The Magazine of the American Landowner is an essential guide for investors, landowners, and those interested in buying or selling land. The award-winning quarterly is known for its annual survey of America's largest landowners, The Land Report 100.
Issue link: https://landreport.epubxp.com/i/738657
52 The LandReport | FA L L 2 0 1 6 LANDREPORT.COM G rowing up with three older sisters, l learned that life was far easier if you just did what you were told. So I called the pro- ducer right back. Next thing I knew, I was in Hollywood. Now I know how Dorothy felt in The Wizard of Oz: I wasn't in Kansas anymore. That's when I met Andi. She is such a great girl. She stole my heart ... and then some. We had a great connection, but as viewers may recall, when I brought Andi back to small-town Iowa, it turned out her idea of heaven didn't include row crops and grain silos. I get it. Andi was being true to herself, and I will always respect her for that. She is who she is, and as viewers who watched me on The Bachelor and Dancing with the Stars know, I am who I am. I have fond memories of those experiences, but guess who's back in Iowa? Me ... at least part of the time. You see, thanks to my appearances on The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Dancing with the Stars, and Food Network's Worst Cooks in America, all sorts of people know who I am. More than a million people follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. When I post a photo of sunrise over the fields, tens of thousands of people like it. It's really a nice feeling to have the support of millions of people. It's also humbling. And it made me realize something: One of the best things about all the time I've spent in Hollywood is that it gave me a platform to be an ambassador for agriculture. It's a task that I accept. Agriculture definitely does need a voice. I've known that for a long time. Farmers are good at talking to themselves about what we all do as farmers, but the truth is, farmers are pretty conservative and not that outspoken. My 15 minutes of fame is the first time any farmer has been given the opportunity to speak to a larger demographic, a national demographic. Believe me, it needs to be done. There's a lot of misinformation out there. I'd like to help get the message out. Obviously, the podium I now enjoy is different from anything I ever thought I would have in my entire life. I'm a farm kid from Northeast Iowa. Opportunities like this don't happen to someone like me. I've been truly blessed in everything I've experienced, which is why I decided that if there was any- thing I can do to give back to agriculture, I should take advantage of that opportunity and speak to a whole group of people who farmers really never have been able to connect with. ABOVE: In this photograph, I'm discussing ag policy with Democratic political consultant James Carville at the Land Investment Expo in Des Moines. Actually, James is doing the discussing. All the discussing. OPPOSITE: Agriculture has always made me happy. Any time I've been away from it, I know I want to go back.