Yesterday I witnessed a real-time conversation about food and farming, intersected by virtual participation and live video feed. It was a fascinating experience to be in the audience at UC-Davis, help stimulate the social media conversation and see the behind-the-scenes effort that went into these Food Dialogues that the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance also hosted in New York City, D.C. and Fair Oaks, Indiana.

Chefs, farmers, mainstream media, food scientists, academia, ranchers and even those with viewpoints different than traditional agriculture were on the panels. An array of topics included sustainability, food safety, local foods, biotechnology, hormones, antibiotics, manure, soil, environmental practices, ethics, animal welfare, social responsibility, national security and food labels. Questions flew from all over the country, drawn from the audience – as well as Twitter, Facebook and the Food Dialogues website. After a few early techno glitches, it was a wonderful example of the many ways we can have a conversation integrating real time and social media.

The most interesting part of the day was watching 4,000+ tweets and probing a bit further in the online conversations. The long-term value to this day is digging deeper to identify where farmers and non-farmers can connect.  The reality is we share common values, but there’s a lot of misinformation driving us apart. Common values must prevail or we all lose. 72% of consumers know nothing or very little about farming. That screams opportunity for the majority of folks reading this!

As I reflect on the conversation, this is what my crystal ball says:

* Farmers and the general public both value sustainability. And most agree that it has environmental, social and economical components. So why do we have to fight about what a sustainable operation is?  According to the new USFRA research, 99% of farmers say they care about environmental practices while nearly 3/4 of consumers are concerned about the use of pesticides and insecticides used in farming. There’s a connection!

* Scripted folks come off as less than genuine. Farmers  sharing their story, even if it’s one of large family operation, are considered authentic. And transparency about what you really do on your farm or ranch trumps any argument. Yet that transparency is incredibly hard to define.

* Passion connects on an emotional level.  Passionate ag and food people attract others like bees to honey. Sure, some can be passionate naysayers, but it’s a small percentage. Why not find common points in your passion to get excited about farming and food together?  Hint: this means you have to rein your passion in enough to listen to each other.

* There is confusion in both the farm and consumer ranks about the effect of government regulations on farming. Consumers are seeking more information on this, so your personal stories about regulations will help build understanding.

* Animal welfare matters. It is important to people buying food – and farmers must talk about how today’s practices are actually better for the animals.

* Feeding a growing population appears to be important to everyone around the food plate, but it’s more top-of-mind to farmers and ranchers. There’s a significant chance to connect through this social good conversation.

Who was missing in these Food Dialogues? A more diverse subset of farmers – small, medium sized and organics to add to the larger producer mix. Given health professional influence over people’s food choices and beliefs, it makes sense to include more dietitians and doctors. I’m sure there will be additional opportunities to plug them into the conversation in the future.

More than 2/3 of those purchasing food are thinking about how it’s produced on a regular basis. Consumers are looking for information about farming. All of us in agriculture have to determine if we’re willing to give it to them – even during planting season, winter, harvest or summer heat stress. Are you willing to step into the conversation? If you don’t, there are plenty of people who will be glad to continue the food confusion.