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Normally, January is a month for resolutions. I've never really been one to set New Year's Resolutions, but I like forming goals - no matter what time of year it is. It shouldn't matter if it's January, July or December, it's always a good time for change or improvement.
Lately, I've been particularly inspired by farm stories I've written and events I've attended. It seems that promotion is on the minds of dairy farmers lately. In mid-January, I was able to go to a high school basketball game. Although I enjoy the sport, the Houston County dairy farmers who held a promotion there was my reason for attending. They handed out cheese and milk, invited people to meet their mascot, Myrtle the Cow; and had a fun musical-chair type of half-time game where the winner received a cooler full of dairy products.
Before the game, I didn't know if I wanted to attend. It was an hour away from home and on a Tuesday evening during print week - one of the busiest nights during the Dairy Star's two-week cycle. But after watching the dairy farmers having fun with their promotions and interacting with people of all ages, it was hard not to feel their infectious enthusiasm. I left that night more rejuvenated about promotion than I had been in the last few months. My drive home consisted of thinking how the promotions I am a part of each year - particularly the Miracle of Birth Center at the Olmsted County Fair - could be improved for the upcoming year. Despite working late that night, I appreciated how the Houston County dairy farmers inspired me.
Another story that inspired me is included in this issue's Dairy Star. The Daley family from Daley Farms of Lewiston sponsored the milk break for the fourth grade class at Lewiston-Altura Elementary School so the students wouldn't have to pay for it themselves. Milk consumption in the fourth grade greatly improved.
This also made me ponder thoughts about promotion. What about the other schools in the area? How many of them were in the same situation? What if more farms or agricultural organizations did this or even teamed together to sponsor a class? Maybe it could also be used as a learning tool and the class could tour the farm that provided their milk or meet the farmers for a day during a classroom visit. These two promotions have set my mind reeling.
I have also had recent non-farm inspirations lately. This year I was able to attend the Minnesota Newspaper Convention at the end of January. A few of the publication staff along with all the sales staff gathered. It's a good time to talk about how the paper is doing and catch up with everyone working in different areas. Additionally, there are also other papers at the convention to look at and attend seminars.
Although the convention is only a two-day event, it's amazing how inspired I felt afterward. We talked about making small changes in the paper, covering certain topics for upcoming issues and making improvements. A photography seminar helped us learn more about programs we can use to streamline our editing process along with tips and tricks for better photos.
It's good to take a step away from the day-to-day work schedule to evaluate the bigger picture. It's what I needed after what seemed to be a hectic year. I hope finding these recent inspirations will help me in my writing, in my interviews and in my promotion. In turn, I hope this leads to an even better paper for you to read.
If you ever have a promotion or do something different on your farm, let us know. We would love to do a story with you. And you never know - maybe your story could help others become inspired. They have for me.
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