The innovative workforce of Dow AgroSciences has made the company successful and has given the organization the opportunity to become an active leader in benefiting society. Altruistic causes such as Noble of Indiana serve both the local community and the company. Additional examples like Kids Against Hunger and the United Way are organizations that The Dow Chemical Company Foundation support to improve humanity and social well being worldwide.

The definition of social responsibility is an ethical ideology that an organization or individual has an obligation to act to benefit society at large. Kenda Resler Friend and Tim Maniscalo expressed the goal of the foundation is to effectively distribute money where needed, and the foundation is always looking for major impact opportunities to support.

In your life you are balancing so many responsibilities (work, family, friends, relationships, leadership programs, etc.), does social responsibility take a back seat? Or do you weave social responsibility into your daily lives?

Eugene

Pete Hanebutt and Chris Fenner from the Indiana Farm Bureau lead our class computer simulation. While we were trying to understand what we were doing and how to vote on issues and pick activities, Pete would find his way around the room engaging us in discussions that had no purpose and asking questions that had no meaning. In most cases we had between 3 minutes and 30 seconds to make decisions. I learned quickly that when you don’t vote for the correct Congressional Campaign Committee chair, you get “punished” and put on horrible committees. Also, if you don’t pay attention to your staff…they quit! And you always want to send franked mail every time you can, to help raise funds for your reelection.

This was a very interactive activity that kept everyone on their toes. It also gave a brief glimpse into the tough decisions you have to make right from the start as a new member of congress. The good news is….We got REELECTED!

As a Purdue student scurrying from class to class, ok wandering around, the ag school campus I often wondered what was in some of these buildings that seemed to be in my way and slowing me down from getting to my classes.

Well, as ALP Class 14 found out, Purdue is a lot more than “cows and plows”. We toured some the non-traditional aspects of the ag school campus. Our tour included the Harwood Regeneration Center, Wood Products Lab and the Phil Nelson Food Science Building.

The Hardwood Regeneration Center works on helping Indiana’s top ranking hardwood industry. They conduct research to improve current timber stands, develop better quality trees as well as tree health.

The Wood Products Lab was started during World War II to develop better quality gunstocks. Since then the lab has developed a revolutionary truss, called the gusset plate truss, which now the industry standard. The lab helps the furniture industry by testing furniture designs.

While visiting the Phil Nelson Food Science Building, we saw the pilot lab where new food processing equipment is being tested. The sensory lab was the next stop in the food science department where new food products are tested by volunteers. The volunteers test food by evaluating the appearance, aroma and taste of the new products. The final stop was the very impressive enology library. The library is dedicated to Dr. Richard Vine and contains a very impressive wine collection.

So as you can see, Purdue Agriculture spans across several aspects of the industry.

On behalf of the ALP Class 14, I would like to thank John Baugh, Liz Jackson, Daniel Warner and Laurie Swift for conducting such an impressive tour.

Did you ever wonder what the term “land grant” university means? Why, or is it, really important? Even though many universities have such a designation is it really important anymore?

ALP class 14 had the opportunity to see just how broad the range of expectation and obligations of a land grant university can be. Some leaders from Purdue’s College of Ag gave us an overview of Extension Education and the 4-H program. We discovered that influencing international agriculture development in far away countries starts at Purdue. There are even influences in Indiana agriculture that are part of Purdue’s obligations to the people of Indiana just because of its special land grant designation.

So from 4-H programs to collaborating with research departments of multi-national companies to helping college students learn about agriculture half way around the globe, Purdue University and the College of Ag will be there.

- Bruce Kettler

I readily admit I was challenged by this subject matter and Dr. Boehlje’s chart! However, I found this discussion fascinating because it opened my eyes to all the external economic factors that impact agriculture. For example, Dr. Boehlje talked about how the financial markets are linked to the commodity markets and drove the restructure of the agriculture industry. I also learned how agriculture can look to other sectors for indicators, such as a large retailer that is building up financial reserves for later use at the current low interest rates.

This session got me thinking about agriculture in a global economic context and why it is important to look outside agriculture for economic opportunities and challenges.

This kid is like many other Indiana kids that are being motivated in school to follow the path of math and science and has develop a thirst for knowledge. If I was a betting person I would put money that my neighbor will go on to finish a 4 year degree or higher. But in Indiana there are also a large amount of students that lack motivation to even finish high school and some others do finish but the education system fail to prepare them for a postsecondary education.

The future workforce in Indiana will require more applicants with postsecondary
education by the year 2018. Will our students be ready? Governor Mitch Daniels has new initiatives for 2011 to take on the education system from K-12, including an evaluation system for teachers. My question to you is what is your roll on this process? What is the roll of the future employers in develop the workforce of the future now? Why are we not getting more involved?

