Here’s to Agriculture – National Ag Day | by Brooke Stover

National Ag Day is about appreciating the role that agriculture plays in our world today. Agriculture provides us with food, jobs, and clothing – I, for one, am very thankful for all three of these. (Life would sure be weird without them.)

When it comes to the things we rely on to live, you can’t build something out of nothing. And agriculture requires many “somethings:” hard work, dedication, knowledge, and a whole lot of other stuff that could take days to list.

I have witnessed the hard work that goes into agriculture, whether it happens in the field or in an office. Many behind-the-scenes jobs play a role in the production of our essentials. So I think it is important that organizations bring awareness to agriculture.

Tomorrow, March 25, the Agriculture Council of America hosts National Ag Day to remind us of the contributions agriculture makes to our daily lives.

There is a lot of recognition deserved by those who fuel our lives, so here’s to agriculture and the people behind the word. They deserve thanks for their commitment to supplying the world with food, jobs, and clothing.

Interesting facts from AgDay.org:

Lettuce is a member of the sunflower family. (This one changed my life a little, just like when I found out tomatoes are a fruit.)

Michigan and New Jersey produce 66 percent of all the blueberries in the United States, followed by North Carolina, Oregon, and Washington. (As I write this, I am hoping Michigan also produces the most success in the March Madness tournament this year – that may save my bracket.)

Pasta made its way to the New World through the English who found it while traveling through Italy. The English made pasta by cooking it for about a half an hour and then smothering it with cream sauce and cheese. This was the beginning of macaroni and cheese! (Thanks for carbs, founders of the new world.)

Each American farmer feeds more than 144 people. (This one is just awesome!)

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Brooke Stover Global Marketing Coordinator Brooke has been with the Valley Irrigation Global Marketing department since 2011. She spends her free time taking pottery classes; though she thoroughly enjoys this, most of her stuff is a bit lopsided. Brooke also loves to read and listen to Frank Sinatra. She enjoys traveling and has been to 19 countries with the goal to make it to six more in the next two years!

Thank You | by Shannon Peterson and the Valley Team

Here in the United States, we’re preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving. Here at Valley_®, we’d like to share the tradition of expressing thanks. Here is what some of our regular bloggers are thankful for.


Brooke Stover:

I am thankful for Dr. Oz (he recently announced that cheese is actually good for weight loss).

I am thankful for the awesome people I get to work with every day (minus a few unsavory characters, you know who you are – KIDDING!). I’m really thankful for the fun work environment at Valley – it’s true that if you enjoy your job you’ll never work a day in your life. (There’s a warm fuzzy on a cold day.)

I am thankful that I can tell people that I feed the world for a living. (This makes me sound really “cool” when I introduce myself in social situations.)

Michelle Stolte:

I am thankful for all the growers around the world who work extremely hard to feed each and every one of us every day. Thank you!!


Kelly Downing:

I still remember the moment very clearly. It was at 8:30 p.m., local time, on Oct. 15. It was not yet the end of a very long day. My traveling companion, Antoine Quily (our western Africa sales representative), and I had already been driving, working, and driving for about 15 hours, and we had three hours left before we would get to our hotel. We were sharing a small pickup with four other men, three goats, and half a ton of rice. I was very tired, very sore, and extraordinarily grouchy. Passing the time by listening to my iPod (set to “random play all songs”), a song by one of my favorite artists, Paul Thorn, began playing. The song is “I’m a Lucky Man” from his “Mission Temple Fireworks Stand” album.

It only took a few seconds for this song to help me “get my mind right.” I have included the lyrics below. I encourage all of you to read them (even better, buy the song or album and listen) and think about your own situation. I know tough times come to all of us, but sometimes I just need a little slap to the back of my head, like this. As the saying goes, “Why have a pity party? Nobody else shows up, and there are no snacks.” Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone!

I’m a Lucky Man

In a dirty hotel room

Somewhere in rainy California

Channel surfing through the night

And there ain't nothing on

I went down to an empty bar

And I started talking to a stranger

He said "I come here every night

So I won't have to be alone"

I guess that I'm a lucky man

I guess that everything ain't all that bad

There's always somebody with less

I realize that I'm blessed

Now I understand, I'm a lucky man

Somewhere out there in the night

There must be a million people

They're just trying to survive

Barely holding on

I can't feel sorry for myself

When everything ain't goin' my way

'Cause I've got dreams and something else

I've got a reason to go on

I guess that I'm a lucky man

I guess that everything ain't all that bad

There's always somebody with less

I realize that I'm blessed

Now I understand, I'm a lucky man…

Jill Zwiener:

I’m thankful for the dedicated growers who rely on Valley equipment to water their valuable crops.

I’m thankful for the 500+ Valley dealers who put in countless hours each year to ensure our customers are happy.

