Middle East trip broadens understanding

Oct 28, 2026
59 mins ago

Jaclyn Wilson

Prefer us on Google

Facebook
Twitter
Bluesky
WhatsApp
SMS
Email
Print
Save

Jaclyn Wilson

Back to the real world.

kAmx 2CC:G65 9@>6 7C@> sF32: 2C@F?5 >:552J $2EFC52J] xE’D 2=H2JD 8C62E E@ 36 324< :? H6DE6C? }63C2D<2[ 3FE E96C6 :D ?@E9:?8 =:<6 ECJ:?8 E@ >2<6 C2?49 564:D:@?D 2?5 562=:?8 H:E9 ;6E =28 2== 2E E96 D2>6 E:>6]k^Am

kAmu@CEF?2E6=J[ @?6 42? 9:56 7C@> 9F>2? :?E6C24E:@? 7@C E96 >@DE A2CE @FE 96C6] %92E 96=AD[ 3FE E96 DECF88=6 :D C62=]k^Am

kAm%96 EC:A E@ E96 &?:E65 pC23 t>:C2E6D 7:?:D965 :? 8C62E 72D9:@?] %96 4@?76C6?46 52J H2D 72D4:?2E:?8] !6@A=6 7C@> 2== 2C@F?5 E96 H@C=5 925 4@>6 :? 7@C :E[ 2=@?8 H:E9 D6G6C2= 7@C6:8?6CD E92E H6C6 =:G:?8 :? sF32:]k^Am

kAmx’G6 E2=<65 23@FE E96 @?6 568C66 @7 D6A2C2E:@? :? 28C:4F=EFC6 E:>6 27E6C E:>6[ 2?5 :E D9@H65 FA 96C6] %96 G6CJ 7:CDE A6CD@? x >6E 2E E96 4@?76C6?46 FA@? >J 2CC:G2= H2D E96 @?=J @E96C 76==@H p>6C:42? E96C6] x? @FC 5:D4FDD:@?[ H6 7:8FC65 @FE 96 925 8@?6 E@ 4@==686 H:E9 >J F?4=6 2?5 =:G65 H:E9 D@>6 @7 9:D 76==@H HC6DE=:?8 E62>>2E6D]k^Am

kAmq642FD6 @7 6G6CJE9:?8 92AA6?:?8 :? E96 |:55=6 t2DE[ EH@ 4@?76C6?46D H6C6 4@>3:?65 2?5 6G6CJE9:?8 H2D AFD965 :?E@ @?6 52J] pEE6?52?46 H2D 27764E65 3J E92E[ 2?5 E96 4@?76C6?46 286?52 H2D 4C2>>65]k^Am

A different horse for a different sandhill

"As interesting as the city was, my favorite part came when we left it behind and headed out into the desert."

kAm%96C6 H6C6 DE:== @AA@CEF?:E:6D E@ E2=< 23@FE 28C:4F=EFC6] %96 :?E6C?2E:@?2= EC256 A2?6= x D2E @? H2D :?E6C6DE:?8] x H2D E96 @?=J AC@5F46C C6AC6D6?E65 @? E96 A2?6= ?6IE E@ 28C:3FD:?6DD6D[ 3FE E96J H6C6 @? 2 D42=6 E92E H2D 92C5 E@ 72E9@>]k^Am

kAmpE E96 6?5 @7 E96 4@?76C6?46[ E96J 2H2C565 >6 2 A=2BF6 7@C =:G6DE@4< :??@G2E:@? 2?5 8=@32= 28C: =6256CD9:A] (9:=6 36:?8 C64@8?:K65 :D 2AAC64:2E65[ x 2=H2JD D66 :E 2D 2 492==6?86 E92E x ?665 E@ ECJ 2?5 =:G6 FA E@ E9@D6 6IA64E2E:@?D 2?5 E@ <66A AFD9:?8 7@CH2C5]k^Am

People are also reading…

Federal Reserve raises interest rates for first time since 2023
Early planting leads to some record yields in southwest Illinois
‘Just too wet’ for good bean yields in southern Iowa
Soybean market slow to react to China purchases
Midwest cash rents forecast to be flat
Fair doesn't always mean equal when passing on the family farm
The PCV2 landscape has changed. Is your protection keeping up?
Tama County brothers see consistent results
A different horse for a different sandhill
Shutske retires after four decades of service
Strong bean yields in north-central Iowa
Chores continue during harvest delay
‘Extreme highs to extreme lows’
What’s in our water? An engineer’s perspective on groundwater, soil health and future generations
Beans stay green on northeast Illinois farm

kAmp7E6C E96 4@?76C6?46[ H6 962565 @G6C E@ v=@32= ':==286 H9:49 H2D AC6EEJ >F49 =:<6 2 DE2E6 72:C @? 5CF8D] %96C6[ x C646:G65 H@C5 7C@> E96 &]$] E92E H6 925 H@? 2?@E96C DE6A 7@CH2C5 :? @FC 5672>2E:@? =2HDF:E] p7E6C 2? 2=C625J @G6CH96=>:?8 52J[ E92E @?6 9:E 92C5]k^Am

