Category Archives: Social Media

How to handle conversations on controversial food issues


Food Farm Agriculture Tips for Controversial Issues Conversations

It would be perfect if we could always discuss food and farms around the feed bunk, but we have to be prepared for conversations to pop up anywhere.

Whether it is a t shirt from an ag conference or a hat supporting a friend’s ranch, wearing Agriculture-related clothing never ceases to strike up a good conversation. This week was no exception.

There is a brewery in town that I love to frequent. They have good pizza, great burgers, and at least a dozen televisions from any vantage point with at least 4 different sports channels on. I was enjoying my burger yesterday when the couple next to me asks about my Livestock Judging hat.

We talked about the judging team in Kansas where I got the hat and being involved in FFA. Conversation goes to my work with cattle and they compliment that with, “we need more people like that.” I say, “Yes ma’am. Someone has to grow our food.” She says, “especially with all the chemicals and stuff they feed them that changes the genetic makeup of our bodies.“

How do you respond to a statement like that?

… I carried on the conversation about our local food options and they had some great suggestions on local meats I will have to try.

The couple from the brewery are locals and there’s a good chance that I will see them again, so hopefully there will be opportunity to dive deeper into the conversation about the “chemicals and stuff” that goes into our food chain.

Tips for approaching controversial topics

When engaging in conversations about food, farming, and agriculture, more often than not we end up involving emotion and ‘facts’ from an array of backgrounds. So how do you handle these controversial subjects?

The setting, time frame, and casualness of the conversation may limit the depth of the conversation. Below are helpful points to come prepared with when you approach the table for discussion.

  •  When possible, set the stage to avoid fear of retaliation from opposing viewpoints
    1. Listen respectfully, without interrupting
    2. Respect one another’s views
    3. Criticize ideas, not individuals
    4. Commit to learning, not debating
    5. Avoid blame and speculation
    6. Avoid inflammatory language
  • Consider your own biases or confusion surrounding the issue
  • Recognize the diversity of the group. This is an asset and can lead to authentic conversation
  • Set a framework and objectives for the discussion that lead to engagement and consideration of opposing viewpoints
  • When possible provide a foundation and context for better understanding
  • As a moderator, foster civility and prepare to deal with tense or emotional moments
  • At the end of the conversation summarize and reflect, then always leave the door open for follow-up conversations.

The other members of the conversation may not have these tools in their belt, but sometimes it only takes one level-headed person to make a difference in the discussion. Learn more about preparing for difficult conversations and find more resources, in this link.

Opportunity for food conversation exists all around. You just have to pay attention. Sometimes it’s not about converting, educating, or even debating. Once in a while it’s just important to leave a good impression.

As my friend Janice says, there are times it’s best to choose the middle ground. But if you still have an itching to engage in an argument, my friends at Just Farmers have shared some tips you need to read first.

Related links where I’ve discussed how to approach food and farm conversations:

Food Perspectives – Take some personal responsibility


I walk into a local burger joint, place my order, and wait on my food. My plate is served and in front of me is a burger. I see a patty of ground beef, two slices of bacon, swiss cheese, pickles, lettuce, grilled onions, and mushrooms with a side of broccoli and cheese. Not everyone’s burger looks the same. What do you see on your plate?

Some folks imagine their burger looks like this…

food policy hamburgerI didn’t see those ingredients on the menu. Where did the bleach, ammonia, and sodium benzoate come from? Filler. “Cheese?” “Fresh.” What are those things supposed to mean? Not everyone has the same perspective on the food we eat.

The image above is from a Food Policy meeting I attended on campus last year. I had been talking about food education online for a few years, but needed to take more physical steps to educate myself on the opinions’ of folks on the other side of the table. I haven’t had the schedule to be able to attend meetings as often I had hoped, but it was still an eye-opening experience. This group of folks is dead set on having organic, local, natural foods brought to campus and honestly are not that engaging when it comes time for my questions.

