One at a Time

As I have mentioned many times before, when it comes to defending agriculture from the multitude of activist opinions that have flooded public perception I tend to become a little too defensive, throwing up my fists and trying to take on anyone and everyone who speaks out against the industry. This method expends a lot of energy and tends to be fruitless - I become overwhelmed from managing so many fronts and my message is lost. Many agricultural writers offer up a simple piece of advice to eliminate this problem: deal with misperceptions one at a time, not all at once. Finally, after reading these words of wisdom for the hundredth time, I am listening.

In choosing a target, I decided to go for the most bang for my buck; a case where if I succeeded in changing one mind, I could effectively change others connected to it. This challenge presented itself to me in the form of a Presbyterians Today magazine, a writing put together and published by, obviously, the Presbyterian Church. An article featured in said magazine featured none other that the great Michael Pollan (look back through my posts to find my opinion on the individual), spewing out his usual plethora of questionable ideas concerning modern agriculture. I was naturally offended by the horrendous "statistics" he poured forth into the writing, and I decided to contact the individual in charge of the magazine to make her aware of the inaccurate "facts". She responded (much to my surprise) and actually seemed to be willing to hear what I have to say. After a few more brief back-and-forth emails, I sent her this one, which I hope will effectively challenge the Pollan-biased opinion of the magazine and enlighten the Presbyterian team on the greatness of modern agriculture:

Hi -----,

I hope all is well with you and your loved ones. We at Clarion Farms have been
reveling in some much needed sunlight as we prepare for spring planting (our
seed arrived yesterday and is resting in the garage as a daily reminder that in
just a few weeks the tractors will be humming in a full-scale effort to get the
crops in the ground. I love this time of year).

Again I want to thank you for passing my emails along to your associates for
their review and consideration. An unfortunate reality, however, is the month
of March has ground away and the Presbyterian website still features false
information about meat production and the industry that supports it.

As trendy as it is to reference and quote individuals like Michael Pollan, Kathy
Freston, and other activists who have worked their way into the public
spotlight, the simple truth is environmental stewardship, responsible food
production, and global food stability are not moved forward by recognizable
names. Each of these important issues is practiced and accomplished on the
ground floor, out in the dirt with the folks who work with the land and animals
every single day.

What happens when an organization like the Presbyterian Church supports and
distributes information stemming from the above mentioned names and others like
them is actually quite shocking: the path of information followed by the
non-farm public is diverted around farmers, ranchers, and food production
experts and directs them into a tangle of opinions coming from more non-farmers.
Do you see the flaw here? We (farmers) are never given a chance to speak. How
is it that someone seeking information about a topic can receive an accurate
answer if the response is not coming from the source??

So I ask you this: when seeking information about farming, why do turn towards
some media buzz and not towards the farmers? Do you, like many others, not
consider us to be credible? Think for a moment - why would we lie about what we
do? To assume (and promote) that farmers and ranchers regularly take part in
activities leading to daily horrendous abuse of farm animals and unchecked
destruction of the land and the air (remember the livestock statistic) is also
to assume (and promote) the idea that farmers are truly evil people; I do
believe it would take someone with a black heart to participate in such
atrocities. When the activist thought process is stated in this manner - that
farmers are angry, dark, careless people - it loses momentum. One would hope
that any thoughtful person should hesitate at such a claim.

Those involved in agriculture, big and small, production and niche, livestock
and crops, are people just like you and everyone in your office - our business
just happens to be farming. We, too, are passionate about our work, love our
families, enjoy sports, go to college, attend church, and do everything that
non-farmers do. And, believe it or not, we, too, care for animal well being and
want to provide them with healthy, dignified lives. We, too, want to protect
soil quality and leave it better than we found it. We also breath the air and
do not wish to contaminate it. We also eat the food sold in grocery stores and
do not want our families to be sickened by it. We also pay attention to major
agricultural companies and their control of products on the market. We, too,
become frustrated when somebody else dirties our image based on their opinion.
There is, however, one significant difference that sets farmers apart from the
online crowd claiming to be worried about environmental degradation: we are
actually doing something about it.

Our World looking down the barrel of a gun loaded with a population that is
going to increase by 3 billion in the next forty years, a worldwide increase in
per-capita income and a resulting global appetite that is going to double in the
same amount of time (with animal protein demand leading the way), a society that
will continue to congregate in urban areas (it is estimated that by 2050 there
will be as many people living in cities as there are people in the world today)
leaving a comparatively smaller percentage to grow our food, and an
ever-reducing supply of farmland, water, and inputs with which to grow the
sustenance we rely on. These are daunting figures, to say the least. And such
a huge demand for food on such a limited amount of land necessitates perfect
management of our resources in order to sustainably squeeze the maximum
production out of our land, year after year, generation after generation.
Anything less than perfection from our farmers will result in global (and
domestic) hunger issues far worse than those we see today.