I’m thankful for the engineers at Valley who design the most reliable center pivots in the industry!

I’m thankful for farmers. Without their hard work, resilience, determination, and dedication, I wouldn't enjoy the food I do every day of the year.

I’m thankful for the excitement and joyful smiles I saw on my nephews faces when they saw a combine harvesting a cornfield this fall.

I’m thankful for the stories my family members (my dad, uncles and aunts) have to tell about growing up on the farm years ago. They didn’t get to participate in sports like many other kids. They were milking the cows, raising livestock, and harvesting chickens. They were working hard to provide for their family.


Kelly Cox:

I am thankful for a lot in my life, but there are a few things I want to give homage to here and now. I am thankful for:

My wonderful husband, who is my very own superhero. He takes my antics in stride and really is the best person in the world for doing so. I couldn’t ask for more!

Garages, especially during the brink of a Nebraskan winter. ‘Nuff said.

The author Brandon Sanderson (and not just because he shares the same first name with my hubby). He finished The Wheel of Time series, a feat that no one else would have had the gall to take on! 14 books, most of which are about 1,000 pages long…good stuff.

* * *

And me? I’m thankful to my colleagues for sharing – it can be hard to be heartfelt on demand. I’m also thankful to have joined the Valley team in June. The people here are patient, accepting, and kind. And I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that I am eternally thankful for the best husband ever, the most amazing teenage son, my miracle baby girl, and a second chance in life.

I’ll be even more thankful if you tell us what you are thankful for!

Harvesting Pride – from the seat of a combine | by Brooke Stover

 Grandpa's $1,700 tractor Harvesting corn Grandpa Gene

Autumn is signified to me by many things: the changing of the leaves from green to shades of orange and red; the sun starts coming out a little later (making it a bit more difficult for some of us to get out of bed – not me of course, but some); and (something I have come to appreciate) the caravan of combines combing the fields of rural Nebraska.

I was asked to write about the harvest, which I don’t know too much about, but I did know who to ask. So I visited my grandparents farm just east of Fremont, NE. As I drove down the gravel roads through clouds of dust with my camera and list of questions, I thought I knew what answers I was going to get and exactly what I was going to learn. I was both wrong and right, as usual. (I will most likely never admit to that again, so take note.)

After I arrived, I sat down at the kitchen table with my grandparents, and they told me how farming has changed. Their first tractor cost $1,700 and fuel could be purchased for 30 cents a gallon! They told me that, once upon a time, both weeds and crops were picked by hand. I, of course, teased them for that – a lot of horse and buggy jokes ensued, followed by a few about running water. But, all jokes aside, I am proud of where my grandparents started and where they are now. 

So, I was there to ask questions and take some pictures, but then my grandpa asked if I wanted to combine with him. Of course I did – I hadn’t been in a combine since I was eight! 


As we made our way up and down the rows, I could see why my grandfather enjoys farming so much. You can look right behind you and see what you have accomplished. You can see the corn as it flows from the combine to the truck, then look back out at the field and see what’s left.

On the way down row two, my grandfather said, “Grandma asks me when I am going to stop farming.” My grandfather is 76-years-young (he looks, maybe, a day older than 60). “And I told her, why would I quit now when farming is becoming easier?” Smart guy. Then he showed me all the buttons on his combine and told me that GPS could run the combine for him, if he wanted it to.

By the end of the day, I did, in fact, learn something I already knew – that farming has become easier. But I also learned something I didn’t exactly know – the joys of farming and the pride a grower deserves to feel about what he can accomplish on the land he owns. Those are the same reasons I am proud to work at Valley_®. We provide products like BaseStation and TrackNET™, which make the grueling and time-consuming tasks of farming just a little bit easier, a little bit more manageable, and a lot more precise, while instilling pride in every grower who calls farming his occupation.

As for my grandfather, well, he’s probably never going to quit farming. Sorry grandma.

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Brooke Stover Global Marketing Coordinator Brooke has been with the Valley Irrigation Global Marketing department since 2011. She spends her free time taking pottery classes; though she thoroughly enjoys this, most of her stuff is a bit lopsided. Brooke also loves to read and listen to Frank Sinatra. She enjoys traveling and has been to 11 countries with the goal to make it to six more in the next six years!

On Location: DropSpan Photo Shoot in Nebraska | by Brooke Stover

Heli-Cam taking off!

DropSpan

Look out! Valley_® has jumped on the bandwagon and is using drones to take photos and videos!

Last week, I worked with Don Fiedler of Sky Heli-Cam to snap some aerial images of an installed Valley DropSpan™ in Nebraska. Don built the “drone” himself and uses an attached camera to take aerial photos and videos; his Heli-Cam can fly over 400 feet above the field, which is quite the site to see! While Don drove the drone, I watched the footage on a monitor to make sure we got various angles of the machine.