There are groups of Americans who have lost faith, trust, and belief in our modern food systems. Many are skeptical about most things they hear and want to return to the good old days of ‘natural’ food. It’s a nostalgic perspective of times that likely weren’t as good as they seem. We are all guilty of grasping at story lines we want to be true. Sometimes it’s a matter of whether we decide to apply common sense or do a little investigation for ourselves.

The internet is a scary place. We can look up information on most any topic, most of which lacks validation for truth prior to posting. We have been let down so many times by false information, it’s human nature to cast a skeptical eye on what we’ve been told. Unfortunately, many do not take time to validate those facts, hoping that surely it must be true, and often times we can end up grasping at “bad science” to promote our beliefs. Sometimes folks want something to be true so badly, they will lash-out aggressively at others who are doing differently. Others literally block all those with opposing views. The internet seems to remove that filter on our comments the ability of civil conversations.

Should we take the news and media a reliable source of information? Surely, the media wouldn’t be biased in their coverage. Wait, do you remember the 2012 Election? Fox News wasn’t the only offender. Leaders within ABC News recently admitted they have portrayed news “in a slightly inaccurate way.” Should that statement expand beyond politics, maybe to their coverage of food and agriculture headlines like ‘pink slime’? Those lawsuits are still on-going.

Back to the image above. How should we learn more about what is really in our food? Should farmers alone be the authority? I grew up on a ranch and have spent the last several years of my life traveling the country and studying more about livestock production. But don’t take my word for it! According to the comments on my CNN articles, I am just a sell-out, a shill of corporate agriculture.

To be honest, I can’t say that I’m excited about the extent to which highly processed foods take over the shelves in our grocery stores, but it’s my own personal responsibility to make my food choices. It’s my dollar that chooses which food goes on my plate. Farmers really shouldn’t be the ones to blame; they are the ones making the raw materials. The food markets, cash flow and government regulation are the driver of food processing. *Keep in mind, not all processing is bad. Some is for our food safety from naturally occurring germs.*

I read an article last month that claimed more folks die each day from obesity than undernourishment. Food and health is a matter of personal responsibility, not a blame game to be played at the expense of some news ratings.

I can’t tell you where to get credible information about your food sources. Farmers are a piece of that puzzle, but not the entire pie. If you have lost faith in those individuals, I can’t tell you where to turn, because sound, reviewed science probably doesn’t do it for you either.

don't believe what is on the internetAnd finally, please stop posting all of those memes and Facebook photos claiming the latest cure-all or home remedy. More often than not, someone was just bored and looking for attention.

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Giveaway: No More Food Fights!


This week a milestone was reached on my Facebook page – 6,000 ‘Likes’ and counting. For those of you not invested in social media, you may laugh at the celebration of such an event, but I consider it a worthy accomplishment. In fact, each new conversation brought about by each new connection should be considered an accomplishment when it comes to sharing more about my passion – a better understanding of food and agriculture.

To honor that progress, I will celebrate with a giveaway. As I move forward in my agvocacy efforts, begin looking at career opportunities, and set personal goals, one thing continually rises to the top cluster – I want to use my experience by helping others have better conversations about our food system. This includes everyone from the farmer to the consumer. And recently a friend and Indiana Dairy Farmer put together a book that illustrates this need well.

No More Food Fights!

food dialogues fights conversations

No More Food Fights! by Michele Payn-Knoper provides perspectives for the Food and Farm side of the plate.

Michele Payn-Knoper has put together a great guide for both food producers and food consumers when it comes to critically thinking more about the conversations we have that center around food and farming. No More Food Fights! is two books in one; each side discussing issues relevant to either the Farm or Food side of the plate. Along with MPK’s experience, the book includes perspectives from 35 individuals from both sides of the plate that add so much to the conversation.

In the Food side of the book, MPK illustrates the frustration we face with each trip to grocery in our food buying decisions and guilt. She encourages us to use our 6 senses to obtain a more meaningful food conversation: Touch, Sight, Sound, Smell, Taste, and Common Sense. She illustrates each point well with perspectives from her own experience along with others to discuss those questions and doubts we all face.

