Pinterest DIY Christmas

Another Christmas is in the books, which means another 15 pounds gained from a solid 2 week Christmas marathon of eating.  I must admit that this Christmas was another great success in Christmas gifting category.

My sisters and I did a pinterest Christmas 2 years ago and enjoyed it so much we decided to do it again this year.   We each pin things on a board in pinterest of things we would love to make.  We set a limit on amount to spend and then decide off of their board what to make each other.  I think this year went even better than the last!

Here is a lil preview of what I made and what I received:

What I made my sister Emma....

 Painted and decorated a cow skull

 I made this sign out of barn siding from my grandmas barn

What I made for my sister Jess.......

Took an old window frame and used chalkboard paint on plywood for a back

What I received..........

 Emma made me this galvanized end table.  It is amazing!  

Jess made me this incredible coffee table out of crates.

As you can tell we definitely got our craft on this Christmas.  It is such a fun idea instead of going out and buying things.  If you are interested in any of these you can find them on my pinterest page and the directions to make them yourself.

I hope you all had a great Christmas as well! What was your favorite thing that you received?

Enjoy!

Heaven Gained an Angel......This One's for You Grandma

As a child you don't really think about death.  I pretty much believed that all my relatives would live forever.  I mean at 8 years old, getting to be 90 is practically an eternity!  Even into my 20's it seemed that all my family will again remain in my life for as long as I'm here.  Is that because I have been spoiled and for the majority of my life thus far, and all of my family has been here......I guess you could say that.

Well all of that changed last night at 1am when I received a call from my mom saying grandma had passed away.  While she had been in hospice for the past week and in the back of my mind I knew it would happen at some point, I still didn't fully believe it would happen.  I mean it's your grandma....they live forever, right?

My granny was pretty legit.  I mean she was the All American Grandma.  The grandma that I aspire to be just like one day.  She was the best noodle maker this side of the Mississippi and could make one mean sugar cookie.  She had to have known she was a badass noodle maker as she made sure to give us girls a noodle machine as our wedding gift.  One must carry on the tradition, right?  She could also whip you up a quilt in no time flat and had no problem sharing her thoughts on any matter.  I mean at 93 years old I'm pretty sure you are allowed to say whatever you want.   You have put your time in.

A large part of my childhood was spent at my grandmas.  Since she lived only a mile and a half down the road it was the perfect meeting place for all of the cousins to congregate. Spending the night at grandmas was like Christmas because we stayed up all night and raided her stash of mt dew and oatmeal cream pies. (Which could probably contribute to my lack of ever being a size 2).  We spent many days building tree houses and forts or just exploring the old barns.  Memories to last a lifetime.

Saturday night I held the hand of my grandma while I kissed her forehead, told her I love you, and fully expected to see her again.  She squeezed my hand and returned the I love you.  Life is short folks.  It makes you appreciate the good times and makes you wish you had time for just a few more.

Rest In Peace Grandma.  While you get to reunite with grandpa you will be dearly and greatly missed.

December CFBP.......Baby It's Cold Outside

So while this may be the theme of this months blog party link up, I must admit that it has been pretty mild in these parts lately.  I even heard it may reach close to 50 degrees this coming week.  For December in Ohio that is pretty rare.  Last year I'm pretty sure we were under a ridiculous amount of snow.  If you can tell I'm not complaining in the slightest.  I will take 50 degrees in December any day!

As mentioned at the beginning.......our December blog party link up is "Baby it's Cold Outside".  That means share with us anything and everything that reminds you of winter and the holidays.  I can't wait to see what everyone has to share since i procrastinate every year when it comes to the holidays  and deciding what to buy/make for people and what dish to take to family gatherings.  So give me some inspiration friends!

Be sure to check out the other lovely hosts as well!

Tales of a Kansas Farm Mom

Country LINKed

High Heels and Shotgun Shells

The TIP Garden

Belong With Wildflowers

Uncharted Rhoade

An InLinkz Link-up

November is a time to Party!

