My life in retrospect

This summer I spent more time in the air crossing time zones than I think I ever have. I was able to attend three very different meetings to present my research and speak about hempseed oil use in horses. Of course the summer kicked off with the bi-annual Equine Science Society Symposium in Dallas, TX where I presented some of my fatty acid results but more importantly I got to catch up with equine colleagues and friends from around the world. I’m not sure a conference can get any better than one that involves horses, line dancing, and bull riding!

I was also lucky enough to include a quick trip up to Oklahoma to visit with my cousin Heather and her family. The development of this relationship is the silver lining of my grandfather’s passing. The whole week then rounded out celebrating the love of two dear friends, Mr. & Dr. Weckman.

My next two stops were back to back trips to the Western half of the United States (where they claim to have “real” mountains – whatever that means). First up was my first trip to Big Sky Country. I was invited to share my research feeding hempseed oil to horses and serve on a panel about the benefits of hempseed products in livestock nutrition for the Montana Summer Hemp Summit hosted by IND Hemp. They sure know how to show a poor college student a good time. I landed in Great Falls and was instructed to take the little black truck with “HempAg” plates so that I had the freedom to get myself around.

I saw industrial hemp grain and fiber production at scale for the first time and witnessed fiber harvesting – which was honestly slightly terrifying to see a tractor with 4 “saw like” blades driving over 10mph into stands of hemp plants taller than the tractor itself. I have a new found respect for these farmers. While we talk about hemp being 80 years behind other commodities in terms of research and technology advancements, the innovation I saw during this trip was impressive. I’d say one benefit the hemp industry has (again silver linings – what can I say, it’s a motto in my life) over other commodities is the ability to learn from other’s mistakes and not repeat them, so in a small way, we might actually have a leg up.

In addition to the professional aspect of this trip, I also experienced life in the “golden triangle” part of the country. Winter wheat harvest was in full swing which so interesting to witness. The IND Hemp team had me stay in Fort Benton, home to their headquarters and processing facilities. This quaint town of 1500 is also called the birthplace of Montana and considered the furthest inland port. It was a critical stop in the journey of Louis and Clark and boasted some unique stories. Signs along the river walking trail indicated that the main street was once nicknamed the bloodiest street in the west due to the regular occurrence of duals that would break out.

The story of Shep will also bring a tear to any dog lover’s eye. A faithful 4-legged companion who followed his owners body to the train station as he was shipped back East, only to be met with disappointment every day for 5 years waiting for his arrival back home. That was until the fateful day he was struck by a train.

The downtown area had a lovely, local coffee shop called the WakeCup, which also boasted a prohibition style bar for evening entertainment – I became far too addicted to the delicious Lemon Poppy Seed Cake Bread, which is definitely a contributing factor in wanting to return.

Staying in Fort Benton meant I had to drive the 45 minutes into Great Falls each day but it allowed me take in the beautiful countryside. I wasn’t raised on a farm but everywhere I go I’m excited to learn about the agriculture practices of that area. However, I think what amazed me the most were the pronghorn antelope I saw. I felt as if I had been transformed to a foreign land that held secrets I was being given private access to. I was in awe.

My last night I was welcomed by my gracious host Morgan and her husband Logan to stay in their absolutely beautiful home. I enjoyed spending time, learning about each other – it’s fascinating to me how we enter other people’s lives.

I woke up the next day to Morgan watering her lawn in the peaceful solitude of morning. We enjoyed the breathtaking views of the river with its mountain backdrop from her front porch as I sat enjoying my coffee. They then allowed me to (almost) live my best cowgirl life (I fully expect horses next time Morgan!). I spent a few hours visiting their family’s farm, working (well mainly just seeing) some cattle and listening to some amazing stories from their matriarch. I was sad to leave but looking forward to being welcomed back. I also hear the river floating is to die for.

This meeting wasn’t a traditional scientific conference but was one of the most productive trips I’ve taken in regards to expanding my professional network. It was also incredibly educational as I got to see my first industrial hemp grain and fiber fields at scale. I admire the work the hemp fiber and grain folks are putting in to distance themselves from the association with cannabinoids. I’m excited for what the future in this industry holds for me.

I left Montana to return home for four days before turning around and heading back to Mountain Standard Time (just long enough to readjust and then turn my sleep schedule upside down all over again). This time my destination was Denver.

While this trip didn’t boast nearly as many sites to see, I was excited to chat with colleagues and I benefited by making several new professional connections. I presented on cannabinoid residuals in horses fed hempseed oil (with my really cool fabric poster). It was well received by attendees and generated a lot of conversation and connections with some of the people doing work in CBD and horses. I’m not as familiar with that area of the research since I prefer to focus on the nutrition but it’s interesting to hear what’s being developed.

If I’m being honest though, the best part of this trip was visiting with some old friends I haven’t seen in years. My dear friends Riley and Claudia trekked all the way to downtown Denver (which is asking a lot I learned) and visited with me at one of the local breweries. We spent a lot of time together when we all lived in Knoxville so it was a really fun reunion. Pursuing higher education has so many benefits but the unfortunate drawback is that your closest friends during graduate school often spread themselves out to follow their professional dreams.

I honestly never saw this life for myself but I’m incredibly grateful for where this twisting and winding path has taken me.