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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