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Seminar #2 - Artichokes invade Artesia

What life sustaining element does agriculture and the oil and gas industry share?  WATER!  Lots and lots of water! During the second meeting of the "Artichoke Fellows," in Artesia, NM we learned how both agriculture and the oil and gas industry use this limited resource, but still leave enough for its citizens. In our arid part of the world, water is scarce but these two industries who bring billions of dollars to our state economy rely heavily on water.  While many argue it's a waste of a precious resource, I was surprised to learn how both industries worked hard to conserve as much water as possible through updated technology, yet still remain successful in their operations.  We had the chance to hear from local farmers, industry experts, and elected officials on how this sacred resource keeps our state moving and operating. As an aspiring leader, the meeting I most enjoyed was with two State Representatives; Honorable James Townsend and Honorable Cathrynn Brown who rep
To start off this blog, I must first ask a few questions... What is leadership?  Who is a leader?  Are the qualities of a leader learned or is a person born with them?  How does one effectively and efficiently lead a group of people?  These questions (and many others) were posed to us "Artichoke Fellows" during our first meeting in January.  Ten strangers, each with different backgrounds, education, and careers started a journey to learn about and define leadership through the New Mexico Agricultural Leadership Program. In our short time together, we learned a little more about ourselves from professionals who are experts in their fields. We learned about our behavior, our personality, and our style of communication.  We discussed ways to effectively communicate with others who don't match our personality or communicate the way we do.  We also learned or were reminded that as "leaders" we need to be open minded, inclusive and equal to a diverse workforce...and i