I mean what month isn't a good time to party in all honesty? Can y'all believe it is November already?  This year is flying by!  I recently had my 1st annual 29th birthday this month!  Woo Hoo for never turning 30 right?!  As you can probably already tell, with a new month comes a new blog party theme!  This month we are all about the Giving (as you quickly start to sing "all about that bass")  I know you did. :)

One of the new additions to the party is we have some new and lovely co-hosts!  I will share with you a lil about them for your viewing pleasure!

Nicole shares about her life on a Kansas farm and ranch over at Tales of a Kansas Farm Mom. Her and her husband raise boys, cattle, wheat, corn, grass and soybeans on their family farm. Her days can be unpredictable, sometimes comical, sometimes heart wrenching, but always fulfilling to those who are lucky to be farmers.

Jan, the chick behind Tip Garden, grew up a Kansas farm girl. She now lives in the big city out in the South East. She works 2 jobs outside the home, in addition to her favorite "jobs" of wife and mother!  She knows what being a busy woman is, short on time, and always feeling 2 steps behind and she loves time & money saving ideas!

Caitlin, of Belongs With Wildflowers, a 20-something living on the East Coast of the United States. After a decade chasing college degrees and career ladders, I began blogging as a creative outlet to reconnect with myself. Blogging pushed me to look at what happiness meant to me (and it was found in the most surprising of places). 

I’m learning about agriculture, beekeeping, chickens, goats, herbalism, and organic farming to begin my farm and homestead in the next year. In the meantime, I spend my days chasing adventures with Michael (lovingly called ‘my guy’ and ‘my beau’),with an awfully adorable fur-little family in tow.

Jamie, of This Uncharted Rhoade, is a Midwestern girl. 25 years old. Married to her best friend. Passionate about agriculture. Has a fantastic job working with animals and amazing, smart people. Fixing up their one bedroom house into a home. Happiest when surrounded by open fields and cows. She's been known exaggerate a little bit and sometimes has potty mouth (sorry mom).

Laurie is a country gal from Missouri. She was born and raised a farm girl and feels very blessed to be back on the family farm with her husband and children. Laurie loves sharing about life on the farm and living in the country as well as her photography. Every day is different on the farm, so you never know what you might see when you visit COUNTRY LINKED.

Danielle was born an Urban Cajun, transformed into a Rural Okie and now blazing through life as a Kentucky Wife. She writes about my life, faith, my fur-child Oliver, over share about the handsome fella I married and mix it all in with some agriculture flavor on the (sometimes hysterical, but always honest) High Heels and Shotgun Shells.

So now that you know all about everyone, go find your favorite post about giving or anything Thanksgiving related and link it up for all the world to see!  

Enjoy!

An InLinkz Link-up

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Fall Beauty Swap

I've said it before and I'll say it again...this is the greatest thing on social media ever!!  If anyone of you know of a better activity than meeting someone new and sharing your favorite beauty items please let me know.  I doubt you can find one!  Crystal Cattle is a pure genius for coming up with this!

This time I was paired up with the lovely Melanie over at The Traveling Cowgirl.  I knew this girl was going to be pretty legit as when we contacted each other she was on her way to Round Top, TX to visit Junk Gypsy!  Any girl that likes the Junk Gypsy's is alright in my book!  She sent me some amazing new finds that I can't wait to share with y'all

Here are my absolute favorites!

I was told that NARS is very comparable to MAC but just cheaper.  I was skeptical because I am a MAC lover to the extreme.  I was pleasantly surprised!  I received this Matte Lip Pencil and I have worn it out multiple times and love it!

I also received this Sephora Lipstick in Deep Mauve.  I love this one too! I am loving these fall colors of mauve and burgundy!  You guys seriously need to try these two.  You won't be disappointed.

Now when you wear darker colored lipstick, many times the color will bleed up your face.  It isn't pretty.  Every time you glance in the mirror you notice the lipstick has moved all the way up to your nostrils.  Real life.  This product is a must have!!!  It is a clear lip liner that keeps your lipstick from bleeding.  Genius!

