Class XII Explores Communication Skills at Seminar 2
Day 1
Class XII traveled to Brookings for our second seminar, convening at the Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium on the campus of South Dakota State University. We started our seminar by getting reacquainted and breaking into Peer Learning Teams. The peer teams then outlined our goals for this seminar which is focused on improving our communication skills.
Lunch was enjoyed with Dana Dykhouse as we heard his story of growing up and some defining moments that led to his success. He thanked the class for their commitment to leadership and challenged us to meet people we normally wouldn’t, see things we have never seen, and gain skills to take into leadership. Dana outlined his path to success and SDSU’s journey from moving to NCAA Division 1 to building the new stadium. Dana emphasized three steps necessary to accomplish anything, a vision, passion, and a plan. In closing Dana talked of his involvement in developing and growing the Build Dakota scholarship which has been instrumental in educating and retaining our youth in South Dakota. Dana stressed the importance of building for the future and not fixating excessively on the past. After lunch, our class was guided on a tour of the stadium by Josh Sell which concluded with a class picture at midfield.
Next, our class traveled northwest of Brookings to Hammink Dairy. Owners and founders, Wim and Nicolien (SDARL Class V), graciously welcomed Class XII for a tour of their dairy operation. Their story of traveling from their home country in the Netherlands in 1995 with three young children and the hope of starting a dairy was inspiring. I am always impressed by how efficient modern dairy operations are. The Hamminks are no exception, utilizing modern technology and years of experience to build an impressive operation. They are currently in the process of adding a digester to capture methane which will be pumped into a natural gas pipeline north of their farm. In closing the Hamminks emphasized the value of their employees as a key to their success.
Our first day concluded with a dinner at McCrory Gardens sponsored by Visit Brookings and the SDSU College of Agriculture, Food, & Environmental Sciences. We were blessed by the presence of several SDARL alumni and guests, and SDSU football coach emeritus John Stiegelmeier. John talked of his humble beginnings and events that formed who he is and changed his mindset along his journey in life. John shared stories of his career and defining moments along the way. He talked of his slogan, MAD, meaning “make a difference,” and people who made a difference in his life. He left us with a challenge to think of those who made a difference in our lives and to pay it forward by making a difference in someone else’s. I’m always amazed at the coach’s humility and his simple approach to life.
Day 2
On day two of our second seminar, Class XII met at Millborn / Renovo Seeds in Brookings. We were welcomed by Matt Fenske, Marcus Heemstra (SDARL Class XI), Shannon Kubik (SDARL Class XI), and Dani Murray (SDARL Class XI). The team gave us a presentation on Millborn Seeds, Renovo Seeds, and their sister company AgSpire followed by a tour of their facility. Matt talked about the growth of the company and the importance of developing core values. By clearly outlining their core values, purpose, identity, and mission they were able to effectively build their team. Matt also explained the importance of succession and having a clear path forward for a company. We then split off into our Peer Learning Teams to work on our three-minute presentations to be given later in the day. A delicious lunch was enjoyed courtesy of Millborn’s company chef. Having a company chef prepare meals has improved the effectiveness and camaraderie of the Millborn employees.
Class XII was joined at lunch by Ty Eschenbaum (SDARL Class VII), who gave an inspirational talk about his life. Ty told the story of being diagnosed at age 15 with cancer, tragically losing his young fiancée, Autumn, and also losing his brother Calder. Despite the struggles and misfortune in his life, Ty has not only persevered but thrived and is an inspiration to all. Ty talked about the blessings that come from hardship and his appreciation of the small things in life. To honor the ones lost, Ty started the Ty Eschenbaum Foundation providing scholarships to young cancer survivors, supporting Make-A-Wish, and sustaining faith-based ministry. Ty also touched briefly on his work in development in South Dakota and his company, A1 Development Solutions. They have had a large impact in helping many value-added ag ventures get projects started. Ty credits his success and resilience to his faith, gratefulness, and his realization of how short life is.
After the class members gave their three-minute presentations we met at Bel Brands for a tour of their cheese manufacturing facility. It was very interesting to have seen the entire process on our seminar, starting with a dairy tour and then the cheese-making process. After the tour we had a great discussion with some of the employees of Bel Brands and learned about the culture of their company.
After a short break Class XII was welcomed for dinner at the home of John (SDARL Class VI) and Jodi Melius along with additional hosts Shaun Rausch (SDARL Class VIII), Jackson Waage (SDARL Class X), and Marcus (SDARL Class XI) and Holly Heemstra. A wonderful meal, sponsored by Hurley & Associates, Millborn Seeds, and Renovo Seeds, was enjoyed along with some great fellowship. It is great to see the class engaging in some deep conversations as we all get more acquainted.
Day 3
On the final day of our second seminar, Class XII met at SDSU’s student union. The morning started off with a presentation from Dr. Joe Cassady, South Dakota Corn Endowed Dean of the College of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences and SDARL board member. Dr. Cassady gave an overview of the college, its successes, and the challenges ahead of them. Most notable was the decline in rural population which historically is the supply of incoming students. Dr. Cassady also touched on the importance of finding that balance between work and personal life as a key to his success. Dr. Bob Thaler, professor and SDSU Extension Swine Specialist was next to give an overview of his involvement at SDSU. He noted the success the college has had in adding updated facilities and the positive impacts they have on the university.
Lura Roti (SDARL Class IV) and Sarah Hill (SDARL Class IX) were next to present to the class. Lura highlighted the importance of engaging the media to get your content out. She highlighted the best approach and strategy across the different media channels. The class worked through some examples and exercises to become more comfortable with being on camera and discussed ways to gain confidence in the process. Finally, Lura talked about how to handle situations when the media makes mistakes and strategies to use to help reduce the risk of any misrepresentation. Sarah gave a presentation focused around social media and the impact it has today. Sarah went through the differences among the various platforms and the demographics of the users. Sarah outlined the effectiveness and emphasized the importance of content, analytics, and being consistent to keep engagement with your audience. Sarah also touched on how to handle negative posts and strategies for dealing with criticism. We closed out this segment by working on our personal LinkedIn pages.
Our final presenter of the day was Logan Joyce. Logan, a Strengths certified trainer, personal development coach, and president of Gray Matter Growth, guided the class through their results of the CliftonStrengths assessment taken prior to the seminar. We broke into groups on several occasions to talk about our strengths and how they correlate to instances in our work and personal lives. As Logan walked through the various strengths, he outlined the positives and the challenges of each along with strategies in working with them. He also emphasized the importance of clarifying your story. Logan left the class with a couple of exercises, identifying our core values and drafting a vision of our future, to work on before our next session with him.
Before closing our second seminar, Class XII spent time reflecting on our week and each member highlighted a moment that had an impact on them. With three days filled with excellent presentations and stories it was difficult to only identify one. It has been great to see the class opening up and sharing our stories as we’ve become more comfortable with one another. I left Brookings feeling invigorated and excited about our January seminar in Pierre.
By Seminar Reporter Taylor Sumption
Photos courtesy of Dani Herring and SDARL
Special thanks to Seminar Team Leaders Nick Passone and Phil DeGroot
