Kathryn Shallenberger on Ag’s Promise

With Agriculture’s Promise right around the corner, we want to make sure you have plenty of reasons to mark your calendar for the event!  It really is a great opportunity to put a face on agriculture in front of our country’s decision makers, but don’t take our word for it!  Here’s Kathryn Shallenberger’s take on her 2010 Agriculture’s Promise experience:

I absolutely love visiting Washington, D.C. It is a place rich with memories of our country’s history, the place where our founding fathers made decisions that helped to shape our past. It is also a place where today’s leaders are shaping our future. Each and every day our nation’s leading lawmakers are making decisions that have a direct impact the future of our country. They are paving the path, choosing the direction we will go. So naturally, any time I get a chance to have a hand in that process I take it. That is why I chose to attend the National Young Farmer Education Association’s Agriculture’s Promise forum in Washington, D.C. last April.

As someone who was relatively new to the NYFEA organization I was not sure what to expect. I had been to D.C. three other times for various conferences and trip, but never for a forum such as this. If fact, I am not even sure I could say I knew what a forum was! However, that did not last long. From the moment the forum began I knew that I was a part of something special. Agriculturalists had come from all over the country in order to give their industry a voice, to give their industry the opportunity to help pave the path to the future.

But why was this so special, so important? It is simple, for many years agriculturalists have taken for granted to relationships they have with the people they serve, their consumers. This has caused a huge disconnect, making many consumers unaware of the ins and outs of the industry. So, as congressmen and women are faced with decision that directly affect the agriculture industry, they are not always properly informed. That is why agriculturalists like myself chose to attend Agriculture’s Promise: a Forum for the Next Generation. This forum was our opportunity reconnects with the consumers out in Washington. It was our opportunity to tell our own agriculture story.

If you are reading this blog, and wondering what it has to do with you, wonder no longer. The 2011 Agriculture’s Promise Forum is coming up faster than you realize, and if you do not begin to seriously consider this opportunity to put a name and a face to the agriculture industry it may pass you by. If you believe in the words that E.M. Tiffany wrote many years ago, “I believe in the future of agriculture,” then you must take the opportunity help carve a path to that future.
- Kathryn

To attend Agriculture’s Promise, check out the registration form below & send it in by March 10th, 2011.  We look forward to seeing you!

Guest Post: Slow Money Farm

Thanks to Jan from Slow Money Farm for this guest post:

When people think of American agriculture it’s not rabbits they think of. It’s “important” crops like corn and soy and wheat. It’s beef and dairy cattle, pork and chicken houses. It’s the volume that is demanded and that American farmers stand up to provide so well. It’s the variety of agriculture that insures choices for consumers and farmers.

The wording in a piece of pending legislation in Nebraska designates rabbits as pets. In Washington state there is a ballot initiative proposed to forbid production or sale of eggs produced by anything but cage free hens. This is not new – it sounded good enough to pass in California. With a “cage” being equal to kennels in dog legislation things begin to spin. In the quest for “humane”  there are laws being pushed that are not about humane care but about power.

Rabbit breeders can easily be looped into this target with designations of pet status, with HSUS appeals to tell restaurants to leave rabbit off the menu, with an amendment close opportunity to designate banning cages for rabbits.

Rabbit breeders have for years been targets of bullying, harassment and threats – so much so that some are afraid to post online. Is that not terrorism? On the other hand there are people wanting to  buy US rabbit – not imported from China rabbit. Breeders would like to sell but many people aren’t what they seem. Many areas are increasingly banning keeping rabbits, as well as banning small poultry keepers. This is a trend that  is increasing. Rabbits are unique animals – in more ways than most farmers think.

Rabbits produce meat, fur and wool. Angora fiber is from the angora rabbit, not angora goats (which is mohair). Rabbits are also key in medical research and, yes, can be pets. Every time small poultry projects and rabbits are banned or attacked it is an attack on agriculture but one that doesn’t get the attention of an attack on dairy or hogs. It’s a small part of the market -  a specialty market that many use to provide their own meat supply without selling to others. So why is it important to agriculture?

Raising rabbits for food, fur and fiber is the only hands on connection to agriculture thousands of people have! We talk about wanting to engage people about agriculture – we cannot afford to have ties severed! The American Rabbit Breeders Association has thousands of exhibitors that travel to the annual convention and show, this year in Indianapolis, next year in Wichita Kansas. Thousands more maintain youth projects as market pens. This allows those without room for a hog or a steer or a lamb to take an active part in an agricultural project.