I also received the Buxom Mascara Bar as well as the Urban Decay Perversion Mascara.  These are both great products!  I have a couple buxom glosses that I love so was excited to try their mascara.  I have tried a couple different urban decay mascaras and this one didn't disappoint either.

I also received the Ole Henriksen Brightening Cleansing Cloth.  These are divine!  I love a great cleansing cloth that doesn't leave my face feeling greasy or gross.  These are great!  Last but not least I got mint lip balm.  Those are great!  My puppy actually got hold of my old one so this was perfect timing for a replacement!

Now go out and get these!  You won't be disappointed!

Enjoy

Fall Fashion Must Haves!!

Fall is pretty much my favorite time of year.  It cools down, which is the best part of the changing season.  My fat doesn't like to sweat.  You also get to start wearing jeans and not sweating your ass off, as well as long sleeves and hooded sweatshirts.  As you can imagine that while my fat doesn't like to sweat I hate showing off too much of my untoned skin.  The more clothing the merrier.......trust me.

I thought I would share with you some fall staples that I have that I cannot wait to show off this season!

To start off, if you guys aren't following Betsy's Boutique you need to start right now.   Seriously, go right now and start following them on facebook and then you can come back and finish this post.  It's that important!

I am lucky enough to live close enough to visit this store in person.  It is conveniently located by our seed warehouse so it is almost imperative that I stop when I'm in the area right?  The last time I was in the area I stopped in and picked up these great items!

 This awesome coat with leather sleeves on sale!!.  This coat is a classic staple.  I am loving the leather detail this season and can't wait to rock this coat on a night out!

The top is also from Betsy's Boutique.  I love the pattern on the sleeves and back of the shirt with a simple plain front.  Another of my favorite fall staples is colored jeans!  These are great to tuck into boots.  These burgundy jeans I recently got at American Eagle.

Speaking of boots........even if we weren't there is always a reason to speak of them!

I got these boots a while back and they are pretty much the most badass boots around!  They really will go with any season but I will for sure be rocking these all fall!!  They are the Old Gringo Charquira Eagle Boot

What are some of your fall favorites for the season?

Fall Party Favorites - CFBP

Harvest, cool temps, amazing sunsets, everything pumpkin......that is what fall is to me!  We have had some amazing entries for our blog party this month and I can't wait to share with you my favorites! Our theme this month is fall (naturally) so you can imagine that some of the posts contained my favorite things that were mentioned above.

Without further ado......My Favorites!

Field Meals-Illinois Farm Girl

I love this post because as harvest picks up finding easy meals to take to the field to not only my farmer but to customers that we are taking a plot off or side by side is so helpful!  I love quick, easy, and tasty!

Spicy Stuffed Acorn Squash- The Tip Garden

I love acorn squash and I love spicy, so you can imagine this was an easy pick for me!  I can't wait to give it a try this week.  I actually just picked up an acorn squash at the store yesterday so it was practically meant to be.

Why I Hunt- The Uncharted Rhoade

This post hits home for sure as i have been up in my deer stand for the past couple weeks since bow season has opened here.  We use the meat as a source of food and don't let anyone tell you different, deer is delicious!

Dirt Under My Finger Nails- Magic Numbers

Great post!!  I love how fall is explained in numbers and the long seasons.  My favorite quote from the post: "It takes optimism to begin, persistence to make it past the obstacles and through the inevitable mid season slump and grit to make the necessary adjustments and finish strong. "

Our Simple Life- Cheap Wood Picket Fence

I love anything DIY and especially made out of pallets. I seem to have a ton of pallets laying around all the time.  If I can put them to good use it is a win for me!!

So their you have it!  Those are my 5 favorites from our fall party thus far.  Be sure to stop by and check out any new posts and be sure to link up any of your favorites that remind you of fall!

Enjoy

New and Improved Blog Party!

Am i normally late to the party?  Yes.  However, you know the saying....be fashionably late to make an entrance.  I feel that applies perfectly here!  If you didn't notice yesterday many of my fellow party hosts shared the new and improved Country Fair Blog Party!  If you didn't notice then perfect, you are about to find out now!

