Small Steps to Huge Leaps

I recently read that an overwhelming majority of Americans are now three generations removed from agriculture. That is a long time-oriented separation from the "down in the dirt" knowledge associated with farm life, and a major opportunity for questionable "facts" to find a secure place in public opinion.

My guess is the first generation off the farm was well aware of their roots and was grateful for the opportunity to pursue a different lifestyle, so they were at least somewhat knowledgeable about food production and did not question it; the second was far enough off the farm that food production was not given a second thought, it was just something that happened to ensure that the grocery store aisles were well stocked; today, farming is something that is completely foreign to the third generation (even their grandparents were not farmers), and they are once again becoming interested in the origin of their next meal. Unfortunately, the new-found curiosity created a void that was filled by the loud voices of (equally uninformed) individuals spouting opinions about animal abuse, food trends, inappropriate production methods, etc. Perhaps even more unfortunately, farmers and ranchers (at first) stuck to their guns and remained behind the scenes, quietly going about their business while the public ate up every crumb of the slander-soaked pie laid out by various forms of extremest media.

It is easy for someone passionate about animal care and crop production to become angry at people who immediately believe the lies they hear about farming, but we need to realize that it is equally easy for non-farmers to latch on to what they hear; after all, nobody wants to support cruelty or wild science-fiction experiments, and if all they know is what they hear from the loudest source, who can blame them for pulling back in shock?

As our way of life began to gain a nationally recognized (but not legitimate) black spot in the eyes of the public, agricultural leaders began to spread the word that rather than becoming angry, farmers need to embrace the public with the real story and push back against our competitors with the same means they used against us. Almost overnight, groups of young (and young at heart) farmers began to spread the truth about farming, largely via the internet. Facebook groups, agricultural magazines, and various websites are now abuzz with success stories and techniques to educate people about farm life. Unlike our competitors, farmers actually have facts and physical proof (rather than opinions) to show people that agriculture has been portrayed in an artificial light, and the public is listening.

I guess there is no real message in this post other than I am excited to see the tides turning against radical organizations whose success is based on empty lies. Farmers turning to the internet is just the beginning; across the country, farms and ranches are being opened to the public so everyone is able to come in and see the full process for themselves. As people become re-educated about food production, fears and questions will disappear as fast as the organizations that created them. Keep listening to the real story, and I bet we will quickly see a bridge built to span the producer-consumer gap.