It allows adults a connection to food production. It stimulates conversations about hay quality and how to deal with manure and the very topics that are discussed in #agchat on a regular basis. It brings an awareness of production if only from the standpoint of feeding their animals. It provides a market for farmers to sell hay and other feed to supply those markets. It provides organic gardeners with natural fertilizer that doesn’t burn plants and is easy to handle. It is a minority and yet an overlooked voice for agriculture – or against it.

Can agriculture afford to lose those connections? Does it matter if rabbits are banned or designated pets only? Which owner do you think is more able to understand feeding out pigs or steers – the pet owner with one animal or the one feeding 200 market fryers? Which has a bigger concern and understanding of feed issues? Which can better relate to agriculture as a means to produce food, fiber and other products? Can you afford to continue to look the other way?

It matters to consumers also. A rabbit breeder can be the most valuable asset to someone who can’t deal with a manure spreader full of manure but sure can use a feed sack or 5 gallon bucket of it ready to fertilize their plants. A rabbit breeder is the answer for those wanting to eat a tasty meal of rabbit enchiladas or BBQ rabbit. Rabbit meat is high protein, nutrition packed for those looking to add a little variety to the dinner table.

Rabbits can be pets – but are an important part of agriculture, if for no other reason than those connections to the farm.

The opinions expressed in the above post represent the thoughts and feelings of the blogger, and not necessarily NYFEA as a whole.

 

Farming: More than driving a tractor

From Jillian over at From the Tractor Seat:

A farmer’s work is never done. Even when the grass is dead, the crops are harvested and it’s unbearably cold outside (I’m from North Florida so anything below 60° is unbearably cold) there is still plenty to do.

Jared under a flat bed trailer packing wheel bearings with grease.

Welcome to the shop. This is where most of our exciting winter farming activities take place. The boys work on equipment, fix things that are long overdue for a repair and generally freeze their little hinies off.

For those unfamiliar with it: hiney: one’s rump, gluteus maximus or behind. Not to be confused with a hinny.

Aside from exercising their mechanical brains and devising fixes that can get pretty creative, farm families like ours also care for livestock during the winter months.

The cows munching on peanut hay.

This includes feeding, vaccinating and making sure they stay where they should be.

Because no one wants to hit a cow in the middle of the night as they’re driving home; fence maintenance is important!

On another note, Jared and I were talking with some folks from school the other day and one of them said, “I would love to be a farmer, heck all you have to do is drive a tractor from one end of the field to the other, all day long.”

Jared and I had to very different responses. He got mad and I shook my head.

This incident reminded me of the importance of education and communication. This kid was not a city slicker, nor was he uneducated, but somehow he had missed the point that it takes a lot of science, sweat and intestinal fortitude to make a farm work.

So as you enjoy your winter months remember the farmers who in their “slow time” are planning the crop year, interpreting soil tests, prepping the ground, fixing equipment, working with livestock, investigating new equipment and doing a lot of financial planning. It’s more than riding a tractor. It’s a business with a lot invested and a lot at stake.

I am Angus | Life on a Kansas Cattle Ranch

Awesome example of using social media for agriculture & consumer education!

From Crystal Cattle and video produced by the American Angus Association:

Before Christmas I traveled out to the Flint Hills of Kansas to spend a day videoing and interviewing Debbie Lyons Blythe. Debbie is a pretty cool gal. She is the man power behind her family’s ranch, and has five kids and a great husband to support to her. She’s involved in her community, knows the importance of attending industry agriculture meetings and has wrote a cook book so consumers who are buying boxed beef from her have a better understanding of how to utilize the whole carcass.

I got to the Ranch just a little before lunch and Debbie was starting to make a huge pot of chili. I knew it would be good because I am a huge fan of Debbie’s Beef Enchilada Soup recipe. Looking at that pot I thought wow she’ll have left overs for days. However, when her kids (four in high school, and one a in college) rolled in for lunch it was evident that there wasn’t going to be much left over. These kids were filling up on beef, and it would fuel them for rest of the day.

Debbie was the subject of my I am Angus segment because of her commitment to telling agriculture’s story to the consumer. She wants consumers to know where their food comes from, and she wants farmers and ranchers to be accessible to answer questions. Things I want too.

Be sure to check out Debbie on Twitter @DebbieLB, her facebook page Life on a Kansas Cattle Ranch or Debbie’s ranch blog.

The opinions expressed in the above post represent the thoughts and feelings of the blogger, and not necessarily NYFEA as a whole.

We want your feedback!

