Last weekend was the South Dakota State Fair.  I love attending this fair, not that I’m a big fair goer anyways, but I like going to fairs in South Dakota.  It seems like SD people don’t forget where they are from or who they are.  They know that agriculture is a big part of their lives and drives our economy and it is noticeable when you attend the state fair.  It is also a great time to see friends as well as meet new ones.  This year at the fair as I was helping with some early morning FFA livestock shows, one of the state officers sees me and shouts, “Mr. Franken, isn’t it the best day ever?”  It took me off guard right away until I replied, “Yes it is.”  As I think more about this, wouldn’t it be great to always have this positive outlook on life.  Wouldn’t we be a much happier society and funner place to live?  So I am challenging myself to see life this way. 

I found an interesting article on soil.  When farmers use up their topsoil it can take years to replenish it, could it be a possibility to get that soil from Mars?  It seems a little far-fetched, but read the following article and comment on what you think.

Mars Soil Resembles Veggie-Garden Dirt, Lander Finds

Soil near the north pole of Mars is surprisingly Earthlike, with a pH not unlike many vegetable gardens, according to preliminary results from the Phoenix Mars Lander.

“You might be able to grow asparagus in it, but strawberries, probably not very well,” said Samuel Kounaves, a chemistry professor at Tufts University, during a NASA press conference this afternoon.

Previous data from the two rovers exploring Mars’s equatorial zones had suggested that the geochemistry on the red planet might have been too acidic to support most forms of Earth-type life.

But as little as an inch (2.5 centimeters) beneath the surface, dirt from Mars’s arctic plains proved to be very similar to alkaline soils on Earth, with a pH between 8 and 9. The pH scale goes from 0 (acidic) to 14 (alkaline).

The finding is good news in the hunt for signs that Mars was or could now be habitable.

“This means there is a broader range of organisms that can grow [in it],” said Kounaves, who works with the lander’s Microscopy, Electrochemistry, and Conductivity Analyzer (MECA).

“But Mars is a huge place, whose soils might differ radically from spot to spot,” Kounaves said. “We have to remember that we’re looking at tiny areas.”

Just got back from the Region III NAAE conference in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. It was a great conference with ag teachers from around our region and it made me think, which is always a little scary. Why don’t more people take advantage of professional growth opportunities? In whatever career field you are in, shouldn’t you want to always try to get better. It is when we reach that level of complacency that our performance really starts to suffer. It was encouraging to see young teachers at this conference. While I consider myself a young teacher, only teaching 4 years, South Dakota had two first year teachers in attendance. These teachers took advantage of the opportunity to network with other ag teachers. We are excited to go to next year’s conference in Valentine, Nebraska!

This is my first blog post in a while. I am trying to learn how to blog and what to blog about. I will most likely talk about agriculture, FFA, and education and probably a little about sports and church. Thanks for reading!
Adam Franken