Here's the lowdown:

New and Improved: We are now only partying once a month.  We used to host a new party once a week but as life gets busy we feel this is a much better fit!  I think you will agree.

How it Works: The beginning of every month we will start a new party (or in my case maybe the second day).  All ya'll will share your amazing recipes, or DIY ideas, or just some great informational posts.  The hosts will then pick their favorites and must sees say around the middle of the month.

Best Part...: We are now themed!  Everyone loves a theme right?  This month naturally we will be doing fall!  I love fall and everything about it.  Deer hunting season opens, everything pumpkin flavored hits the shelves, amazing colors of nature, the cooler temps, and of course Halloween!  Don't forget the month of October is also National Pork Month!  That in itself deserves a party because who doesn't love bacon?!

How to Party Along: Be sure to join in the fun and link up one of your posts that has anything or everything to do with this amazing season of Fall!  Just click on the link at the bottom of the page and it will have you put in the URL of your post then you can add a picture if you like.  Bodda Bing, Bodda Boom, you are in!

Hosts: Currently their are 4 of us hosting this, Nicole, Danielle, Laurie, and myself.  We do love a good party so the more the merrier right?  We would love to have some of you also co-host with us!  If you are interested in hosting a party with us just shoot one of us a message and we will get you all set up!

Enjoy and happy linking!!

An InLinkz Link-up

Farm to Plate with no guilt!

Last week I finally made it to the new(ish) Red Haven Restaurant that has been taunting me on social media with its amazing food pics for months!  What I found unique about this restaurant is that it advertised as farm to plate and is considered a small plates restaurant.  If you have never eaten at one of these the idea is small portions to share so you try multiple dishes among your couple or group.

You all know by now that I love anything that supports the farm and even local for that matter.  I was hesitant to what I would see when I went inside. I just imagined that since it sets right in the heart of East Lansing/Okemos, which for those of you that don't already know it is the epicenter of the one and only Michigan State University, their would be some agenda being pushed.  I assumed since local was their forte I would walk in to a menu that screamed organic, grass fed, hormone and antibiotic free, natural.....etc.   You get my point.  Having me sit there feeling guilty that I would rather have grain finished over grass fed and not caring if it was given hormones or antibiotics because I understand animal agriculture and trust those that raise my food and know they are doing what is best for the animal.

Once I walked in and looked around and got a good glance at the menu I was nothing but relieved, excited, and thankful!  None of my initial thoughts were validated.  I was able to try some amazing food and enjoy an atmosphere that didn't consist of fear marketing or pitting one industry against the other......Just good local food and for that Red Haven I THANK YOU!!!!!!

Now don't get me wrong, I have nothing against organic, natural, hormone/antibiotic free etc.  They all have a place in this wonderful food system we have.  I just get annoyed when people use fear marketing to sell a product.  It was refreshing to go somewhere of that caliber and the only agenda being pushed was Local (first).

Now onto the important stuff..........the FOOD!!
My taste buds haven't been on this type of overload in quite some time.  Everything I tasted was out of this world delicious and just to help you understand I took pics of everything I consumed so you can drool and instantly want to make a reservation.

Disclaimer: I was so excited to try the food many of these pics may not be the best quality because all I cared about was getting the food into my mouth.

We started out with these 2; the ravioli stuffed with chevre with a butternut squash sauce.  I hate goat cheese because it legit tastes like a goats udder smells, but this was phenomenal.  The cheese was mild and the sauce was pretty much amazing.  We also tried the truffle fries with a poached egg on top.  Sounds crazy but dipping the fries into the yolk was delish and lets be honest......truffle makes everything better.

This was by far my favorite dish of the night! Mini fajitas however the sauce they used is what made this dish.  The steak was perfect and the peppers were the perfect pair. You must try this!!!

We then had what you might call the "main" dish.  We chose the salmon and chicken.  Here is the salmon with roasted brussel sprouts over mashed parsnips.  I don't know if any of you have had mashed parsnips but they were delish and could seriously give potatoes a run for their money.

This was the chicken......and if I had to choose this one beats the salmon.  Don't get me wrong the salmon was great but this stuffed chicken made my taste buds dance!!  Not only was the chicken phenomenal but the green beans and roasted cauliflower were just as amazing.

