This last weekend, Jack and I were given the incredible opportunity to go to Denver, Colorado for an American Farm Bureau Conference that encompassed both Young Farmers & Ranchers and Women’s Leadership nationwide. I recently accepted a committee seat on the Arkansas State Women’s Committee and was thrilled beyond words to attend this conference with all our Arkansas Farm Bureau family. To say we are blessed to be apart of this organization would be an incredible understatement. We jumped on a plane from Little Rock airport and landed in Denver within two hours! We got off and bought our tickets to the Amtrak, which took us to Union Station. It was late, but it was still very pretty all lit up in the evening time. From there, we got an Uber to our hotel in downtown Denver and checked in. Over the course of the next days, we attended sessions, networked with other farmers and ranchers from all over the nation, saw the city, and got to hear Temple Grandin speak.

(that last part is still wild to me. You want to talk about a woman who revolutionized the beef cattle industry? That’s Temple Grandin.)

Before I get into what I learned, a few travel must-haves for Denver!

1. BRUNCH at The Delectable Egg, DINNER at The Urban Farmer, and MILKSHAKES at The Yard

2. We used Uber most places. The traffic was hard to get around because of all the construction.

3. The weather in Denver this time of year is crazy! Friday was 28 degrees and it was 73 degrees when we flew out on Monday! Keep an eye on the weather!

Now that we got that out of the way, I want to share with you a little about meeting Temple Grandin.

First of all, I saw her movie once as a child. I was enthralled with it. I was watching a young woman change the way people saw animals, and while I didn’t grow up in agriculture, I did grow up to love animals. Even as a little girl, Temple Grandin was the ultimate. Now as an adult woman, she still is the ultimate.

Imagine the 1970’s. Imagine being a woman in a “mans” occupation. Temple was designing beef processing plants, making adjustments to create a safer and less stressful environment for the livestock, and her ideas were working. There were many a foreman that did not care for this.

So take being a woman in a man’s world, and now add an autism diagnosis.

Now most people would make that diagnosis their entire life. What I mean by that is, they may use it as an excuse to not do some things or an excuse to do other things. They may see it as a disability, and not as a superpower the way that Temple Grandin does. The way she sees the world, in visual pictures, is something that is so remarkable to me. The problems she has been able to solve and the issues that she can see from a totally different perspective is what makes her amazing.

Before her session, I was able to snag a couple of her books and get in line to have her sign them. While most authors would sign and move on, Temple Grandin looked at my face, looked at my badge, and made sure she spelled my name right. I then got to speak with her for a few moments before Jack joined me. When Jack joined in, he asked her a question that made her eyes light up. “What is your favorite breed of cattle?” My goodness she started off talking about Hereford cattle, why she likes them, what is happening to our cattle breeds as we continue to breed for growth and not take overall health into accountability. This woman spoke, and we listened. It was apparent she was one of the most well versed people I have ever heard in the agriculture realm.

Now if you want to hear her speak about her life, I highly recommend it. I recommend you read her books, listen to her presentations, and see what an incredible woman this is for yourself. Personally, I believe that this woman has set a standard that I know I may never attain, but would love to try towards. She is knowledgeable, well-spoken, and vibrant. It is apparent that she does what she loves, and loves to share it. She is passionate, a giver, and all around a wonderful person. She did not let the labels or the levels keep her from accomplishing what she has. She has used them to her advantage. It’s her superpower.

Don’t let the labels and levels hinder you. Use them. Let them be YOUR superpower.

xoxo,

Abigail Meredith