Farming. What do you think of? Amber waves of grain? OshKosh B’gosh overall-clad children rolling in hay? The pitchfork-in-hand puritanically dressed couple of Grant Wood’s American Gothic? A pastoral way of life? On a recent trip to South Africa, I learned farming had a different look. There, farming looked like 10-foot chain-link fences topped with… Continue reading Farming in S. Africa, A Different Reality
Personal Musings On My Career Growth Early in my career I produced stuff. My role was clear. Produce a deliverable. On time and under budget. Yes, ma’am! As others recognized my growing expertise and experience, I was promoted to manager. My role was clear again. Juggle the demands of my producer role, while directing the… Continue reading Producer, Manager, Leader
A visit to Ingleside Winery
I’m looking for a line. Can you tell me where it is? It’s the one that separates the basic healthcare rights our U.S. government feels responsible to its citizens for and which ones they say, “You’re on your own, buddy.” A lot of countries apparently don’t have a line. If you’re in Sweden, Australia, Great… Continue reading The Healthcare Line
The libation of choice of our Virginia colonial ancestors, hard apple cider, had a 200-year run in the commonwealth and the rest of the U.S. before falling out of favor in the early 1900s due to a new penchant for beer. Prohibition delivered the final blow to America’s affection for the fermented apple brew, until… Continue reading Back To The Future—How A Colonial Beverage of Necessity Is Becoming Orchard Owners’ Ticket To The Future
On March 13, 2017, one of the stops on our fourth VALOR Seminar was to a little-known battleground in Arlington, VA. It’s not your traditional battleground though. No commemorative statues. No walking or driving trails. Not even an interpretive sign to be found on the grounds. That’s because this battleground is still active. The battle… Continue reading Reevesland: The Battleground We Didn’t Know We Visited
I’ve spent my career as a marketing and communications professional, crafting and delivering messages both on paper and in front of the camera. Being interviewed has been part of my job for more than 25 years (don’t do the math please!), but I’ve never been so ill at ease talking into a mike than I… Continue reading Interviewing 101–Nailing the Message
On our second VALOR Class III seminar, we visited Cherrystone Aqua Farms, part of Ballard Fish and Oyster Company. For more than 115 years, the Ballard Fish & Oyster Company has been producing some of the best clams and oysters in the world. Today, the 5th generation of the Ballard family, Chad Ballard, is still producing great shellfish,… Continue reading A Visit To Cherrystone Aqua Farms
To borrow from American Revolutionary War hero, Nathan Hale, “I only regret that I have but 55 days to learn more about Virginia’s vast agriculture industry.” These are the words that echoed in my head as I headed back east down Rt. 460 from my three days with my 12 other VALOR Class III fellows in… Continue reading Musings on My First VALOR Session…The Clock Starts Ticking on My 55-Day Adventure
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