From Jill Heemstra, Environmental Ag Leaders:

http://tinyurl.com/nyfeasurvey

We want to know! What environmental issues will have the greatest impact on your farm or ranch? Where do you go to learn more about environmental topics? Please take a few minutes (less than 10) to complete a survey about environmental issues and resources. This survey is part of the new Environmental Leaders Award project recently announced by NYFEA (http://agriculturespromise.wordpress.com/2010/12/11/environmental-leaders-award-program/). We invite farmers and ranchers and ag professionals who influence environmental decisions on farms and ranchers to participate. We will post the results in February. If you have any questions, contact Jill Heemstra jheemstra@unl.edu (or @LPELC on Twitter).

 

Exploring the “Salad Bowl” of the World

From our friends at Digital Bard:

Exploring the “Salad Bowl of the World”

On December 8th-12th, we traveled to Monterey County, California to shoot the annual National Young Farmers Education Association (NYFEA) conference.

Not only did we escape the freezing East Coast weathers for a few days, but we also enjoyed the Salinas Valley.  Promoted as the “Salad Bowl of the World,” the valley is a stretch of just under 100 miles that runs between 2 mountain ranges and consists of some of the best farmland in the country.  If you’ve eaten a salad lately, chances are it came from Salinas Valley.

Tours ran for the first two days and included stops ranging from major producers such as Gills Onions and the Dole Factory to more historical attractions including a local mission and the History of Irrigation Museum.

The final day consisted of speeches, salutes, elections, entertainment, and a communication competition for students in agricultural related fields.  Monica Abbot, professional softball player, Olympic silver medalist and Monterey native was a featured guest speaker and helped motivate attendees to achieve their dreams by setting goals.

This is the third institute Digital Bard has done with NYFEA, each year in a different state.  The touring conference helps attending agriculturalists (and tag-alongs like us) to understand and relate to processes outside of their local scope.

It was eye-opening to see an area dominated by large scale farming, yet still challenged by urbanization and environmental restraints.  Next year…Kansas City, Missouri!

From Purple Poke: Crisis Communications

From Jenny Gillespie at Purple Poke:

So, I’ve been up all night trying to finish my literature review and presentation that are both due for my Graduate Seminar at 11:30 today (yes…as in 8 hours from now!). My topic is‘Agricultural Crisis Communication & Public Relations’which has been an extremely interesting and worth-while topic to study. Most of the articles I have read were peer reviewed “scholarly articles” – essentially full of research methods, data analysis, and theoretical jargon that would be of no interest to anyone reading this post. HOWEVER, lucky for you all (and me!), I stumbled upon this great popular media article (actually, it was suggested to me via a Twitter friend…I’m telling you, social media rocks!) that gives some awesome tips for crisis communication. I figured since I’m not going to get any sleep anyways, I might as well take half an hour to provide a much needed breath of life to my blog page!

Everyone in agriculture knows, we are as vulnerable to crisis situations as any industry out there. Most commonly, crises in the food chain come to mind first…salmonella contamination in eggs (or peanut butter), E. coli contamination in ground beef, E. coli contamination in spinach…you get the point. Then we might think about crises that were rooted in poor communication or misunderstanding on the part of the consumer, most notably when pork got a “bad rap” due to the H1N1 virus being referred to as “swine flu.” It took months to get the public to understand that “swine flu” had nothing to do with pigs or pork (in fact, there is probably still some confusion out there today!). A crisis could also refer to a natural disaster—floods, fires, drought…again, you understand. What I’m getting at is that crisis situations in agriculture are not homogenous—there is a lot of potential for a crisis to pop up, most of the time unexpectedly. If possible, of course we want to prevent these crises from happening altogether. But this is life, and we live in a world where sometimes we have no control. When a crisis situation arises, we as agvocates need to know how to handle those situations, communicate effectively with the public, and help keep the reputation of our industry intact.

The article, Five Steps to Better Crisis Communications, was published by Bloomberg Businessweek and is availablehere. The author, Carmine Gallo, is a communications specialist who has worked closely with various crisis situations in agriculture. The guy seems pretty letgit…(excuse the slang). I know this post is a bit lengthy, but trust me—it is worth it! Regardless of whether you’re involved in agriculture or another industry/business, these tips could save your tush in crisis situation!

(If you don’t want to read the entire thing, at least hit the points I have hilighted in red! Yes, I’m giving you a shortcut!)

Five Steps to Better Crisis Communications

Drawing on his working experience with food producers affected by recalls, Carmine Gallo offers pointers on dealing with an industry-wide crisis.

