Agriculture, Business, Fundraising, and Fun…

Between my agricultural background and experience working for the State of Montana promoting “value-added” business enterprises that encouraged the growth of businesses utilizing Montana agricultural commodities, I get excited every time I read about a success story that builds on locally produced commodities, and builds brand recognition around a whole new product.  Combine that with my M.B.A. and the understanding of the many challenges associated with small business development, and I have great respect for the people that take on these challenges and work to build our local economy. 

One such business in Montana that has successfully grown into a strong new category with a series of businesses spread across the state has been local micro-breweries.  They operate under some strict state rules and regulations, but have been able to create new jobs, and utilize products that Montana grows in great quality and quantity. 

Now, one of these local breweries, Lewis & Clark Brewing, has agreed to host a fundraiser for us!  On Tuesday, June 5, 2012, a portion of their sales will be donated to World Venture in support of our economic development work in Bolivia.  Quinn & Dana will both be on hand from 4-8 pm that day to host this event, share pictures of Bolivia, and visit about what we will be doing while we live in Bolivia for three years.  This should be a unique opportunity to visit with a lot of people we haven’t had an opportunity to visit with recently, and we look forward to seeing many people.

If you are in town, and can make it, please plan to join us Tuesday, June 5, to encourage the use of business success to promote positive community change, and hopefully engage in some great conversations about what we are planning to be involved with in Bolivia.  We hope to see you there.

Bury my heart in Montana

I was out for an early morning trail run, thinking about how much I love Montana.  I mean, I love it here.  I first came to the Big Sky state to move to Lame Deer, on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation.  I had been working on DC’s Capitol Hill, and had competed for an opportunity to help this community lay the ground work for a food bank.  So I left my silk suits and heels on the East Coast and headed out in my 1982 Chevy Citation.

Wanting to establish a good reputation in Lame Deer I didn’t travel off the Res too much.  Sometimes teachers are hired for the school, but go out of town every weekend, not putting down roots.  My position was for only 6 months, so I wanted to learn and see as much as I could.  I learned that to be given a nick name was a good sign—and my long blonde hair plus same colored car earned me the nick name of Goldilocks.  At least my car kind of fit in.

This was my first trip ever to Montana and I was hooked.  That year I “helped” herd cows through the gorgeous badlands and prairie, went to pow wows, and made friends with several Northern Cheyenne people for whom I have great respect.  But this corner of Montana was just a sliver of this state’s greatness.

After a required move back to DC, a trip to Kenya and the inevitable, “now what should I do with my life panic?!” I had to be honest with myself.  I wanted to go back to Montana.

Now, coming from “back East” as they say here, Montana isn’t on anyone’s radar.  Maybe you might hear about a neat family vacation to Yellowstone, but this one zip-code state isn’t exactly code for “arriving” in one’s career.  It seemed like all my friends were living abroad or living in Manhattan (and I don’t mean Manhattan, MT).  While job hunting in DC's hot August, there was a two week series on PBS called “The West” by Ken Burns.  It’s romantic, historic, and I was smitten with the idea.  So when a position opened up in the Governor’s Office in Helena—I tried not to beg too overtly for them to hire me.  Fortunately, they did!

So once again I packed up the 1982 Chevy Citation that my New York cousins had learned to drive in, and headed West.  It- was- glorious.  With no FM radio in the car, there was plenty of time to swoon over the landscape and grow wild about my hopes for living in Helena.

Montana has not disappointed.  I love it here now as much as that first week waking up in the Mansion district (which was so cool as I rented the apartment sight unseen).  But this brings me to my current burial season.

Yes, as much as I love my friends here, met my awesome husband here and adore his ranching family, it’s time to bury my heart in Montana.   There’s parts of my heart that I must leave here for a time, to open up new space for a new love.

My growing love is for Bolivia.  While the sights, poverty, elevation, people will all be different, this place is capturing my imagination, passion and hopes for what God in His mercy will do through my family in the next 3 years.

So if I look nostalgic, I am.  I love it here.  But from a big sky to a big world, Bolivia is my new love.

       ~ Dana

The Growth Stage is Boring!

It's been a crazy year so far!  Dana & I have just completed a class that we started in January and has kept us very busy with reading and homework every week.

This class is called Perspectives on the Global Christian Movement, and was a ton of great information.  I've never been a real history buff, but I did enjoy some of the more in-depth explorations of history.  From looking at the Great Commission throughout the Old & New Testaments, to considering the times of Genghis Khan, the Vikings, Monk Orders, and even the travesty that was the Crusades, we looked at a lot of interesting information.  I have to admit though, I am thrilled to be done with this, and moving on to the next stage.

Jalapeno plant started in the Holzer house.

And that is what the year 2012 feels like in many ways...  a stage that simply must be gone through in order to get to where we actually are doing life as we envision it.  Sometimes it is too easy to be looking past this year at what will undoubtedly be a major adventure and challenge for us.  But the reality is that we have some very important development steps to complete in order to set the foundation for a successful three year stint.

Kellton & I have been having fun starting plants indoors this year for eventual transplant into a garden box and containers outside.  My favorites are the Jalapenos that are currently really going through some great stages of growth, and Kellton is so thrilled to see the amazing speed of growth exhibited by the Sunflower plants.

Regardless of the plant though, it has to go through a series of stages before the fruit can be enjoyed. Water, light, soil, fertilizer: they all play an important role in getting there.  Oh yeah, and time.

I'm slowly coming to realize the importance of the process of preparation, even it is frustrating at times, and hopefully the knowledge we gain, the support network we build, and the connections developed will provide a better foundation for delivering sustainable fruit in Bolivia.