‘Celebrating Agriculture’ continues with info-filled afternoon

    The morning session of the Ag conference on Feb. 28 finished strong with a selection of interesting speakers and information.
    The Ogallala High School guitar ensemble provided entertainment during the noon meal.
    The afternoon session began with Deb Kuenning, UNL Extension Educator from Imperial. She shared information gleaned from an interview with her husband’s 95-year-old grandfather, Wilber Kuenning.     
    Wilber’s take on the changes in the ag industry laid the foundation for Kuenning’s presentation entitled “Agriculture Through the Years: Looking to the Past and Future.”
    Kuenning began by relating Wilber’s idea of how important it is to think about where you come from and where you are going.
    “He said there are lots of changes in agriculture, and we must stay relevant,” she conveyed. “How we tackle ups and downs will determine our success.”
    Kuenning said Wilber’s  words rang very true for her and her life-involvement in agriculture.
    “Agriculture is my passion,” said Kuenning.
    She said that it was her grandmother who shaped her vision. She grew up with agriculture, she explained, “and it is deep in my soul.”
    Kuenning said her grandma, Johnnie Bond, was the original “FarmHer” in her life.
    “Grandma took over the farming operation when Grandpa took ill,” she said.
    She could still envision her elderly grandma out chopping weeds with her homemade machete.
    She learned perseverance from her grandma and believed that one must look to the roots that made you what you are.
    She continued by giving a history about her family, growing up with an ag background and family ties.
    “Agricultural families have a history with the land and its people,” she said.
    It’s what made her what she is today—her passions, her values, her life choices and her career.
    She explained agriculture must be promoted and the story told. It’s a work ethic that must be passed on through generations.
    “We all share a responsibility to share agriculture, life and make connections personally, not just on social media and through the electronic world,” said Kuenning.
    She proposed the thought, “We are consumer concerned, but are we consumer driven?”    She added people must find a way to market themselves to the world through agriculture.
    “We have to be able to dig out. You need relationships that help you dig out,” Kuenning said.
    There are ups and downs in ag life and lessons to be learned, she said. Coming back from disaster and devastation shows strength of character and spirit.
    “We used to be able to go to work with a pair of pliers, a wrench and a work ethic,” Kuenning added.
    She finished her impassioned presentation by saying education in agriculture is about what we provide in Nebraska in the way of grain and animals.
    “Don’t take anything for granted. Be grateful and know where we come from and our ties to family and the land,” she said.
Photographer revisits stage
    For a second time during the conference, Marji Guyler- Alaniz stepped on stage to inspire and give creative and technical advice on taking photographs and choosing the subject of your own passion.
    “Share your story. Each of you has a story that could be a  photo project,” she said.
    For her, it was women in agriculture which evolved into FarmHer.
    Guyler-Alaniz showed numerous photos she had taken and explained the intricacies of capturing photos that are worth showcasing one’s own personal style.
    “I follow people and shoot pictures of them in their environment. In my case, women in agriculture,” Guyler-Alaniz explained.