Dessert........what everyone waits for. Why don't we start with dessert?  For real.......

We ended the delicious meal with dessert and french pressed coffee.  Nothing beats french pressed coffee friends.  Trust me.  The top one I have no idea what it was called but just imagine a huge lucky charms marshmallow with whipped topping and fruit and a lemon drizzle on the bottom.....fancify it by 1000 and that is what we had.  It was bangin!  The bottom was called candy bar and it was chocolate with a mint creme and raspberry drizzle.....omg friends....omg.

All I can say is if you are up in Michigan near MSU campus you must try this place out!  I can't rave enough about it and will now make it a staple when I am in the area!  Thanks again Red Haven for such a great experience!!

Enjoy!

September Madness!

Is anyone out there?........  I apologize for my absence but the last couple of weeks have been crazy busy!  A couple of the days I literally have forgotten what day it was.  The saddest news I have to share is that it is currently 54 degrees and I don't think it will be getting much warmer.  Is summer really gone?  While my fat really enjoys this cool weather because I don't particularly like to sweat I do miss the warm 70 degree days.....is it really over already?

In other news.....
Our fair was last week and while the bad part about that is I had way too many sausage sandwiches and milkshakes along with the staple fair fries and 50 thousand other delicious delicacy's that you can only get during the fair.  The good part is that my nephew won Reserve Champion Market Steer!!

Preparing to make his debut in the ring

 Once fair was over I had a little more down time and in honor of finally getting to sleep in I had extra ambition to try out a new breakfast recipe.  I love pizza so having it for breakfast is pretty much a genius idea!  I had a left over thin crust pizza crust from one of those Little Caesars pizza kits (i'm sure you all have some as they are the only fundraiser kids do anymore i swear!)  I basted it with olive oil and baked it for 10 min.  Meanwhile i scrambled up 8 eggs and cooked some bacon and ground beef so when the crust was done I loaded it up with egg and meat and topped with cheese and put back in oven for 5 minutes.....viola!

Pretty much amazing!

Last but not least....

I don't know why I have spent my last 10-12 years of my life using tweezers from walmart that cost approx $1.99 and wondering why they don't work?  It never dawned on me that perhaps all tweezers were not made equal?  Well my life was changed last night.  On a random trip to town with my sister I quickly realized at checkout that I forgot tweezers as mine have disappeared somewhere (I bet they are out in shop as hubs used them for god knows what).  My sister in all her glory was like "revlon slanted fine tip, get those"......what does that even mean?  I sprint to the makeup isle, grab what seemed to be closest to her description and run back to checkout...... $10.99 LATER!!!!!  Who buys tweezers for $11? Well friends, one I got home I decided to try them out on my eyebrows which seem to be growing a winter mane and have I never been so impressed with an $11 purchase in my life!!  Ladies stop wasting your time like myself using the $1.99 walmart tweezers and using both hands to try to pinch them together tight enough it may just pull something out and go get yourself some worthy tweezers......you can thank me later.  :)

Enjoy!

Growing our family by +1

I am so excited to share the news with all of you!!  Yes, the rumors are true......our family is growing!!  I can already see the look of shock and disbelief on your faces!  Many thought we would never start a family but the timing just seemed right!

So without further ado.....I'd like you all to meet our newest family member.......

DAISY!

Oh my goodness is she not the cutest thing you have ever seen?  She is a pembroke welsh corgi.  She has definitely stolen our hearts!!

You secretly thought I was pregnant didn't you?  Not quite, but she is like having a child.....I think.  I mean I don't have kids but I imagine this is what it is like.  You have to entertain them, make sure they are fed, make sure they don't go to the bathroom all over the place, and you worry about them and wonder what they are doing all the time!   I got this parenting thing down :)  

Happy Hump Day Friends!

Toledo Water Crisis....Who's to Blame?