kAmx =62C?65 2 =@E E9:D EC:A] q6:?8 :? E96 >:55=6 @7 E96 &]$] 2?5 =:G:?8 :? 2 7=J@G6C DE2E6[ x D@>6E:>6D 5@?’E C62=:K6 9@H >F49 @FC 8@G6C?>6?E 24E:@?D A=2J @FE @? E96 :?E6C?2E:@?2= DE286] !6@A=6 H6C6 D9@4<65 E92E H6 925 4@>6 @G6C H:E9 6G6CJE9:?8 E92E H2D 8@:?8 @? :? E96 |:55=6 t2DE] }@E @?6 A6CD@? E92E H6 >6E @C:8:?2==J E9@F89E E92E H6 H6C6 p>6C:42?D]k^Am

kAm(6 2=D@ D@>6E:>6D 5@?’E D66 E96 =6G6= @7 4@?D6BF6?46D 3642FD6 @7 24E:@?D] tG6CJ E:>6 H6 5C:G6 3J 2 5:6D6= AF>A C:89E ?@H @C >2J36 @A6? 2 3:==[ H6 >:89E E9:?< @7 4@?7=:4E :? E96 |:55=6 t2DE[ 3FE H6 5@?’E 762C 7@C @FC D276EJ] (6 5@?’E 92G6 6I:E A=2?D :? A=246] (6 92G6?’E 4=@D65 @C C6=@42E65 @FC 3FD:?6DD6D] xE’D 2=H2JD 2 8FE 4964<]k^Am

kAmx HC@E6 E9:D @? D@4:2=D[ FA@? >J C6EFC?ik^Am

k3=@4<BF@E6mkAm“*@F 5@?’E 92G6 E@ 28C66 H:E9 D@>6@?6 E@ =62C? 7C@> E96>] *@F 5@?’E 92G6 E@ 6>3C246 2?@E96C 4@F?ECJ’D A@=:4:6D E@ C64@8?:K6 :ED DF446DD6D] p?5 J@F 5@?’E 92G6 E@ 5:>:?:D9 p>6C:42 E@ 2AAC64:2E6 E96 C6DE @7 E96 H@C=5]k^AmkAm“x? 724E[ E96 >@C6 @7 E96 H@C=5 x’G6 D66?[ E96 >@C6 x’G6 2AAC64:2E65 H96C6 x 4@>6 7C@>]k^AmkAm“q6:?8 8=@32==J >:?565 :D?’E 23@FE DFCC6?56C:?8 D@G6C6:8?EJ @C 232?5@?:?8 p>6C:42? G2=F6D] xE’D 23@FE C64@8?:K:?8 E92E <?@H=6586[ C6=2E:@?D9:AD[ EC256 2?5 4@>A6E:E:@? 5@6D?’E DE@A 2E @FC 3@C56CD]k^AmkAm“*@F 42?’E 67764E:G6=J 4@>A6E6 :? 2 H@C=5 J@F C67FD6 E@ F?56CDE2?5]”k^Amk^3=@4<BF@E6m

kAmq24< @? E96 9@>67C@?E[ H6 2C6 H62?:?8 E9:D H66<] w@A67F==J H6 42? 86E 2 3:8 49F?< @7 E96 72== 42EE=6 H@C< <?@4<65 @FE]k^Am

kAm(6 AC68 4964<65 C6A=246>6?E 76>2=6D E96 H66< 367@C6 x =67E[ 2?5 :E H2D @?6 @7 E96 36DE 3C665\FAD E92E H6 92G6 925] x 9@A6 E9:D 42CC:6D @? E@ E96 4@HD[ 3FE x’G6 =62C?65 @G6C E96 J62CD ?@E E@ 92G6 2?J 6IA64E2E:@?D 8@:?8 :?]k^Am

kAm(:?E6C 7665DEF77D 2C6 AC6D6?E:?8 2 492==6?86] r@C?DE2=<D 2C6 AC6EEJ >F49 ?@?\6I:DE6?E 2C@F?5 96C6] (6 2C6 92G:?8 E@ @FED:56\E96\3@I E9:?< @? E9:D @?6] x H:== D2J :7 J@F 2C6 :? E96 DE2E6 @7 }63C2D<2 2?5 92G6 D@>6 4@C?DE2=<D 2G2:=23=6[ D9@@E >6 2 >6DD286 :7 J@F H@F=5 =:<6 E@ 92G6 2 5646?E 96C5 @7 H6==\3692G65 C65 4@HD @? E9@D6 DE2=<D] x’G6 366? E@=5 E96 @H?6C :D 5646?E E@ 86E 2=@?8 H:E9 2?5 6G6? 3C:?8D 3667 8:7ED @? 2 H9:>]k^Am

kAm%96 E@F89 A2CE E9:D H66< :D E92E w6?5C:< 2?5 }:44: H:== 36 C6EFC?:?8 9@>6 7@C EH@ >@?E9D] (6 92G6 2=C625J DE2CE65 E96 AC@46DD 7@C E96:C C6EFC?] xE’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 2 =:EE=6 BF:6E 2C@F?5 96C6[ 2?5 >@C2=6 :D 8@:?8 E@ 36 2 =:EE=6 =@H[ D@ E96 q@DD |2? 2?5 x H:== 92G6 E@ H@C< @? E92E] (6 2C6 DE:== :? 28C66>6?E E92E 2 42>6= >2J ?@E 36 E96 H2J E@ :>AC@G6 E92E]k^Am

kAm(:E9 E92E[ 92G6 2 3=6DD65 H66<Pk^Am

Jaclyn Wilson is more than a rancher, raising Red Angus cattle at Wilson Ranch near Lakeside, Nebraska. She’s an artist with a welder’s torch. She holds leadership positions with several agriculture organizations. She can be reached at jaclyn@flyingdiamondgenetics.com.