There was a huge push for more environmental legislation and oversight in the 1970s. So many of these laws were well intentioned to ensure our lands be protected from environmental harm while still allowing our natural resources industries – the back bone of our nations to thrive and provide our society with food, energy and fuel. However, radical environmental groups have figured out how to take advantage of these laws to use them as a vehicle to stop use of our lands and control our resources. As a result, not only will we loose these vital industries, but we will lose the natural resources that we are trying to “protect.” The very worst of these laws is the Endangered Species Act however it is closely followed by the Clean Water Act, the Wild Horse and Burro Act and the Federal Lands Policy Management Act. The first step in changing the way these laws are implemented is to understand the original intent behind them and all the changes that have happened to make the laws ineffective.

In the slew of the many executive orders that President Biden signed on his first day in office, one of them was the 30x30 or America the Beautiful Initiative. This is a goal that 30% of our land and water will be “conserved” in its “natural state” by the year 2030. To reach this goal, the federal government will have to add an additional 440 million acres to what they already own. The problem? “Conservation” is not defined, “natural state” is not defined, we have no idea how the federal government is planning on obtaining and paying for the additional land. If use is cut off from production, how are we expected to feed our nation?

Everyone in agriculture can agree on one thing. There is a huge disconnect between the producer and our consumer. People in urban areas have been removed from agriculture for so long that many of them do not even know where their food comes from. More than 16 million adults think that chocolate milk comes from brown cows. (According to a Innovation Center of US Dairy and Edelman Intelligence survey). Where does misinformation start? It starts as a lack of information to kids in our urban communities. Another thing agriculture can agree on is how difficult it is to reach students in the urban areas. There are so many wonderful agriculture programs like Ag in the Classroom and Agriculture Expos – but it can be difficult to encourage urban schools to take part in those programs. All of society can agree on another thing. The internet is a powerful and influential tool. According to Stanford University, nearly 75% of twelve-year-olds have smartphones. That makes social media one of our greatest assets – should we stand up and decide to use it properly. Through a crazy adventure with bottle baby calves in my backyard when I was in Law School at the University of Wyoming, I started a popular social media account that I can now use to teach people, kids included, about agriculture and how important it is for society.

In a terrifying story that sounds like it should be fiction- when I was just 20 years old, a middle-aged man attempted to abduct me from the side of a Wyoming highway when I was traveling by myself. Luckily for me, my parents insisted on me learning martial arts- starting when I was just four years old. After years of training in several different disciplines, I was able to fight off my attacker, and get to safety. Unfortunately, we hear this story all the time. “A college aged woman is abducted” however, in most stories, those women are never seen again. I beat the statistic. I now use this horrifying and traumatic experience to tell my story and encourage others to learn self-defense. It is one thing that everyone should know, but I hope they never have to use. I now teach self-defense classes in hopes that the skills taught could save even one person’s life, just as it saved mine.​

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This question is easy for me to answer. It should be re-read. One of the most fundamental pieces of the Constitution is that the 10th Amendment has been totally run over by the Commerce Clause. Our government was set up to have a limited federal government with more powerful state governments. That was done in part by the 10th Amendment which says “powers not specifically listed in the US Constitution for the federal government should be left to the States.” Our government was also founded on strong ideals regarding ownership of private property and the right to protect that property. Let’s talk about what our rights should be, what they are (not always the same thing) and what we can do to protect our remaining rights

It is hard to solve a problem that you don’t know exists. In an era where so many of our laws need to be updated and amended, it is vital that our representatives in Congress and in our State Legislatures know and understand how the laws are impacting us. This is why I started building relationships with different members of our Government to be able to facilitate these conversations between our producers and the members. In my experience, our decision makers want to hear from you, the impacted constituent, not just those who live and work in Washington DC. Let’s work together to make sure the right people hear your story.

The world of social media is powerful and growing. Some may argue that it has been a huge detriment to society, but I still think we can use it as a tool to inform those who are most important to the passage of laws – our voters. There is a huge disconnect between the consumer and the producer. Unfortunately, radical environmental groups have always been a step ahead of agriculture and natural resources when it comes to informing the public. It is time for us to step up and change the narrative. Just because society needs us, does not mean they know anything about us. I have built social media accounts on several of the most popular platforms including Tiktok, Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and Twitter. I use these accounts to inform the public about your stories, how the laws are impacting you and how your operation impacts the public. To change society, we need a change in the narrative, and a change in the narrative starts with us. I heard this quote: “if you do not tell your story, someone else will.”

I will get to the very bottom of your story to tell the public. I like to travel to where your story takes place, use interviews and pictures of your operation to paint a picture for the consumer – telling them how you are negatively impacted by laws and how in the end, that impacts them too.

Years of training in various disciplines of martial arts all became worth it in a situation that lasted under one minute. One evening in 2016, my training saved my life when I was traveling alone in Wyoming and a man attacked me. Unfortunately, we hear this story all the time – and it usually has the same ending, the woman is never heard from again.

I refused to be that statistic. After fighting myself to safety, I use my horrific story to encourage women and teach self defense classes.

I am a 5’7 small-build female and there are some techniques that just don’t work on an attacker that is bigger than you. In my classes, I teach techniques that are based on leverage – not on strength or size. I am willing to travel and the classes can be any length of time to fit your situation or conference.

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Teaching Experience:

• Teaching other students is one of the requirements to get a black belt in Tae Kwon Do (Achieved in 2012).

• University of Wyoming Women’s class put on by the University of Wyoming. Athletic Department.

• FarmHer Conference.

•  Wyoming FFA Leadership Conference.

• F.E. Warren Airforce Base for Military Dependents.

• Torrington Wyoming Community