The recent salmonella outbreak that led to the recall of half-a-billion eggs affects businesses far removed from the two big Iowa egg producers at the center of the storm. Most are relatively small ventures struggling to survive in a recession and committed to delivering safe food.

As a communications specialist, I am often called upon for “crisis communications” projects—helping companies respond to and recover from a crisis. In the past five years, I have been directly involved with spinach, lettuce, tomato, strawberry, and dairy operations dealing with food crises. In most cases, trouble at one operation seriously damaged an entire industry. The lessons I learned about rebuilding reputations and brands can be applied to almost any company involved in a crisis, food related or not. Consider the following tips:

1. Express genuine empathy. If your industry is affected by a crisis—whether or not it’s your company’s fault—you must acknowledge the tragedy and express your feelings early and often. Deflecting blame or failing to express sympathy appears callous and unconcerned, two qualities that must not be associated with your brand if you hope to keep your customers’ confidence. I was in a private meeting with an agricultural leader who broke down in tears when she heard that a child had fallen gravely ill after eating contaminated food that wasn’t produced by her company. Few people see this side of an industry involved in a crisis. Getting your facts straight before making any kind of public statement is important, but expressing genuine empathy for anyone harmed, injured, or killed must be your first response.

2. Own the message quickly. In the first few hours after a crisis, a huge amount of misinformation spreads online. Too many bloggers simply copy and paste. I recently spoke to a media relations specialist for a large oil company (not BP) who crafted a crisis communications plan for his company in the event of an accident. “If the company’s voice isn’t heard in the first 24 hours of a crisis—preferably the first six hours—you’re dead,” he said. “In the age of the Internet, if you duck and run, you will find yourself in big trouble.” It takes a leap of courage to be assertive and react quickly. Get your facts straight, reach out directly to principle stakeholders first, and, once everyone is on the same page with the message, start talking.

3. Commit to full transparency. Internal surveys used by the agricultural industry show that the more people know about how their food is grown, the more confident they are in the companies that provide the product. Several groups that I work with in California have leveraged this information and regularly invite outsiders, including the media, to visit farms and processing plants to get a look at the system. Being transparent demonstrates confidence in your product and your manufacturing and distribution methods. Very few companies or industries have the courage to be fully transparent. After a crisis, it might be the only way to rebuild your reputation.

4. Put a face on the industry. The media abhors a vacuum. If you don’t put a face on the industry, others will, and it might not be the face you want to show the public. In my work for the agricultural industry, I learned that consumers trust farmers and are left with a very positive impression when they learn more about what farmers do to keep the food they grow safe for consumption. All too often during a crisis, an industry will turn to one official spokesperson. But people want to hear from those in the field, those who do the work. It’s critical to offer a group of individuals who are prepared to speak on the topic.

5. Train the industry’s spokespeople. It can be quite damaging for an untrained spokesperson to speak to the media directly. Not because he or she has something to hide, but because that person might not realize how easy it is to be misinterpreted or misquoted.Industry associations must commit to training a handful of spokespeople—including those in the field—on key messages. On a football field, it would do very little good for the quarterback to know the plays if the other players were left in the dark. Everyone must speak from the same playbook to create a coherent message.

We get upset at any company that has appeared to take potentially damaging shortcuts in its quest to make money. When a crisis hits your industry, your customers will be quick to believe the worst about you. Committing to the five steps above will help you survive the crisis—and quite possibly, emerge even stronger.

I don’t feel like I have to follow up on this article much, as Mr. Gallo is clearly the expert here. I have leared a great amount about crisis communication in the past few weeks, but nothing beats experience in the field. I hope you took something away from his message and can apply it to your dicipline.

Sadly, it’s time for me to get back to the not-so-fun writing. I don’t think Dr. Terry will accept this blog post as my literature review!

Have a great week!

~Jen

Source: http://purplepoke.blogspot.com/2010/10/crisis-communication-in-ag.html

From Buzzard’s Beat: Pork Producers – Bare Your Soul!

Ok – so don’t really bare your soul but tell your story!  The Pork Checkoff is sponsoring a “We Care Responsible Pork Production Video Contest” during the month of October (National Pork Month)!  The grand prize for each division (13-18 and 18+) is a UltraHD Camcorder!  I’d love to have that!

Just show how ‘you care’ for your pigs on a daily basis. Be creative – the sky is the limit!  Videos must be 3-5 minutes in length and should represent the Natioal Pork Checkoff’s mantra “We Care”.  For more contest details click HERE!

To see a prime example of agvocacy in action on swine farms, check out this great video.

Good luck!

