Associate Editor Jennifer M. Latzke has been with the Journal since 2000. She grew up near Woodbine, Kan. Latzke writes a bi-monthly column, “Common Ground,” which has garnered several professional awards. In 2010 she was named the Communicator of Achievement by the Kansas Professional Communicators and in 2007 she was named a Master Writer by the American Agricultural Editors Association. She is also a graduate of Class X of the Kansas Agricultural and Rural Leadership program. Latzke can be reached by phone at 620-227-1807, or by e-mail at jlatzke@hpj.com.
This little tidbit of good advice from my dad, the king of road trips, has served me well over the years. Following Dad’s advice, I took a little detour through Estes Park and on over to the Rocky Mountain National Park on my way home from Loveland. As I navigated the twisting Highway 34 into the park and I let my mind wander a little, I realized that I’d maybe missed Dad’s subtle point all those years ago.
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118 Articles:
MAY 6, 2013 —Dear College Me…
But, when you are in your 30s and can’t remember that specific lesson on plant genetics from the one agronomy class you had to take to graduate, don’t worry. The guy sitting there in your news and feature writing class will wind up working at Kansas Farm Bureau and will be a great friend and source. The girls you study biology and chemistry with today will wind up working on public relations accounts you’ll cover tomorrow. [Read More]
APR 15, 2013 —Nothing really changes
This past weekend as I sat up in the announcer’s stand behind the mic, I looked around and realized that fitting techniques and cattle might change, but some things don’t change. They have this easy camaraderie that they’ve developed over years of twisting tails, lining up kids and cattle, scooping manure and running class after class through the ring. By my side in the announcer stand is that co-superintendent’s daughter who’s grown now, but she’s back home and helping out with the show. [Read More]
APR 1, 2013 —Where's my party?
There’s no shower, party, gala, ball, announcement, or festival to mark the day when one pays off a student loan. If the 13th wedding anniversary gift by tradition is lace or textiles, what’s the gift for 13 years to pay off a student loan? According to the Federal Reserve Board of New York, there are about 37.1 million student loan borrowers with outstanding student loans today. [Read More]
MAR 18, 2013 —That's hot
The speaker was Greg Duerksen, president of Kincannon & Reed, an executive search firm that specializes in agribusiness, and he was speaking on a panel at the 2013 Bayer CropScience Ag Issues Forum in Kissimmee, Fla. Duerksen went on to talk about how headhunting for a new generation in agribusiness means adjusting the scope of the search from just the animal science and agronomy colleges to the business and liberal arts colleges as well. Duerksen said that with all of the science, ... [Read More]
MAR 4, 2013 —Counting the blessings, one flake at a time
And yes, shoveling snow isn't fun, but it is good exercise. Think about all of the memories you make on a snow day--the snowmen, the snow angels, the snowball fights and forts. There's time on a snow day, when all the chores are done, that dads and moms turn into little kids sledding and making snow ice cream. [Read More]
FEB 18, 2013 —Give her a heifer
The folks at Certified Angus Beef encourage their Facebook followers to buy "a big, beautiful Certified Angus Beef brand steak, slap on a bow and give it to your sweetie with a card: "You're so rare! This Valentine's Day, the charity Heifer Project International is offering an alternative to flowers and chocolates. The livestock that are donated through Heifer Project aren't just sources of food, but they help improve the economy of the villagers. [Read More]
FEB 4, 2013 —Poster board, PowerPoints and puppets
Try looking up factoids to sprinkle into your talk about the evolution of British breeds of cattle at 10 p.m. the night before your Saturday 8 a.m. speech without Google or Wikipedia, kids. Back in my day, glitter paint using military surplus stencils on neon poster board was the height of sophistication. Of course, this also necessitated a well-stocked supply of poster board, letter stencils and markers, which was rare around the Latzke household. [Read More]
JAN 21, 2013 —Rural by choice
There's a grassroots effort out of the Kansas Sampler Foundation called the PowerUp movement that aims to answer some of these questions and remind people that it's OK to be "rural by choice." But this group of 21- to 39-year-olds who are rural by choice is looking outside of those traditional venues to brainstorm ways of improving the quality of life in rural towns. From creative financing of start-up businesses, to social gatherings for young people, to finding affordable housing in a ... [Read More]
JAN 7, 2013 —A toilet paper movement
I learned about the Chamber of Greater Franklin County in Hampton, Iowa, and its program, "Buy One Product Local." Now, not all of that toilet paper was bought in the county, so they also figured that the amount actually spent in-county on toilet paper was about $335,800. What if we all committed to buying our toilet paper from the grocery store in our small town? [Read More]
DEC 17, 2012 —Christmas confessions
DEC 3, 2012 —A Mayan Bucket List
NOV 19, 2012 —Food is food
NOV 5, 2012 —You don't have to attend every argument
OCT 15, 2012 —Porch sitting, Warrior style
OCT 1, 2012 —The Nanny Goat Diaries
SEP 17, 2012 —Temporary heartbreak, a lesson for life
SEP 3, 2012 —Have you 'tweeted' today?
