I am a Voice for Agriculture, and I am Learning to Speak Up

"Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire".  I have never been one to stand around and watch idly as my dreams surpass me, so naturally it made sense for me to seize this amazing opportunity to spread truth about the industry that I love. You may have seen me posting more than usual on social media. I have started using hashtags, cool graphics and facts about livestock. But what is this #CAO16, and why do I use it so much?

What does C.A.O stand for?

First off, C.A.O is short for College Aggies Online. We are a bunch of passion ridden agriculture students and groups from across the U.S. Though we may not always be on the same side of the stadium come Saturday, we stand hand in hand when it comes to loving agriculture. If you feel the same, there is still time to sign up your group or club and compete for cash prizes by following this link: http://animalagalliance.org/connect/#collegeaggies . 

What is my role in #CAO16? 

As a 2016 competitor, my role in College Aggies Online is to create social media posts that reflect common misconceptions in the agricultural industries. Some of these hot topics include hormones, anti-biotic use and animal welfare. Each week for 9 weeks, there is a different animal theme. Via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and my blog, I tell Ag's story one post at a time. 

Who am I?

Who am I? Who am I? *begin terrible Eddy Murphy impression of Mushu from Mulan* I am the generous, the gregarious, the indispensable Dallas Dooley. I grew up on a small family farm where we raised everything but wages. After I left for college at New Mexico State University, my mom started a horse rescue called Phoenix Equine. She is a firm believer that bad things happen to good people, and she gives all horses a second chance at life and service. If you ask me, her compassion extends to more than just horses which is why our farm looks more like a petting zoo than a business. However, my mother's compassion is the trait I am most proud to have inherited. It allows me to step back and gives me time to try and understand when someone shares an opinion different than my own. Growing up on a farm taught me how to love and care for animals, though I was not always so good with the ones that could talk back (aka humans). After leaving the farm and going to a university that was several hours removed from my friends, family and animals, I started to get really involved to fill the void of farm chores. As a result, my social skills began to blossom. Years later, I am able to carry on a conversation with a brick wall if necessary, but I can still sympathize with agriculturalist who struggle with talking to people not directly related to the farm. I am a voice for agricultureand through College Aggies Online, I am learning to speak up. 

Time flies when you are having fun. Being a competitor in #CAO16 is no different. We are already at the end of week 3! If you are having a great time keeping up with all of our posts, don't fret because we still have 6 weeks to go. Don't forget to check back in with me for next week's theme: Crops.