Coming to the country life

Welcome! Thanks for logging on and finding out more about me and the "parallel universe" I tend to inhabit, agriculture. How did I get here? Telling you that seems the natural place to start.

I'm a communicator--a talker, connector and social educator. My story has all the elements of a good summer novel: misunderstood heroes, a rescue, passion, pride and love.

I started my career in design--the only thing other than talking that I was really good at. Who knew I wouldn't love it for the rest of my life?  :)

In 1998, I was rescued-- yes, I really do believe that's the right word--from a nightmare job by my good friend Mike Danna, director of public relations for the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation. Didn't know what it was, didn't know what they did, and for damn sure didn't know anything about agriculture. But I made the jump and wound up falling in love. Hard.  No, not with Mike, bless his heart--but with farming, ranching and a lifestyle that is at best seen as anachronistic and misunderstood, and at worst is mocked and devalued.

My first trip out to a sugarcane field in south Louisiana, about a week into the job, the producer I was to interview looked at me about two minutes after I got out of the car and said, "Darlin', you don't know anything about farming, do you?"  Busted.  Then and there I realized: there's no getting over on a farmer. They're smart people, and they've got your number, Slick.

"No sir, I don't," I said. "But I know how to tell stories, and if you'll tell me about what you do, I'll tell your story the best I know how," and that seemed to satisfy him. 

Telling those stories satisfied me, too. For 10 years until I moved to Atlanta, I worked with the farmers and ranchers of Louisiana and their families. I learned enough about agriculture to be dangerous. I also learned a tremendous amount about the people of rural communities who are very different from the folks "in town." I learned about life, death, the extraordinary dangers that come with farming and that, if you come to a producer's house for an interview, you'd better expect to sit down to a huge home-cooked meal before you go or you'll insult his wife or mama. I gained about 15 pounds my first year at Farm Bureau.

I have become a passionate advocate for the rural communities and citizens of our nation. They are some of the finest, kindest, most honorable people in the world  who, every day, do a job every one of us depends on to live. These people feed and clothe us, and provide shelter to protect our bodies. yet even today the perception of farming is negative and, if you think of farmers at all, you likely imagine an old man in overalls on a small tractor. That couldn't be further from the truth, and that's the story I make my living telling. Keep coming back and you'll learn something every time (I hope), whether it's thought-provoking, funny or weird. You might also learn more about my family or work--for me, anything and everything is up for discussion. Glad you came to visit--stop on by again soon!


Saturday, August 9, 2008

Queens, Commercials and Underwear Essentials

Last post was June 11--wow. SOOO much has happened since then. It's been exciting, frustrating and exhausting, but hey--what else would I want?  :)


Just after the last post, I attended the Louisiana Farm Bureau annual meeting. It's one of my favorite events EVER--LFB is one of the last state Farm Bureaus in the U.S. to hold a Queen's Pageant. Being, I believe, a frustrated beauty queen in another life, I eat that stuff up with a spoon. Once again I sat with Vivian Anderson, wife of president Ronnie Anderson, and handicapped the contestants. We did well, but Wendell Miley, LFB's safety director, once again called the winner about 5 minutes into the contest. I don't know how he does it...he's been right almost every year.   

When I tell people about attending the Queen's Contest I get a lot of smirks and eye rolls--I don't deny it's an anachronism in today's world of "everyone's a winner." But the Queen will travel Louisiana for a year, attending events almost every weekend and logging up to 10,000 miles away from her family, to tell the story of agriculture. Each girl is grilled on her knowledge of the state's agriculture and issues that impact it. They have to really WANT it, and it shows.  So where I used to roll my eyes as well, I now think it's pretty cool too, in a sparkly sort of way. 

Also started working on some challenging rebranding work for that organization and it's subsidiary, the Louisiana Farm Bureau Insurance Companies. It's quite the David-Goliath story going up against Geico, Allstate and State Farm for business, but that's what makes the job so fun. Kudos to LFB Creative Director Lauren Thom for coming up with our theme...when the creative is finished I'll post for the oohs and aahs.  We'll also be able to prove effectiveness, the linchpin of any creative communications campaign. "How did it do?" "I don't know." just won't cut it. Can't wait to see the numbers.

I DID get to skip out for a long weekend somewhere in June between insanity and pandemonium--went to Gulf Shores with 2 best buds. I was so crazy and ready to run down to the beach I forgot to pack underwear. Many many lingering lingerie thanks to Maria and Nicole for stocking me up with an abundance of underpinnings upon my arrival.  :) AND I got my first tan in years. So bad for the skin, so good for the soul.  

Thanks, my friend, for checking back--sorry it's been so long since I posted. 

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