Farmers Working Together: Paid Big Ag Puppets?
Perhaps I shouldn’t publicly admit this, but at times I’m dumbfounded by accusations about agriculture. In the 10 years since I began my professional work in ag advocacy, I thought I’d heard everything. Animal abuse, farmers poisoning the land/air/water, global warming from cow, factory farming, locavores, urban ‘farming’, world politics around biotechnology/antibiotics, hormones in food… the list goes on. But since the advent of social media mania, I’ve had so many head slapping moments that I’m lucky to not be purple and blue.
One of those times of disbelief: farmers working together are viewed as big agriculture, corporate farming – and out to control our food supply. Consider this. Doesn’t it make sense for businesses to pool their resources in today’s economic times? It works very successfully in the Smoky Mountains with craft shops, Napa Valley wineries and Amish country in Ohio. Why is it any different when a group of farmers band together?
Consider this example; there are 5 families growing apples in a region. These farms vary in size, but none have the funds individually to go to educational conferences to improve their orchard, much less put together marketing so they can sell their apples direct to the public. Instead, their apples end up going to an applesauce buyer at a considerably lower premium. They are in peril of losing their farms.
One year the growers decide to pool a percentage of their dollars and ask for third-party oversight. These pooled resources are used to promote their region’s product, fund scientific research on new apple usage/benefits, educate others about apples and even connects them to others to help them become better farmers. The end result? Smarter farmers with a better product that helps more people. And an added bonus; as the farms prosper, local businesses prosper.
Farmers come together to better themselves, their operations and the products they produce. Is that smart business or factory farming?
When farmers and ranchers work together, it’s a benefit to everyone involved – whether you are the consumer, producer or another local business. This is true in check-off programs for specific types of products (milk, corn, soybean, pork, et al.), where farmers are pooling their own dollars. It’s also true in membership organizations – such as state farm bureaus, national efforts for wheat – and newer efforts like the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance and the AgChat Foundation.
I sat at the table with farmers from around the country when the AgChat Foundation was created – and know the work that those same farmers and ranchers have invested in helping more people in agriculture. None of us are paid for our role with the AgChat Foundation – our efforts are about a better agriculture, not personal gain. An agriculture that works together – regardless of size, production practice or product grown. An agriculture that learns how to listen to consumers, have conversations and use tools in social media to connect with the 98.5% of the population not on a farm/ranch.
Why is it so difficult to believe people can work together in a genuine grassroots effort? I’ve withstood accusations of money laundering, attacks on my integrity and being called a prostitute to my client list – and have seen others be told they’re only puppets of big ag. Why do people blatantly claim corporate control by “big agriculture” when farmers and ranchers decide to pool their resources? For example, the U.S. Farmer and Ranchers Alliance came together because agriculture really stinks at communicating about the big picture of food, fuel, feed and fiber (that’s my opinion). USFRA is made up of different farm groups such as American Farm Bureau (dues paying state affiliates – of which our family is a member) and National Corn Growers Association (corn farmers funding state check-offs that also pool dollars nationally). It’s an effort we’ve LONG needed – and is already under attack. Consumers want answers and farmers have them – these groups aren’t so different than the apple growers above. It’s called smart business; farmers and ranchers individually can’t possibly get to every consumer looking for an answer.
And, in case you’re wondering, there’s only one way I work. From the heart. I wouldn’t be successful as a professional speaker if that wasn’t true. Ask my clients if they agree with everything in my programs (envision me smirking here). HSUS could write a million dollar check to me and I’d still speak about consumers deserving to know where their food comes from by talking with the people who raise it, rather than anti-ag activists. Most farmers I know have that same integrity. So why is it such a threat when we work together?
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I don’t understand this either. As one of those “big ag” puppets, I’m as transparent as you can get. Can’t spill on the beans on something that ain’t happening.
The good news is that the AgChat Foundation has wonderful professionals like you serving on our board. Delighted to have a vet’s perspective. Thanks for your service!
Transparency is the name of the game when you’re a public employee … I don’t get it, either.
Chris, you’re another great example of an AgChat Foundation volunteer. One who doesn’t agree with the majority, who likes to ask tough questions, but also one that the AgChat Foundation is fortunate to have as a volunteer – and one that we respect.
Why is it threatening? Because they can’t shut up thousands of people carrying a common message. Because the choice people make may not be the choice they’re “supposed” to make. Because anything professional and organized therefore can’t be the work of farmers. I don’t understand much – but am trying! saw a motto/quote from Zig Ziglar yesterday – “You can have everything you want if you help others get what they want.” Maybe that is intimidating – farmers might regain a little control. People might – gasp – BELIEVE us. “You can buy anything money can buy without character, but can have what money can’t buy beyond”. Even heard that we hire actors…come on. I hate being on camera but I do it ’cause I think it’s important..if I was going to hire an actor/actress it be someone about 5 inches taller and 80 pounds lighter! Seriously! If it’s manufactured why not. Except of course it’s real – just like those with and behind agchat are real. And that erases fear, builds trust and makes consumers harder to control because we won’t be controlled or silenced. The only alternative is making it so we’re not believed – and that’s not working so well. 🙂
Hi Jan. You keep fighting the good fight and telling your story! You represent a small farm and are a graduate of the AgChat Foundation training – we’re glad to have a variety of farmers involved. Most organizations I mention above spend a lot of time working with farmers of ALL sizes – and it’s an insult to all farmers to have labels put on their efforts. Thanks for all of your work advocating – and teaching us all a lot more about rabbit meat.
In the UK we don’t see this kind of backlash. Over here, we need farmers to organise more, not less. Supermaket buyers can cause real problems that need not exist – it is they, in the UK, that control the price the farmer is paid for the majority of produce. It is they who shape our agricultural landscape currently.
We built Lovefre.sh to give a strong community voice back to farmers and producers. A toolkit to engage and educate local communities and allow the story of sustainable farming in the UK to emerge.
We’re a small island and supermarket buying policies pay little heed to local sustainability in farming – I’ve seen the 4 dairy farms that surround our small holding merge into 1 much larger farm, in the last 9 months. All because of the price of wholesale milk paid by the supermarkets here. I don’t object to large scale Ag – at all – I object to the harmful effect on our social and ag landscape, the short termism and the disconnect between the real cost of food, and the price our supermarkets educate people to expect for it. It’s not as though the customer benefit – if farmers could sell at 50% more than they sell to the supermarkets, and reach customers, the cost of milk to the public would be no more than it is in the supermarket – the product would be more sustainable (with local distribution) and the UK farming landscape would benefit hugely, allowing younger less resourced producers to stand a chance of founding a farm and pursuing their ag passion.
This is causing hedgerows to disappear, bio-diversity to reduce, with the shrinking countryside of the UK losing much of it’s wildlife and natural predators leading to greater pest control needs and of course, in places, GMO adoption; when there really was Another way. The same pattern has led to many passionate but unsupported family farmers reaching the depths of despair and giving up on life.
So, all power to organised farmers telling their stories. Large and Small, organic and industrialised! We need more if it – without insight and informed discussion that encourages those outside Ag to think about the issues, how can the farmers be expected to ‘lead the way’. I’ve not met a farmer yet who doesn’t care passionately about their produce. I’d just like to see more of them empowered to go about it the way they chose without price manipulation by the large buying corporations.