Tag Archives: Agriculture

Why should farmers and ranchers advocate for agriculture? (Video)


I think it goes without question if you’ve followed my material for very long, that I am passionate about advocating for the voice of farmers and encouraging others involved in agriculture to join the conversations. While speaking at various agriculture meetings or organization events, I sometimes get blank stares from those farmer and rancher types not already involved in agriculture advocacy. I get the normal “Why should I care to worry about what those folks think of me?” or “Social media is a young person’s game.“

Why should we care to advocate for agriculture and the rural way of life?

I know this video is a promotion for Colorado Farm Bureau, but the folks with the Young Farmers and Ranchers group have a pretty good statement to make.

“Agriculture, politics, and the future of rural America is not your grandpa’s game. It is your’s and your voice needs to be at the table… If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu. So Your voice is one of the important ones that people need to hear.”

Farmers and Ranchers need to be involved in advocating for their way of life. Young or Old. New or Veteran. I’m willing to bet most people involved in agriculture are passionate about what they do and want to see that way of life continue for the next generation.

Young Farmers and Ranchers Agriculture Advocacy

If we’re not involved in the conversations (that have been and are already occurring), someone will tell a story and it will not always be an accurate one. When that inaccurate story is told, the misperceptions will continue to grow.

“One misinformed person can tell 10 uninformed people and so the misperception goes on.”

Your advocacy doesn’t have to be online or in social media. You don’t have to write a blog or spend all day commenting on inaccurate news stories or Reddit posts. Just make an effort to get to know your neighbors. They are the ones with questions and will likely be your biggest ally if they can trust you before that subject becomes and issue.

It’s likely to be a less hostile venture than you may fear. Just get out there and do it.

(Ok, I’m done preaching to the choir, my regular followers. Share this post with someone who you might encourage to take a step out of their comfort zone and be a voice for their passions.)

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:

Take your Child to Work Day – Every day in ranch life


It’s Take Your Child to Work Day!

Take Your Child to Work Day Farming Agriculture Ranch Life

Sometimes my dad asked me to do some pretty tough chores… But we still had fun.

Not everyone has the opportunity to take their kids to work on a daily basis. As a kid who worked daily with both parents, I didn’t realize that for a long time. My dad managed a ranch with over 1,200 mother cows, and we usually had over 2,000 yearling cattle at any given time. My mom kept him in line, managed the books, and outworked most of the cowboys at the chute. And every moment my brothers and I were not at school, we were working with them on the ranch.

Take your kid to work day milking cow ranch life

Every once in a while there was a little Wild Cow Milking involved in the job with dad…

I don’t regret that work one bit. My parents instilled my passion for ranching, working with cattle, and being a part of the agriculture community. There’s no way I’d take that back. I have learned so much in the pasture that I never would have had the opportunity to learn in the classroom.

Not everyone has the opportunity to work so closely with their family. I’m thankful that’s possible for many farming families. Were your parents able to bring you along to work? Will you take your kids to work today?

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.