As I have mentioned, advancements required for my generation to fulfill our task
do not come from Michael Pollan and his campaign to do in modern agriculture.
Such groundbreaking ideas and technologies pour forth from great minds at
agricultural universities across the nation. These ever-improving production
methods are put into action not by an urban foodblogger, but by national
agricultural companies who have the funding, research, and vast reach required
to build the idea into a reality and make it available to farmers across the
country. Animal handling and care strategies are not developed by a high
profile vegan actress posing naked for an attention-grabbing PETA advertisement,
but by passionate animal experts like Temple Grandin who are willing to work in
the feedlots and packing plants to find and eliminate issues at their source.
Agricultural chemical studies and regulations do not come from the Organic
Growers Association, but from scientists working within the industry who are
actually developing and monitoring the products. Erosion control is in place
because of cover-cropping and reduced tillage techniques adopted by grain
farmers, not because a video producer made a documentary to shock the public.
In fact, virtually all of the environmentally sound advancements that have been
made since my grandfather's generation (when no such efforts existed) have come
from people working within the food production industry, NOT from outsiders
viewing the industry through the cloudy window of an online chat room.

I am not saying agriculture is perfect, and I am not denying that unfortunate
incidents of irresponsible mismanagement do occur, but I am telling you that as
a whole we are very good at what we do. As a member of an organization
dedicated to responsible environmental care and the elimination of World hunger,
you should be well versed in the realities of modern farming before speaking out
against it. In order to truly advance environmental protection and to ensure
there will be food for billions in the coming years, does it not make sense to
support and praise those doing the work? Work with us to protect the
environment rather than cutting us off at the knees by spreading questionable
data to the public; such actions create upheaval among the masses that results
in uninformed third-party decision making. By making yourself known within the
industry you will gain the respect of the farm community (a vast majority of
whom are dedicated church-goers) and launch your Presbyterian team into a
leadership position.

So that is my challenge to you: tell our side of the story. By recognizing the
requirements of food production in the coming years and embracing those who are
stepping up to meet and exceed the challenge, you will find yourself with an
inside line to work with and advance significant efforts to fulfill global food
requirements. Try to familiarize yourself with modern production; I am willing
to act as a source of information, and I will make an effort to connect you with
other producers across the US. Websites like www.americanagriculturist.com,
www.agweb.com, and www.beefmagazine.com are also great places to find
agricultural information. Just poke around a little bit...you will be able to
read about major agricultural issues from our point of view and gain insight
into what we are doing to deal with them. Read some of the blogs from
agricultural writers (Amanda Radke from Beef Magazine and Holly Spangler from
American Agriculturist are two of my favorites, but there are a multitude of
others) and see what is happening in the lives of young farmers in this country.

If you do not wish to take on this challenge, simply respond and tell me that
you have no such desire. You will never hear from me again. I will say,
however, such an oversight will keep you on the activist hamster
wheel...spinning away, pointing fingers, making accusations, 'enlightening' the
public, creating terrifying advertisements to advance an opinion...and never
really gaining any ground. Presbyterians Today will be mired in a sinkhole of
opinions, while farmers, ranchers, and industry employees buckle down to
accomplish the task at hand. I hope you do not get left behind.

Kind regards,

John-Scott Port

I am anxiously awaiting her reply. Although this might not instantly change her mind, I am pleased that she has at least heard a side of the story other than that of Michael. Perhaps, however, the editors will listen and Presbyterians Today will feature an article that praises modern agriculture and those involved with it every day. That, I believe, will change a multitude of minds.

Can Farmers Have A Voice?

Last year I became a member of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau (PFB) in an effort to learn about the organization and become involved with the state (and country) wide food production discussion. Since jumping into the Farm Bureau head first I have learned more than I imagined was possible, met some great people, enhanced my agricultural knowledge, and had some awesome experiences to tell the story of food production. I am proud to be a part of such an extensive organization and I look to the future with eager anticipation.

A major aspect of Farm Bureau is working with legislatures and various government organizations to ensure that unreasonable laws and regulations are not put in place that will choke Pennsylvania's grain and livestock farmers out of business (one of my primary motivations for joining was to become involved in this segment of the Bureau). The 50,000+ Pa Farm Bureau members provide the voice to guide discussions and the numbers to maintain a fair amount of political clout in Harrisburg and Washington, something vital to avoid being overlooked and overrun. Such an outstanding amount of membership support for the PFB has helped keep the playing field level to ensure that farmers carry a fair share of various regulations and do not end up with a heavier burden than other Pennsylvania industries.

Something that has surprised me, however, is how fiercely opposing organizations attack us, the farmers, for joining and contributing to the organization. The moment any political issue arises that the Farm Bureau is involved with, the media is flooded with comments from outraged environmentalists, animal rights activists, etc, screaming about how awful it is that 'Big Agribusiness' and the associated 'Factory Farms' use their oppressive political power to cover up all of the harm done by the food production industry.