It was a perfect morning to be out in Nebraska (57° on July 1 - can't go wrong!). I felt a little guilty about the perfect weather while coworkers Michelle and Jill experienced 100°+ weather in Washington on the same day!

Check out our Facebook page for more images from this photo shoot.

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Brooke Stover Global Marketing Coordinator Brooke has been with the Valley Irrigation Global Marketing department since 2011. She spends her free time taking pottery classes; though she thoroughly enjoys this, most of her stuff is a bit lopsided. Brooke also loves to read and listen to Frank Sinatra. She enjoys traveling and has been to 11 countries with the goal to make it to six more in the next six years!

Introducing the Valley Irrigation Bloggers!

With a new name and a new look, the Growing the Conversation blog also has some new voices! We want to take this opportunity to give you a face to put with the writing.

Valley Irrigation Global Marketing Department

		Matt Ondrejko Vice President Global Marketing Matt is the newest addition to the Valley Irrigation Global Marketing Department. The one word that can sum up Matt is "enthusiasm"! He likes to be on-the-go and have fun along the way. Matt loves music and the 1980s era. He is a child of the MTV generation and has a deep appreciation of all music genres (specifically, he is a huge Dave Matthews Band groupie). Matt has traveled to more than 70 countries around the world and enjoys learning about different cultures and people. He spent three years living with his family in Leuven, Belgium, trying to enjoy as many of the 700+ beers they brew there.
		Michelle Stolte  Global Marketing Manager Michelle has been at Valley Irrigation for over 10 years and is finally no longer a newbie! She has spent her entire time at Valley in the Marketing Department (international and domestic) and loves every minute of it. Michelle enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband. She also likes reading, swing dancing (although she isn't really that good...), and warm weather, so she is excited it is finally Spring!
		Kelly Cox  Global Digital Marketing Manager Kelly joined the Valley Irrigation Global Marketing Department in 2008. Her love of all things geek (steampunk furniture, anime, Doctor Who, and science fiction/fantasy literature, just to name a few) helped shape her appreciation for technology and the web. Kelly is a newlywed and new homeowner, where she shares her geekery with her husband and cat Kiba. She considers herself a wine connoisseur (though, 3 buck Chuck is delicious!) and has a love of painting, dance, and singing.
		Jill Zwiener  Global Marketing Communications Administrator Jill joined the Valley Irrigation team in 2011. She loves country music, fountain soda, food, college football, and the ski slopes of Colorado. She enjoys using photography to freeze the precious bits of time with her family into pictures that she can cherish for years.
		Cindy Barry  Co-op/Database Administrator Cindy has been with Valley Irrigation for over six years. In her spare time, Cindy loves to read, travel, luxury camp (ie: with bed, TV, and AC...) and, most of all, take care of her one-year-old grandson! And, she would like everyone to know that she is totally bribable with chocolate!
		Brooke Stover Global Marketing Assistant Brooke has been with the Valley Irrigation Global Marketing department since 2011. She spends her free time taking pottery classes; though she thoroughly enjoys this, most of her stuff is a bit lopsided. Brooke also loves to read and listen to Frank Sinatra. She enjoys traveling and has been to 11 countries with the goal to make it to six more in the next six years!

Other Contributing Authors

	Kelly Downing Global Irrigation Specialist Kelly, Nebraska-based Irrigation Specialist, spent 10 years working on soil and water research projects for a major agricultural university, involving a variety of crops. His work focused on irrigation management, but also included other topics. Since joining Valley Irrigation, he has worked in the fields of Service, Product Management, Product Reliability and Sales. Kelly focuses on developing projects in irrigation field management and providing recommendations for the Circles for Rice project. Kelly has traveled to several countries providing technical support, such as soil moisture monitoring and irrigation management training.
	Cole Fredrick Product Manager - Variable Rate Irrigation Cole has been with Valley Irrigation since 2011, where he manages the Valley Variable Rate Irrigation products. He was born and raised on a farm near Grand Island, NE (AKA "paradise"), and he tries to return back home as often as possible. Cole is a HUGE Husker fanatic! He stays young by enjoying all outdoor activities and almost any sport.
	John Kastl Product Manager - Equipment John joined the Valley Irrigation Engineering Department in 2000 after having spent 11 years at General Electric Aircraft Engines. Today, he manages the equipment products for Valley (center pivots, corners, and gearbox, to name a few), helping develop the next generation of Valley Irrigation machines. John enjoys photography, home renovation, and travel. On his third birthday, John watched the first moon landing!

We'll introduce other contributing authors as they jump on. But, now we want to hear from YOU! What topics do you want to read about? Is there a particular Valley product or technology you've been wanting to know more about? Don't be shy - click on the Comments box below to post your question or feedback!