~ guest post by Celeste Settrini

This past year has definitely been one of exciting opportunity for me. Why? The world of social media blossomed into my friend.  Many might say that at 43 I am a late bloomer when it comes to Facebook, Twitter, and blogs but in 2010 I decided I would tackle this new adventure and what tremendous fun I have found. There is a whole new world at my fingertips.  A strike of the computer keyboard brings me new friends involved in all who share in the same passion and visions as I have.

I love to talk and I love to talk about agriculture – not only my own family beef cattle operation but all agriculture in general.  I get excited to meet new friends, share stories and figure out ways to better “tell the story” to those that may not be as familiar as we are with where their food comes from.  So for me social media is a new world of everything wonderful.

This past year I took Facebook by storm. I posted photos, connected with fellow agvocates, educated those friends not in agriculture and focused on creating a spot where my Facebook friends could come for “up to the minute” agriculture news, events and “celestial” thoughts on all of it.  I then ventured out and learned to write a blog- 2011 will be the year I actually create my own(Time is a tickin’, I better get on that) . And then there is Twitter!  Twitter always scared me but with encouragement from fellow agvocates I decided to give it a try and though I have not yet completely mastered Twitter, I am tweetin’ with the best of you.

Social media gives me an avenue to express my thoughts. It also helps me try to understand the rationale behind some perspectives. I have learned to “ask why” and then “tell me more” to differing views.  I then do my best to try to educate with experiences and facts.  One fellow agvocate told me “you are an expert in your own experiences,” at that moment I knew I could do it.  I have lived it and I know it, now it is my responsibility to all farmers and ranchers to share my journey for those that will take the time to listen.  I have even created my own tagline on my email and business cards , it reads “”I am investing in the future of agriculture with a desire to share my journeys ~ by doing this I hope that I can empower farmers and ranchers to share their stories and do the same! We are all in this together as the voice of American agriculture.”

I hope that by demonstrating my pride it will give others the push they need to share their experiences. It is hard to take time out of our busy lives each day to educate, to tell the story, to promote our industry but anymore I make social media a part of my day like brushing my teeth, it’s just something I need to do.

I am blessed by a large range of agvocates who have given me the push to get where I needed to be.  Your life’s journey is becoming more of who you are, everything you have done prepares you for all that you can do and be. This is where I need to be and this is what I must do.

My new world is exciting, it helps me talk about my journeys, it gives everyone a snippet of who I am and it helps me to be a part of the bigger picture. Where’s your journey taking you?

Celeste is a 5th generation cattle rancher working on her family ranch located in the foothills of the Salinas Valley, on the Central Coast of California. As a youth, she had an extensive career showing livestock and went on to attend California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California, where she earned a B.A. in Agribusiness Marketing. Today she works in the commodities market as a broker for Fresh Network, maintains her duties on the family cattle ranch and promotes and advocates for farmers and ranchers nationwide.