AUG 20, 2012 —Dungeons and gym classes
AUG 6, 2012 —Doorway eyes
JUL 16, 2012 —Dark and stormy mornings
JUL 2, 2012 —A mark on the wall
JUN 18, 2012 —A peek into the past
JUN 4, 2012 —A 'Siri-ous' situation
MAY 21, 2012 —A supermoon to remember
MAY 7, 2012 —Zumba at your own risk
APR 16, 2012 —Two platypi are more fun
APR 2, 2012 —The ick factor
MAR 19, 2012 —Farmers rock
MAR 5, 2012 —Regional snobbery
FEB 20, 2012 —Progress trumps the mail
FEB 6, 2012 —Sorry, Kodak
JAN 16, 2012 —Organizing the un-organizable
JAN 2, 2012 —Worrier or warrior?
DEC 19, 2011 —Wading through the noise for a real Christmas
DEC 5, 2011 —The little book
NOV 21, 2011 —A simple prayer of thanks
NOV 7, 2011 —Everywhere you look is a friend
OCT 17, 2011 —The record book routine
SEP 19, 2011 —Ordinary people doing extraordinary deeds
SEP 5, 2011 —Show and tell
AUG 15, 2011 —Project Runway meets the sheep project
AUG 1, 2011 —To the stars through difficulty
JUL 18, 2011 —To have a friend you must be one
JUL 4, 2011 —Animals will break your heart
JUN 20, 2011 —Side trips and detours
JUN 6, 2011 —Frame-worthy reminder
MAY 16, 2011 —Playing in dirt
MAY 2, 2011 —Unexpected leadership lessons
APR 18, 2011 —Appreciation for the minor things
MAR 21, 2011 —They're sending us to Vietnam
MAR 7, 2011 —A holiday we can all get behind
FEB 21, 2011 —Bring it on, February
FEB 7, 2011 —Zen and the art of painting
JAN 17, 2011 —Snow days on the farm
JAN 3, 2011 —Whom should I sue?
DEC 20, 2010 —He really does exist
DEC 6, 2010 —I've really been good this year
NOV 15, 2010 —More than the menu
NOV 1, 2010 —The end of schnitzel
OCT 18, 2010 —Adults make 4-H possible
OCT 4, 2010 —Consumer education on the midway
SEP 20, 2010 —Beef, the new fabric of our lives
SEP 6, 2010 —The midnight train to Chicago
AUG 16, 2010 —Read the instructions and believe them
AUG 2, 2010 —The most bizarre promotion ever
JUL 26, 2010 —It's about the kids
JUL 5, 2010 —The AB Positive Cafe
JUN 21, 2010 —I fought the lawn, and the lawn won
JUN 7, 2010 —Monumental lessons
MAY 17, 2010 —The hand-me-down kid
MAY 3, 2010 —Mommy Fix-It
APR 19, 2010 —Sniff, sniff, ahhh...
MAR 15, 2010 —Comfort isn't only from ingredients
MAR 1, 2010 —House gnomes and fairies
FEB 15, 2010 —Pickup 'man'
FEB 1, 2010 —Advanced laundry skills grow from farm experience
JAN 18, 2010 —Get past the fear
JAN 4, 2010 —Similar tastes but individual processes
DEC 7, 2009 —The way to a man's heart is through a gadget?
NOV 16, 2009 —Farming with a mouse click
NOV 2, 2009 —At my best
OCT 19, 2009 —Small town Halloweens were the best
OCT 5, 2009 —What would Dorothy do?
SEP 21, 2009 —The yard sale
SEP 7, 2009 —Have you "Tweeted" today?
AUG 17, 2009 —The adventure of camping
AUG 3, 2009 —There's always next weekend
JUL 20, 2009 —The best part of the county fair
JUL 6, 2009 —A tradition 50 years strong
JUN 15, 2009 —Fatherhood in the land of Make-Believe
JUN 1, 2009 —Plans can change
MAY 18, 2009 —Cow dog leadership
MAY 4, 2009 —A limestone foundation
APR 20, 2009 —Potlucks are key to family status
MAR 16, 2009 —The case of the missing Cool Whip
MAR 2, 2009 —Choose your 'tude
FEB 16, 2009 —Valentine from the heart
FEB 2, 2009 —Can't put a good book down
JAN 19, 2009 —Catwalk-worthy coveralls
JAN 5, 2009 —More fun than a platypus
DEC 15, 2008 —Re-lighting the Christmas spirit
DEC 1, 2008 —Staying home on Black and Blue Friday
NOV 17, 2008 —Show thanks for our "treasures"
NOV 3, 2008 —I just wanted a s'more
OCT 20, 2008 —Revenge of the elm trees
OCT 6, 2008 —Dear Mr. or Ms. Politician-
SEP 1, 2008 —Grandma's carbon footprint
AUG 18, 2008 —The sentinels of the fair
AUG 4, 2008 —Entertainment world can translate into agriculture
JUL 14, 2008 —A serial concern
JUL 7, 2008 —Greener pastures
JUN 16, 2008 —The year of discovery
JUN 2, 2008 —Conversations with Dad
MAR 3, 2008 —Secrets to the universe found in a handbag
FEB 4, 2008 —Single life in farm country
JAN 21, 2008 —Seed catalog mania
JAN 7, 2008 —Counting down to t-h-i-r-t-y
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