By Cheryl Grocock – I recently had the opportunity to run in the Ragnar Relay from San Francisco to Calistoga, CA. I ran as part of the Agrotain Ncredibles team, which included Agrotain representatives, distributors, researchers, ag journalists, a representative from Rabo Agrifinance and a few folks from AdFarm.

I’ve run several half marathons and I have one full marathon under my belt, but Ragnar was one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done. It was also one of the best times I’ve had. Here are six things I learned about agriculture and relay running, over the 30 hours I spent in a van with my teammates:

1.  Ag is still a very close-knit community. The diversity of our group and the connections we discovered along the way point to an existing community of experienced professionals that is closely tied to young people brave enough to enter our industry and take it to the next level. And we don’t mind sharing a very small space for many hours.

2.  We all knew we had 184 miles to run over the weekend — and that we had to work together to finish. Likewise, we realize we are standing on the edge of a new era in agriculture and need wholesale changes in order to feed a world population that will double by 2050. Our takeaway: it’s good to have a common goal to unite your efforts.

3.  Sometimes we have to be dragged kicking and screaming in to the new technologies and mediums. But once we get our Smartphones and learn how to Tweet, we really kinda like it. It’s not much different than the face-to-face rural community we’ve enjoyed for years. It also made finding good places to eat so much easier.

4.  We can set aside our differences to work toward a common goal. In the team van that means putting aside individual opinions about routes, timing, etc., to support a dedicated driver — which allowed the runners to rest as much as possible. In the end, it made us so much more efficient.

5.  Good things come to those who complain. If we want real change in the ag industry, we cannot become complacent. On the run we discovered that if you whine long enough as a team, you will miraculously find a free, available shower house at Exchange 19.

6.  Change is frightening and empowering. If we want different results in our industry, we have to be willing to try new things and be prepared to learn. It’s like running down a back road with no shoulder in the dark: scary, but exhilarating once you realize you can do it.

I’m sure I learned a lot more along the way, but it was lost in the aches and pains and lack of sleep. I am very grateful to Agrotain for letting me be a part of this Ncredible experience; everything I learned I will appreciate forever.

Do you have a story or comment about the value of stress, teamwork and embracing the unknown?

Agrotain Ncredibles Relay Team in California, September 2011

Cheryl Grocock is an Account Manager in AdFarm’s newest office in Sacramento. You can follow her on Twitter: @cgrocock.