The shrimp died in less than a week and my neighbor wrote a report about it to present at GT. The next day he came home with a holographic bowl with a frog inside…I did not dare to ask what that was about.

- Ana Hernandez

The common theme I heard….farmers and ranchers can not only be a part of the solution….they are often in the driver’s seat.

What is 25 x ’25? The 25 x ‘25 vision is that by 2025, America’s farms, forests and ranches will provide 25 percent of the total energy consumed in the United States, while continuing to produce safe, abundant, and affordable food, feed and fiber.  Fuel, food, feed, and fiber?  Agriculture continues to prove to the world that it is not a one trick show, that it can and will meet many of the world’s demands, and that by working together we don’t need an “us vs. them” debate.

At the local level, what is Brian up to?  More and less.  Less traffic, less manure, less odor, clean water, more energy? Who’s on-board?  Just about everyone….White County issued azoning exemption, offered a 10-year tax abatement, and continues to keep Reynolds, a town of around 500-600, on the map.

It all looks easy in a PowerPoint, but change is hard and getting everyone on the same sheet of music, even in a small community, is a heavy burden.  Brian, White County, Reynolds, ISDA, IDEM, and Gov. Daniels have shown that we can work together, we can think big but start small, and we will bring meaningful change and prosperity.  We have a long way to go, but it’s a great start….keep up the hard work.

Matt Bechdol, Class 14

Dean of Purdue’s College of Agriculture is a well respected man within the University and rightfully so. He has a passion for Agriculture and a deep passion for educating the youth in agriculture. As I listen to his presentation of the glory of ole’ Purdue, I think back to my years trekking through the campus and realize students becoming boilermakers now are presented with so many opportunities that didn’t exist even ten years ago. The university is changing to a more leadership focus and the College of Ag is blazing this trail, offering students the opportunity to become certified in leadership. This concept is the next big fad you may say but as I witness companies and employers seek for candidates the word “leadership” is always at the top of their list. The students going through the college will have more opportunity to study under world renowned research scientists, have more opportunity to collaborate with other universities and other communities and be better suited to lead as professionals because of the focus the College of Agriculture has on leadership. Wish I could be a part of the new exciting programs and opportunities at Purdue!

Dr. Gebisa Ejeta

World Food Prize recipient, world renowned scientist, it was an honor to meet and listen to Dr. Gebisa Ejeta. But what surprised me most was his desire to understand who I was and from where I came. He did this to be able to relate to me and to find common ground. We chatted about FFA and National Convention, the changes to the Agronomy program and of course the weather… but what I got out of our brief conversation was a sense of value and understanding. Ejeta has the ability, not only with people, but in all facets of his work to understand the makeup of the situation and find common ground giving it value. He is showing that in his drive to bring food to developing countries, in his teaching at Purdue and the way he is impacting the world’s view on agriculture. Listening to him speak makes you believe the world is small and every single person impacts the dynamic.

1. When defining your community, whether it be where you live or the people you associate with daily, how do you value their culture, opinions, religions, beliefs, etc?
2. How do these differences effect the decision making of your community has a whole?
3. Are there differences that are overlooked or ignored? Why? How does that effect the conversations?
4. Do you truly accept and find value in the differences of those around you or are you being tolerant of them because it is the “right” thing to do?
5. How can a community utilize these differences to have a positive impact on the community has a whole?

At the end of the day we must evaluate ourselves and our interactions with others to truly appreciate their beliefs and opinions. If we are better able to relate, accept, and welcome those who are different than us, we will be much better off in our day to day lives.

Kyle Bymaster

In the “early years”, Tony founded Blairex Laboratories whose primary products were OTC pharmaceuticals. Through good business sense, taking advantage of growth opportunities, and genuine hard work, the company has expanded four-fold with a strong, diverse line of products from saline to Boudreaux’s Butt Paste® line of baby products. When casually asked “How did you do it?” his response was simply “Bite off more than you can chew, and chew like hell.” Hmmm, sounds familiar.

Since our meeting, I’ve reflected on his response and have come to the conclusion that while to some degree this is the world I and many of us live in, the downside may not be worth risk. Said another way, what opportunities are there to work smarter and not harder? Enter a networking and learning opportunity such as the ALP. A variety of experiences and expertise surely has potential for all to minimize time spent reinventing the wheel, thus making those “bites” more manageable.

I look forward to adjusting to Tony’s current approach of living life like eating an ice cream cone – taking it one lick at time. Is it better to burn out, or fade away? For you 80’s fans, we’ll see if you know what song those lyrics are from. As for myself, burn out isn’t an option. Fading away, in the context of what Tony has accomplished would be just fine. So here’s to ice cream- especially if it’s from Smith Dairy!

By Greg Janzow