But more recently, I think there’s another phrase that carries a similar weight: “Don’t mess with the West.” Or more specifically – don’t mess with its public lands.

Whether it’s a developing a mitigation plan, modernizing water infrastructure, understanding how a changing climate impacts water resources or getting involved and making sure legislators know just have important this resource is, they are all pioneering efforts for tomorrow.

The danger is that AI is using us more than we are using it. It is literally just recalling info from info it has absorbed from something else. For those reasons, we are choosing to use it sparingly. If you want the purest form of a message, you need to go to the original source – the place AI is learning from.

After we got home, my friend texted me apologizing for the chaos – for the moments she thought she was yelling too much and for what she considered a messy house. Of course, I hadn’t noticed any of that and reassured her everything was just fine. What I didn’t have the words for at the time, and what I really wanted her to know, is that I actually appreciate the real and the raw. I’ve always felt a connection to her because she is, in fact, human.

We’ve all experienced that “small world” moment when you realize someone you just met knows someone you know.

There’s always plenty happening in agriculture – much of it beyond our control.

Now, I’m a sucker for a good quote, and during the Magic Valley Soil Health Forum in Twin Falls, I collected plenty of gems worth sharing. The meeting began with an open-mic-style segment where attendees offered their “words of wisdom” from their farm or industry experience. Many focused on soil health, but all of these nuggets can be applied to any area of business.

If I’m being honest, I can be pretty hard on myself – which might explain why the celebration of a new year isn’t always my favorite.

“No,” she replied, catching me off guard. I braced for a typical toddler response, but instead, she added, “Willow went to live with Jesus, and that makes me happy.”

Agriculture isn’t easy; it has a way of molding and stretching a person, but that’s what makes this way of life so rewarding. And that my friends, is truly a good life.