use it, and how to be safe with it. I couldn't think of a better way to demonstrate the effectiveness of social media than to reach out to my Twitter followers for advice. Below they answered my tweet asking them why they think social media is important for agriculture.

I got the chance to tell the group about the fabulous places social media has taken me (ahem, Nashville) and the great people I have met through it (see just a few of them above). And you can trust that I said great things about all of you.

I'm thankful that all of you are part of my social media story. And I'm thankful to be so passionate about communicating agriculture, and sure that it is where my future is going.

Did someone say GIVEAWAY?!

That's right. Absolutely Agriculture is having it's very first giveaway!

Hardworking farm and ranch women deserve a little pampering now and again. If you share my love of both beauty products and free stuff, you've come to the right place.

My sister Jocelyn is an Arbonne Independent Consultant.

She sells Arbonne goodies, hosts parties, and likes to give things away!

Ta Daaaahh

The Arbonne Goodies Giveaway

We're giving away everything you see in this picture!

Items in cosmetic bag:

• Aromassentials Awaken Seas Salt Scrub
• Intelligence Exfoliating Masque with Thermal Fusion
• Makeup Primer
• Lip Saver Sunscreen with SPF 30
• Ultra-Hydrating Hand Crème
• Cooling Foot Cream
• Ginger Citrus Body Butter
• Cosmetic Bag included!

Go to arbonne.ca to learn more about the products

Here's how you enter:

1. Follow this blog (Click "Follow" right up there ^)

2. Leave me a comment telling me why you would love some Arbonne in your life!

Leave me your Twitter name in the comment.

3. Tweet about it to spread the word! Follow me @rotempleton.
More tweets = more entries

4. Include the link in your tweets.

I will draw names to pick the winner.

*Must be in Canada or US. I will mail it when the contest is over!

Contest closes July 7th! Good luck!

If you want more Arbonne info, or would like to buy some goods, email Jocelyn at jocelyn.templeton@live.ca

Agvocating in Canada, and Beyond

5 days. 4 airplanes. 2 countries. 2 presentations. 


Here we go! It's finally here, DC week. But I have a few things to get to before I'm US-bound. 


I accidentally got to the airport a couple hours early today. I did this by accidentally driving fast to get here. Oh well! I'm actually quite enjoying the chance to take a breather and catch up on some things. I'm currently on #agchat on Twitter, a weekly conversation between people from all over North America about agricultural topics. This week's topic is right up my alley- ag blogs- so I'm trying to keep up.

On top of that I'm preparing myself for what's sure to be an outstanding week filled with opportunities, networking, and challenges.

Here's the low-down on my itinerary for Canadian part of my trip:

Tuesday
Board my flight from Calgary, Alberta, to Edmonton, Alberta. It's a whole 40 minutes in the air.
Arrive in Edmonton, check in to hotel, and prepare for tomorrow with my presenting partner, Fawn.

Wednesday
Wake up bright and early for the ALMA Future Fare! Fawn and I are set to speak at 11 am on behalf of the Cattlemen's Young Leaders program. I'm speaking as a CYL Graduate, and Fawn as the CYL Program Coordinator.

We're presenting to ALMA (Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency) officials and supporters to feature the great things our program has accomplished with the help of their funding. ALMA supports tons of cattle-related projects and programs, many of which are dedicated to advancing our industry and focus on youth. I'll be talking about my experience as a candidate with my mentor as well as my trip to Denver for the Five Nations Beef Alliance Young Rancher's Program.

So that's lag 1 of my trip, friends! Lag 2 begins by rushing off from the Future Fare to catch a 2:30pm flight to Washington DC. Hopefully that evening I'll have time to check in and update you on day 2. Wish me luck!

Get the Facts.

Every day, consumers are bombarded with information about the food raised by farmers and ranchers, and unfortunately, it is often untrue or biased information. Do you want to know where to go for honest information about agriculture? Here are a few of my favorite places.

Youtube. How better to learn about what farmers and ranchers are doing than seeing it firsthand? Try these channels which highlight the truth about the ag industry and answers to your most common questions:
Beef Pasture to Plate offers a great variety of informative videos, on topics from the environment to cattle welfare.
My Beef Checkoff  is the channel representing the US Beef Checkoff, a National Cattlemen's Beef Association project. The videos showcase beef producers from all over the United States telling their stories.



Websites. There seems to be a website for everything, so here are a couple to check out next time you want to learn about farming, ranching, or beef products.
For great information on Canadian beef, including nutrition, recipes, and food safety, check out the Beef Information Centre site.
The "Consumers" section of the Alberta Beef Producers website also has some great statistics, recipes, and information on educational programs in your area.

Talk to a Farmer.  Check out a local fair or agricultural show or expo in your area and have a conversation with a farmer. Farmers and ranchers want you to know that they're raising the best product they can for you, and that they care about their animals. 

Facebook. Facebook is no longer just a tool for teenagers. It is being treated as a serious form of media by many groups and companies. A few worth checking out:
I Love Agriculture- mostly geared towards Canadian and specifically Albertan agricultural events, but a great reference for where to go to meet farmers and ranchers.
Canadian Beef- This page is great about updating with interesting information and recipes. It's managed by the Beef Information Centre.

Twitter. Although just a Twitter newbie myself, I'm quickly discovering how easy it is to network and gather information. All you have to do is type in keywords, like "beef" or "ag facts" and there are dozens of pages to follow. Follow me on twitter at rotempleton!