Grounded Communications

Spent a couple of hours helping out on the garden/farm…. Lots of weeding, some shredding cardboard for compost, etc. love being involved locally vis the St Louis Forum.

This week for we are checking in with Quentin Connealy!

Quentin is a corn and soybean farm on what he calls the east coast of Nebraska -- he's right along the river/state line in a small town called Tekamah. That's where he grew up on his family's farm in the Missouri River Bottoms.

Quentin went to Dana College & earned a degree in iMedia with an emphasis in business, and a minor in Spanish. Following graduation, he moved back to Tekamah to work as a hired hand on the farm. Shortly after he began renting ground and farming himself and was able to move onto the family homestead in 2013. Since then he has become an active voice in agriculture on social media.

His rise to fame took off in 2017 when he captured a video of himself wakeboarding on his flooded cornfield. The video has amassed over a million views and was shared to news outlets around the U.S. He's the kind of guy who will find a way through tough times like flooding and will probably laugh a bit in the process while also talking about the reality of how tough that is.

Since then, he has become a voice that farmers from across the country watch and rely on through his truth-filled posts and witty humor. Today he farms in partnership with his mother and uncle.

Quentin is included in all our program offerings. He is one of the farmers who talks about how their family farm came into being, how decisions are made about the business, the connections he has to his community with generations of family having attended the same schools and more. He also gives us a tangible reminder that infrastructure in rural areas isn't always top notch -- his cell phone signal provides evidence!

First impressions matter in ag like everywhere else. And farmers always notice whether you support them or not, even if you aren't thinking about something like what you wear or order on the menu.

Headed to a cotton farm? We would advise you pass up that polyester suit for a cotton hoodie and jeans. Besides showing you buy cotton, you'll probably be more comfortable if you need to get up on equipment or spend a lot of time in the field.

Lessons learned the hard way stick with you for a lifetime. Years ago someone shipped football jerseys to a bunch of cotton farmers. The box had a cut out so it was clear what was inside. Instead of seeing a cool jersey, farmers saw the tag that said it was 100% polyester and "made in China." Those are often the two biggest things that make cotton demand and prices fall -- synthetic fiber and global shifts in production & manufacturing.

Learn the hard lessons the easy way with our programs!