The glorious thing about the internet is that it gives many of those uninformed yet very vocal citizens a way to voice their opinion (insert sarcastic eye roll.)  This past week the city of Toledo was placed on a water ban that also included not being able to boil your water for drinking purposes.  This ban affected 3 counties including abut half a million people.  Yes this is a serious issue.  My problem arises with where the blame is being pointed to.

Lake Erie has a very large algae bloom that has been created from excess nutrients that comes from MULTIPLE sources....do you see that word multiple?  This didn't happen overnight or by just one cause.  When the lakes get lack of rain and warm temps the algae can create a dangerous toxin.  A toxin which reached levels in the city water that became dangerous to consume.

Photo Credit: NOAA/NASA

The past couple days all I have read in headlines is that this algae bloom is because of farmers......its always the farmers fault.  Then reports go on to say that nothing has been done over the years to try to stop this bloom or reverse it.  Well I am calling bullshit.  Excuse my language.  This is what is irritating to me.  The agriculture community especially in NW Ohio has made multiple strides to do our part to decrease and ultimately eliminate excess nutrients getting into rivers and streams that connect to the Lake.

With the help of Ohio Farm Bureau, farmers have made multiple strides over the past years including:

•   Farmers are using soil tests to avoid applying excessive amounts of fertilizer. One survey showed 82 percent compliance with Ohio State University-approved testing practices.  
• A pollution reduction project in the Lake Erie Basin reduced phosphorus application by more than 180,000 pounds across 8,653 acres
• 4,421 farmers attended 163 nutrient and water quality training sessions put on by Ohio State University Extension. 
• The state’s agribusiness community, working with non-government organizations, universities and government agencies, has developed a third-party certification program for commercial nutrient applicators that will encourage adoption of nutrient stewardship practices. 
•   Farm organizations and agribusinesses contributed $1 million to match a federal grant that is funding a three-year study to measure nutrient runoff and identify preventative practices.
•  Farmers are volunteering the use of their crop fields for the installation and evaluation of management practices to help reduce the off-site transport of nutrients.
• Farmers supported state legislation that will help lead to improved water quality
• In addition, Ohio Farm Bureau has launched the Healthy Water Ohio initiative to develop a long-range plan that will  sustainably meet current and future water needs while enhancing the economy and quality of life for all Ohioans.

Also, Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (OFSWCD), with the support of the Ohio Soybean Council, created the 4R Tomorrow program to educate and promote wise nutrient management to conserve water quality and soil health using the 4R nutrient stewardship principles and conservation practices.*  The 4R's include: 

• The Right Source
• At the Right Rate
• At the Right Time
• In the Right Place

And they say nothing has been done?.........

So now that we have debunked that statement that farmers are doing nothing and are horrible stewards of the land lets look at some other sources of nutrient excess that are causing this bloom.

• Residential septic systems- old and deteriorated systems are dumping nutrients into rivers
• Detroit River- this flows right into Lake Erie including industrial waste and sewage from Detroit....they don't call it the Dirty D for no reason
• Lawn chemical-the glorious thing about urban city living is that we claim residential hierarchy on who has the best lawn.  With that comes copious amounts of fertilization to keep those lawns nice and green.  Once a rain comes in or over watering all of those nutrients wash right into the storm drains and directly head to the lake.....
• Heavy Rain-when their is heavy rains the city is allowed a certain percentage of raw sewage to enter the river (that is enticing isn't it)

So instead of pointing your finger one direction lets look at the big picture.

As you can see the Agriculture community has recognized a problem long before this situation occurred and have taken steps to do their part to fix it......what can the rest of you say?

Good Day!

*Information from www.4rtomorrow.org

Country Fair Blog Party...Happy Fathers Day and Dairy Month!

Good morning from Nashville!  After a great night down on East Broadway and listening to live music all night long at the legendary Tootsies I could think of nothing better to do this lovely morning than to bring you this great link up :)   With fathers day in just a couple days and June being Dairy month what better way than to find great recipes to celebrate with or a wonderful gift for dad than this great link up full of just those things!

Here are last weeks winners:

AG

Walking the Off Beaten Path

Food

Pig Lickin Good Cake

DIY

Build Your Own Playhouse

So go on and share your great ideas that could make the best fathers day gift or that recipe that would make a great addition to fathers day dinner.....and remember to use a ton of butter, cheese, and milk to support those dairy farmers!!