Why is it OK for opposing organizations to rally hundreds of thousands - or even millions - of misinformed people in an attempt to punch their agenda into modern society, but completely outrageous if the farm community comes together in an attempt to counter their attacks? An individual once told me that mainstream society does not like to see the farmer succeed; although I did not want to accept the idea, I have found it to be quite true. If, Heaven forbid, we manage to turn a profit in a year, we are accused of ignoring animal well being and destroying the quality of our land in pursuit of the almighty dollar. If we do not tout ourselves as a trendy organic farm, we are accused of poisoning consumers without giving food safety a second thought. If we combine efforts to counter stringent regulations (that provide third party organizations the right to require overwhelmingly expensive overhauls to existing farms, with a $30,000 per-day penalty for not meeting the requirements), suddenly we become factory farmers who care little for the world around us. Interesting.

Believe it or not, farmers - both big and small, production and niche, livestock and crops - are people just others in mainstream society; our business just happens to be agriculture. We, also, love the land and do not want to destroy it. We, also, appreciate our animals and want to give them healthy, dignified lives. We, also, breath the air and do not want to contaminate it. We, also, feed our families with food from the grocery store and do not wish to be sickened by it. In other words, our goals are the same as those of the organizations rising up to oppose us. We are working towards the same cause, but the farm community needs a fair voice in order to balance out the equation and ensure regulations and associated time lines can be reasonably attained. Certain environmental groups would do well to realize that reality before lashing out against us.

Where Have I Been?

I went through a pretty good dry spell in regards to updating this blog. Two months, I believe, of nothing. Although I would like to run through a multitude of really good excuses to explain my absence, the reality is I have none. It boils down to one simple reality: I am not a 'sit in front of the computer' kind of person, and writing my thoughts down online requires, believe it or not, sitting at a computer. I just plain have not felt like taking the time to do this.

So what have I been doing while avoiding the torture keyboard? Quite a few things, actually.

I am proud to be a part of our local Young Farmer & Rancher committee. We have been meeting every month and working out various projects that will help us tell the story of agriculture in our community. Our ideas include entering national farm-video competition that portrays various farm operations. Clarion University has agreed to help us with filming and editing...we are in the preliminary stages of working out that deal. Other plans include establishing food donation programs that celebrate the productivity of modern agriculture and visiting high-school juniors and seniors to discuss the awesomeness of modern food production. Good progress has been made on all three, and I am excited to see what the future holds for our group.

A friend I met during a PSU trip to Moldova has put me in touch with a young producer in the country who recently came into possession of a soviet-ear facility consisting of eleven large barns for livestock. He is trying to establish himself as a viable beef producer and has actually contacted ME as a source of advice. We have been talking back and forth for some time, bouncing ideas off each other and attempting to create a clear path for his future. I am really excited to have some involvement in his operation and I hope the connection will at some point provide me with the opportunity to once again visit Moldova.

Speaking of traveling abroad, I am leaving to visit a few farms in Brazil this month. I am looking forward to once again seeing the massive crop production in the state of Bahia and learning how the frontier farms have progressed since my last visit (a little sunny 80 degree weather won't hurt, either). Every now and then it is good to head out of Clarion and stand on a 30,000 acre crop farm to put things in perspective. It takes a lot to feed this world.

As expected, I still get mad when I hear about Michael Pollan and his followers. I still throw a fit about vegetarians who seem hell-bent on forcing their beliefs into the minds of others and eliminating the American livestock industry - I love raising cattle; I enjoy eating beef (and every other kind of meat I can get my hands on); please do not tell me I need to stop doing both based only on your opinion. And I still get bent out of shape about the smoke-and-mirrors agenda of Wayne Pacelle and the Humane Society of the United States. But I am working to arm myself with the truth so when I encounter a concerned individual who has been influenced by the skewed teachings of said organizations I am able to provide a well planned, fact-based response. Want to know a few things I have learned recently? *A three oz serving of lean beef provides ten nutrients for an average of 154 calories. It takes a vegetarian two to three times more calories to get the same protein from a plant based diet. *From 1987 (the year I was born) to 2007 modern farmers grew 40% more corn, 30%more soybeans, and 19% more wheat ON THE SAME AMOUNT OF LAND. During that increase in productivity they reduced farmland erosion by 43%. I doubt Michael Pollan wants you to know that.

Opportunities for our farm and business seem to be springing up like crazy. I love sorting through the possibilities to see how we can maximize our productivity. If I mention any of our current business ideas I am sure they will be jinxed, but it is evident that the future holds great things. We will see where the path leads.

My most recent project involves the Presbyterian Church and one of their Lent projects. Apparently they have made the common mistake of referencing Michael Pollan as an agricultural expert, as well as including Oprah and Kathy Frestone (an outspoken anti-meat vegan) in their panel of farm and health experts. This fine group has convinced the Presbyterians to adopt the idea of Meatless Monday in order to get healthy and save the environment during Lent. I wrote the organization a letter explaining the flaws in their plan and asking them to reconsider using a non-biased group of experts; they have not responded yet. Now I am in the process of rallying agricultural bloggers across the country to spread the word and contact the Presbyterian organization. We will see how well that goes.