On the Farm side of things, MPK addresses those who question the need to take time out of the busy schedule, to advocate for agriculture and share their own experiences. It’s not a matter of if a conversation will happen, but will your voice be present at the table. To emphasize how to approach these conversations and guide us through  to better dialogues, Michele utilizes 6.5 points of discussion: Identify influencers, Find their hot buttons, Translate agriculture to their hot buttons, Invest 15 minutes daily, Strategize where you can reach your target audience, Follow an action plan to develop long-lasting relationships, and finally the half-point of the equation – Put your passion to work!

I promise this will not be a disappointing read if you’re interested in better discussions about food and farm topics. And if you’re feeling really ambitious, you just might read both sides of the book.

How do you enter the giveaway?

I really want to thank those of you who follow along with each and every one of my posts here on the blog, on Facebook, and Twitter. BUT I also want this to emphasize my intentions to build bridges for food and farm communication. To fix this, I have TWO books, one for an individual on each side of the plate – Food producers and Food consumers.

Fill out the entry form below. All entries will be entered into a drawing and a winner will be selected from the Food side of the plate and another from the Farm side of the plate. Each winner will receive a copy of No More Food Fights! by Michele Payn-Knoper.

I ask that you do 3 things…

  1. Like the I am Agriculture Proud page on Facebook. We’ll go by the honor system here. You can live with the guilt if you don’t.
  2. Share this link with your friends. Encourage them to learn more about and consider engaging in conversations about our food system in a civil manner.
  3. A) If you win, read No More Food Fights!, take notes, and then share it with someone on the other side of the plate.
    • B) If you are not the lucky winner, consider buying a copy of No More Food Fights! and/or sharing a copy with a friend on the other side of the plate.

Giveaway has closed.

Entries must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern time, Monday, April 29. Winners from each group will be selected via Random Number Generator and notified by email, based on completion of entry form, on Tuesday, April 30th and will have 24 hours to respond. Books are provided by Ryan Goodman and no immediate family members of Ryan Goodman or Michele Payn-Knoper are eligible for the giveaway. Participation in the contest guidelines and future sharing of the books by selected winners will be based on the honor system.

Earth Day 2013 – An Opportunity for #FarmVoices


Food is important to everyone. No Farms. No Food. It is important that connection be made.

Agriculture impacts everyone and has an important story to be told. If you’ve been a subscriber of this blog for very long, you know that I am a huge believer in this and I encourage everyone involved in the Agriculture community to make their voices heard. The time has passed when we can sit on the sidelines and listen to the mainstream media and general public bash the integrity of our food producers. We are a minority and it’s time we make our voices heard. Dodge RAM launched the 2013 – Year of the Farmer campaign with the “So God Made a Farmer” Superbowl ad, and it’s only appropriate we carry that message forward.

At the same time it is even more important that we are able to listen to our customers and their concerns. Until we are able to accomplish that, we will find it difficult to make progress.

Have a question for farmers and ranchers about their impact on our environment? Leave a comment below or submit on the Ask a Farmer tab!

Farmers and ranchers have a huge impact on our environment and most are aware of their efforts to make improvements for the next generation. If you take a moment to read the headlines, books from best-selling authors, or watch popular daytime television, a person could be easily persuaded otherwise. Misperceptions about farming and food production abound.

On Earth Day 2013, April 22, a group originating in Canada is encouraging us to make a statement about the future of Agriculture. Their objectives are made in the video above and in this statement:

Young people have been at the forefront of every important social movement in history. #FarmVoices is raising the profile of farmers by sharing their stories with the world, one image at a time. It’s. Our. Turn.

The FarmOn group and #FarmVoices campaign encourages the Agriculture community to share its message on Earth Day (April 22) through images that answer these 3 questions:

  • What do you love about farming?
  • What challenge do you face that threatens your ability to farm?
  • How do you care for your land and animals?

Please take a moment to share this message online through social media or through any events or activities you are involved in for Earth Day. Tag your posts with #FarmVoices.

The above images and video come from the FarmOn website. Learn more about the message and download more photos and materials at FarmOn.com or the Facebook page.

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