KNUTSON: Our lives, and 2016, revolve around ag

  Decades ago, one of my college professors said that students ultimately remember no more than one thing from any single class they take. Well, that's one of three things I remember from his class. But his larger point is valid. Over time, the years run together and memories dwindle. Though 2016 was certainly eventful, most of ultimately will remember only a few things from it. Like many of you, my life remolves around ag, so ag events dominate my memories. For now, at least, there are many of them. On the personal level, I remember planting juneberries and transplanting a 120-year-old rhubarb plant with my 80-year-old father on our family farm. And I remember the incredible crop yields, especially for soybeans, on most of our fields.
  On the professional level, I remember the mild winter and spring; the early start to planting; poor crop and livestock prices; all the rain in northeast North Dakota; the mild fall; the Dakota Access Pipeline protests; big yields that eased the pain of low crop prices; and for better or worse (or both), the election of a new president who promises big changes. On the personal/professional level, I remember attending the North American Agricultural Journalists annual convention in Washington and being selected for a National Press Foundation fellowship in St. Louis; the latter included a day-long visit to Monsanto's huge research facility there.   [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"3059878","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"359","title":"","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"480"}}]] For many area aggies, 2016 was difficult. Whether it was too much rain, low prices, the intrusion of the pipeline protest or something else, a lot of aggies suffered. I sympathize with those who did. But for me, personally, it was a good year. I enjoyed it. I hope you did it, too. My cover story in the Jan. 2 print issue of Agweek looks back at some of the top ag events in 2016.  Decades ago, one of my college professors said that students ultimately remember no more than one thing from any single class they take. Well, that's one of three things I remember from his class. But his larger point is valid. Over time, the years run together and memories dwindle. Though 2016 was certainly eventful, most of ultimately will remember only a few things from it. Like many of you, my life remolves around ag, so ag events dominate my memories. For now, at least, there are many of them. On the personal level, I remember planting juneberries and transplanting a 120-year-old rhubarb plant with my 80-year-old father on our family farm. And I remember the incredible crop yields, especially for soybeans, on most of our fields. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"3059891","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"359","title":"A 120-year-old rhubarb plant.","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"480"}}]]   On the professional level, I remember the mild winter and spring; the early start to planting; poor crop and livestock prices; all the rain in northeast North Dakota; the mild fall; the Dakota Access Pipeline protests; big yields that eased the pain of low crop prices; and for better or worse (or both), the election of a new president who promises big changes. On the personal/professional level, I remember attending the North American Agricultural Journalists annual convention in Washington and being selected for a National Press Foundation fellowship in St. Louis; the latter included a day-long visit to Monsanto's huge research facility there.  
For many area aggies, 2016 was difficult. Whether it was too much rain, low prices, the intrusion of the pipeline protest or something else, a lot of aggies suffered. I sympathize with those who did. But for me, personally, it was a good year. I enjoyed it. I hope you did it, too. My cover story in the Jan. 2 print issue of Agweek looks back at some of the top ag events in 2016. Decades ago, one of my college professors said that students ultimately remember no more than one thing from any single class they take. Well, that's one of three things I remember from his class.But his larger point is valid. Over time, the years run together and memories dwindle. Though 2016 was certainly eventful, most of ultimately will remember only a few things from it. Like many of you, my life remolves around ag, so ag events dominate my memories. For now, at least, there are many of them.On the personal level, I remember planting juneberries and transplanting a 120-year-old rhubarb plant with my 80-year-old father on our family farm. And I remember the incredible crop yields, especially for soybeans, on most of our fields.
 On the professional level, I remember the mild winter and spring; the early start to planting; poor crop and livestock prices; all the rain in northeast North Dakota; the mild fall; the Dakota Access Pipeline protests; big yields that eased the pain of low crop prices; and for better or worse (or both), the election of a new president who promises big changes.On the personal/professional level, I remember attending the North American Agricultural Journalists annual convention in Washington and being selected for a National Press Foundation fellowship in St. Louis; the latter included a day-long visit to Monsanto's huge research facility there. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"3059878","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"359","title":"","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"480"}}]]For many area aggies, 2016 was difficult. Whether it was too much rain, low prices, the intrusion of the pipeline protest or something else, a lot of aggies suffered. I sympathize with those who did.But for me, personally, it was a good year. I enjoyed it. I hope you did it, too.My cover story in the Jan. 2 print issue of Agweek looks back at some of the top ag events in 2016. Decades ago, one of my college professors said that students ultimately remember no more than one thing from any single class they take. Well, that's one of three things I remember from his class.But his larger point is valid. Over time, the years run together and memories dwindle. Though 2016 was certainly eventful, most of ultimately will remember only a few things from it. Like many of you, my life remolves around ag, so ag events dominate my memories. For now, at least, there are many of them.On the personal level, I remember planting juneberries and transplanting a 120-year-old rhubarb plant with my 80-year-old father on our family farm. And I remember the incredible crop yields, especially for soybeans, on most of our fields.[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"3059891","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"359","title":"A 120-year-old rhubarb plant.","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"480"}}]] On the professional level, I remember the mild winter and spring; the early start to planting; poor crop and livestock prices; all the rain in northeast North Dakota; the mild fall; the Dakota Access Pipeline protests; big yields that eased the pain of low crop prices; and for better or worse (or both), the election of a new president who promises big changes.On the personal/professional level, I remember attending the North American Agricultural Journalists annual convention in Washington and being selected for a National Press Foundation fellowship in St. Louis; the latter included a day-long visit to Monsanto's huge research facility there. 
For many area aggies, 2016 was difficult. Whether it was too much rain, low prices, the intrusion of the pipeline protest or something else, a lot of aggies suffered. I sympathize with those who did.But for me, personally, it was a good year. I enjoyed it. I hope you did it, too.My cover story in the Jan. 2 print issue of Agweek looks back at some of the top ag events in 2016.