English 320 Blog

 The 96th National FFA Convention and Expo was held in Indianapolis Indiana from November 1-4. I had the opportunity to relive my high school days and attend the convention. I had many great experiences that I will not forget.  My journey through FFA has been an inconsistent one. When I first started, I wasn't totally convinced that it was something I wanted to put my time and effort into. It was after attending my first national convention that I was really consumed into the magic of this program.  Throughout my time in FFA I competed in a variety of contests from small animal care to agronomy to extemporaneous public speaking. These three events taught me a lot. Agronomy helped prepare me for my future career in crop and weed sciences. It broadened my horizons in grain grading and crop identification. Extemporaneous speaking enhanced my public speaking skills, and made me more comfortable conversing with others.  I was very grateful to attend the 96th National FFA ...

When people think of their biggest accomplishment, they probably have positive memories surrounding it. They probably feel pride and successful. However when I think of my biggest accomplishment, I think of the days that lead up to it.  The week leading up to my proudest accomplishment was probably one of the most petrifying and emotional weeks of my life. It all started on the famous October blizzard. I had gotten home early from school that day due to the roads starting to be covered in snow. I was sitting in my room listening to music and putting clothes away. My dad came downstairs and laid on the couch to watch TV. He hadn't been feeling good that week, so he was taking the snow as a chance to take it easy.  My family was all relaxing and taking in the unexpected snow day. My dad had just finished up in the field earlier that day after battling breakdown after breakdown in the damp cold temperatures. He had a little bit of a fever, but nothing any of us were very worried ...

   Think about the food you ate in the last 24 hours. If you ate any chips, bread, cereal, pasta sauce, or tomatoes then it is possible you have eaten a GMO. If you ate any corn, potatoes, or rice, then you may have eaten a GMO. Did you know that 70 to 80 percent of foods in the United States have ingredients that have been genetically modified? From Pringles to papaya, grocery store shelves are stocked with GMOs. In fact, the cotton in your shirt is a GMO. Now you’re probably wondering “what is a GMO?” A GMO is a genetically modified organism engineered to influence food quality, production, and safety.  Through the history of GMOs we learn that they undergo a long approval process but are still subject to controversy.       Contrary to what many believe, GMOs have been around for millions of years. Without knowing, our ancestors used selective breeding and artificial selection to change an organism's genes in their everyday lives. According to Harvar...

 As fall arrives, many farmers are busy in the field harvesting. The main thought may be to get the crop out of the field, but many farmers also have conservation on their mind. Since they are busy taking crops out of the field, the main protectors of our soil are being taken away. This is why many farmers are planting cover crops.    Although some may know what cover crops are, they may not know how these crops can benefit soil health and conservation. Cover crops are used for two main reasons, to control erosion and add spring forage. There are also many more benefits to cover crops. A cover crop is a plant that is used to slow erosion, improve water availability, build soil health, kill weeds, help control diseases and pests. Cover crops help decrease the amount of erosion during thunderstorms, or when the snow is melting. They do this by slowing the speed of the running water, and therefore slowing the speed of the soil particles within the water. Raising cover crops ...

 My name is Lilly Bina and I grew up by Lankin, ND. I was raised on my family's farm, where we grow around 15 different crops on about 5,000 acres. Throughout my childhood, I drove tractor, took care of the garden, and helped take care of the farm crew. Growing up on a farm shaped me into who I am today. It was the farm that lead me to major in Crop and Weed Science at NDSU. I am currently a Senior, and am emphasizing in Agronomy. When I'm not focusing on schoolwork, I am participating in my extracurricular activities such as Saddle and Sirloin, Sigma Alpha, and my work at Clark Quarter Horses.   I hope to graduate from NDSU this spring. After college, there are a few different career routes that I might take. The first plan I am considering is graduate school. This is an idea that I recently had, so I am unsure what most of it would look like. My second route after graduating is to travel abroad to Europe for a year. I hope to find a job in the agricultural industry some...