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The Brownfield Chamber and Visitor Information Center held its annual Ag Appreciation Dinner on Thursday. The evening began with attendees getting the chance to socialize with each other before the dinner. Eric Horton led everyone in attendance in prayer before lining up for their meals. The dinner was catered by Jeana’s Feedbag and wine was also sold by Farmhouse Vineyards. After being served their food, Dan Jackson introduced Keynote Speaker and Brownfield native Mason Becker. Becker expressed his gratitude for getting the chance to speak at the dinner. He said he was fortunate to be in positions throughout his time as a farmer to be learning constantly. He said he always tries to learn from those who came before him and those who do better than him. He said one thing he wanted to discuss was what he has tried to learn in the leadership roles he was in and how he got to where he was. He joked with the crowd that his speech would not be a TED talk. He said there were three things that he wanted to focus on: what he has learned in leadership roles he has been able to hold, things he appreciates about the agricultural community in Terry County and some things he thinks are really important as they move forward as an ag community. Becker said his father always emphasized to him the importance of asking questions. He said the notion of asking questions has always echoed in his mind despite how hard it was for him to do. He said it was always difficult for him to ask questions because he didn’t want to look uneducated or be looked down upon. He said it was bad during his school years because fitting in was always easier than standing out. People are more likely to be looked over when fitting into a group. He gave an example of when he was around 16 or 17. He was fertilizing at the time and he was tasked with moving a truck and despite not knowing how to drive the truck, he still attempted to do it and risked damaging it. The truck was a prime example of his pride getting the better of him and his stubbornness not to ask questions. He said that as he got older and thought about his father telling him to ask questions, he realized his father was not just telling him to ask questions but letting him know that it was fine not to know everything. Becker said it is okay not to know everything because nobody does. The only uneducated thing Becker said he could do is stay ignorant. He said the only way he could be “stupid” is by not seeking out the knowledge he requires for whatever task he needs to perform. He said he started to learn and process that if he wanted to do something, it was fine for him to step out of his comfort zone, ask questions, and not know every answer. He said he got to the point where he accepted that if someone gave him an opportunity, he was just going to say yes and contribute however he could. He said he does not have to be the smartest person in the room because he can learn and take in what people can teach him. One of the best things he said he learned was that good leaders understand they are not the best in one area or all areas. He said some of the people in the room were those he looked up to. He said that people who have different perspectives and different things to offer but are going after the same goal could get a lot done. He said no one has to put everything on their shoulders because it takes a group to get something done. He said one of the things he was most proud of was the West Texas Young Farmers Association. He said he received a call one day about getting the association going and he wanted to do it. Becker said he was fortunate to have a lot of people there, with a board of people who had different approaches but a common goal. He said those few years were really fun and filled with working alongside different people. He is proud of the things he was able to accomplish and credited that experience for the opportunities that opened up later in his life. Becker later got the opportunity to speak to members of Congress and he recalled putting them on a pedestal and feeling intimidated speaking to them. He felt as if they would not care about his opinions or care for what he had to say. He pictured them as unapproachable. He said as he got to be around them more, he realized that everyone woke up and put their pants on just like him. He said he now views other people as just that, people. He said people with different ideologies may seem like very different people, but there is common ground somewhere. He said that in today’s climate, there seems to be only left and right and no middle ground, but when you sit down with someone person to person, there is common ground. Looking around the room, he said he saw people who watched him grow up. He emphasized that the community of Terry County is special. He said he had always liked the willingness of everybody in the ag community of Terry County to mentor people like him, even when he was too prideful to ask questions. He credited Dan Jackson for being one of his mentors. People are always willing to mentor the next generation and no one is holding any secrets regarding agriculture. He also credited the ag community for their willingness to support each other without looking for credit. He also emphasized that people who are involved in agriculture are rooted in agriculture. He said it is not just something they do but a big part of who they are. He said one thing moving forward he would love to see the ag community improve on is bridging the gap between those in agriculture and those who are not. He said people in ag are usually self-reliant, but many people living in cities must depend on government services. When a person is brought up in different environments, it only makes sense that they think differently. He said they must do a better job as an ag community at bridging the gap. He said they provide the food, fiber and fuel that the nation depends on. When that is taken out of the equation, then that is a tough spot to be in. He said that people separated from agriculture might not understand what that entails and its importance. He said they must do a better job of reaching out to people who may be different from them or have a different viewpoint and tell them about some of the positive things the ag community does. He said that, at some point, they have to get people to understand how important what they do is. Becker said if he had any parting words, they would be “Step out of your box,” he said. “I am not a public speaker, but try something new because it has benefitted me. I am proud of what I do and I love what I do. I am thankful for everyone who has gotten me to this point and the final thing is to ask questions.”
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The Brownfield Art Association held its annual Art show at the Brownfield Senior Citizens Center Thursday through Saturday. Odessa Native Sonya Haynie was the judge who was tasked with giving out the awards. Betty Blevins’ “John 3:16” received best in show and Sharon Pickett’s “West Texas Life” Watercolor on Wood.
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The Brownfield softball team got the start it wanted in its Class 3A bi-district playoff series against Alpine.
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The Brownfield baseball team starts its quest for a state championship on Friday.
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The growth of industrial- scale users of power could strain the Texas power grid, ERCOT’s chief announced last week. The Dallas Morning News reported Pablo Vegas, the agency’s CEO, said bitcoin miners and artificial intelligence data centers going in across the state, as well as industrial growth in the Permian Basin, could create the need for a massive buildup of power transmission lines in the future.
Read moreAverage gasoline prices in Texas have fallen 5.8 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.19/g today, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 13,114 stations in Texas. Prices in Texas are 7.9 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand 5.8 cents per gallon higher than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has fallen 2.9 cents in the last week and stands at $3.98 per gallon.
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