Please be kind and follow your hosts for this party:

Nicole of Tales of A Kansas Farm Mom on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram

+taysha reitzel  of Dirt Road Charm on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest

+Danielle Beard of High Heels and Shotgun Shells on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest

+Laurie Link of Country Linked on Facebook, Pinterest 

Enjoy!

An InLinkz Link-up

Blog Party!!!

It's Friday......and who doesn't love a good party?  These two things clearly go well together to start off this lovely weekend!  Here are a few of the Grand Champions from last week's party:

AG

The Magic Farmhouse: Beef its What's on the Pavement 

Family Farm Experience: Pasture Pleasure

Recipes

Purple Front Door: Paleo Slow Cooker Balsamic Beef Stew 

The Ranchwife Chronicles: Bite About Roast Beef

So now with summer pushing its way upon us I have been getting crafty with my outdoor patio area and need some great ideas for benches and a fun cooler......send your DIY projects this way!!!  As well as you yummy recipes.  I find throughout the warmer months I tend to eat a ton more veggies and fruit.  It is way more refreshing on those hot days!

Be sure to follow all the lovely ladies hosting the party:

Nicole of Tales of A Kansas Farm Mom on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram

+taysha reitzel  of Dirt Road Charm on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest

+Danielle Beard of High Heels and Shotgun Shells on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest

+Laurie Link of Country Linked on Facebook, Pinterest  
+Krista Stauffer The Farmers Wifee  of The Farmer's Wiffee on Facebook, Twitter 

Have a Great Weekend!!

An InLinkz Link-up

Robots, Drones, Big Data.....Oh My!

This year I was honored to be asked back to cover the events of the Alltech Sympoium as a guest blogger.  I absolutely love this event because it is full of information and actually keeps your attention.  Which is normally a pretty hard task for me......you know the classic hold your head up by resting it in on your hand in attempts to make it look like you aren't napping through the session.  Yeah that has yet to happen here!  This year's symposium was all about the What if......

Founder and Owner of Alltech: Pearse Lyons

I love technology and I love hearing about what is coming down the pipeline when it comes to awesome gadgets and technology that will help the Agriculture industry be more responsible and efficient.  During this year’s Alltech symposium I got to hear about just that and the future is looking quite exciting!!

 My favorite session was: A Farming Revolution, which discussed drones and GPS and what the possibilities look like.  Majority of the drones that are available today to the average buyer are a small drone with 4 propellers that has the ability to take a photo over your field or location.   That is cool and all and has come a long way from where we were before which pretty much consisted of climbing the nearest silo or antenna tower to look out across the field and farm. 

Some of the ideas of what the future of drones looks like was mind boggling to me and makes my inner tech geek excited!  Some of the ideas and even projects being tested include the idea of having drones keep real time over long periods of time by hovering over the field or farm (kind of like a blimp).  How great would it be to be able to see exactly when your crop started to mature or when a certain disease was really spreading throughout your field?  That is valuable information to be able to capture. 

One of my favorite ideas was multiple small drones in large numbers flying over your fields at all times and even going so far as being able to suck up harmful insects and recycle them into fertilizer to help eliminate the use of insecticides and even recycle weeds into fertilizer to replace herbicides.  How amazing is that?  The best part is that it’s a serious possibility for the future of farming. 

One of the key statements that was said multiple times throughout the session is that farmers really need to be open minded to technology innovations and try to look beyond the practices that have been in place for multiple centuries.  While these practices have been successful we still need to be more efficient to be able to feed the 9 billion by 2050.  Also stated was the fact that farmers need to work together to share ideas and advancements and I couldn’t agree with that statement more!  The more we work together as an industry the better we are as a whole!

This year’s symposium did such an amazing job of really making you think “what if”.  The possibilities for the future of Agriculture really are endless.  I leave you with this question that was asked to us….. “Do you want to be the disruptor, or do you want to be disrupted?”

Cheers!