Until next time,
~Buzzard~

The opinions expressed in the above post represent the thoughts and feelings of the blogger, and not necessarily NYFEA as a whole.

Source: http://buzzardsbeat.blogspot.com/2010/10/pork-producers-bare-your-soul.html

Foodie Feature: Focus on Food Safety

Source: Food for Thought

Citizens of the United States have the opportunity to enjoy the safest food supply in the world.

This is a statement that I truly believe in and like to promote. There is a network of people behind this safety factor and it is because of them that we can boast the above statement. What is this network and how is it organized?

1. Food safety begins with the consumer. WE are responsible for staying up on current recalls and alerts. WE are also responsible for preventing food poisoning during preparation. My mother teaches family and consumer science classes and here are a few of her simplistic kitchen tips that have been ingrained in my head.

• When in doubt, throw it out!
• CSCC – Clean, Separate, Cook, Chill
• 165 Degrees – basic safe temperature for meat, eggs, leftovers, casseroles

2. Producers of food and food products are also responsible for food safety measures. The most important thing to remember here is that producers of food are also consumers of food. Food safety is very important to producers because it goes on their dinner plate too!

3. Food safety continues into governmental agencies. Federal food safety measures are split out into different agencies that are outlined below:

• Food – FDA
• Meat, poultry and eggs – USDA
• Pet Food – FDA
• Outbreaks and illnesses – CDC

It is in this integral system of agencies, producers and consumers that keep the food on our plates safe for our families!

Keeping in line with the regular blog feature of a “Foodie Feature” I will send you to the Food Safety website of all websites! It is produced by the agencies mentioned above. Tool around on it and learn more about this important topic. You can add them to your twitter feed and get instant updates on recalls, notices and other information. There is even a food safety widget and if you even know what that word means, knock yourself out and widget away!

All my best,

Tera Rooney

Source: http://bloggingfoodforthought.blogspot.com/2010/09/foodie-feature-focus-on-food-safety.html

Let Us Fix This Consumer – Ag Disconnect

From Agriculture Proud:

It really should not surprise me or disappoint me by now when I hear someone criticizing food production. After all of the blows and punches consumer groups have taken at crop and livestock producers over the past couple of years, one would think we would have the thick skin to tolerate it. But still I read and hear comments pointed at producers and it just confuses me.

One way I use social networks is to what others are saying about food production. On Twitter I often look up the feed for “feedlot” and see statements like this one posted:

If you think dog pounds are cruel check out a feedlot, chicken “farm”, meat processing plant. Then see if you can stomach another hamburger. –Posted on Twitter from Southern California

On Facebook I can do the same just by searching for the term “feedlot” and posts like this appear:

Cant drive thru kansas without thinking a lot about food..beef and corn..miles of corn, much of it browned out..cattle everywhere.some in the fields.thousands in feedlots that look like parking lots.cattle that dont move just eat and wait to eat more..mix some corn and chemicals and poof you have a bigger cow..strange country we are strange food industry..o look there`s `feedlot creek` – no swimming.

That statement was quickly followed by this:

Real road sign: Caution,correctional institute.Do not pick up hitchhikers….Imagined road sign: Caution,feedlot-do not pick up hitchhiking cattle with that “i`m hamburger tomorrow if you dont give me a ride” look.

Statements like these just really puzzle me. What is going on inside of people’s minds that they picture cattle production as this big machine? Then I remember the images I see on television and film of cattle handlers portrayed as rough stock handlers laughing at the animal’s misfortune, or news desk anchors scaring their audience into thinking we pump antibiotics and chemicals into animals by the gallons. Or snapshot images pieced together into a film with a voice over that tells viewers about harsh conditions animals endure in short, non-natural lives. And then I realize that all I know about Hollywood is what I have seen on television or read on the grocery store news stands. Why wouldn’t someone believe what they see in media to be the truth, especially if they have never witnessed the subject themselves?

We all know that consumers are disconnected from food production. When youngsters respond to a question asking about the origin of there meat or dairy products by saying it comes from the grocery shelf, or when consumers on the interstate drive by a feedyard and picture the knee-deep mud and crowded pens from television, it is time for our story to be told.

What is stopping us from having our true story on the Evening News? Why can we not produce a documentary about livestock production that will capture audiences? Some give the excuse that emotions sell and we cannot appeal to the emotions like the terrorizing images some are already showing. Who gives a crap? What is stopping us from telling our stories from the front lines, showing our daily hard work that puts food on tables around the world? It all starts with YOU. Each and every one of us has to do our part to make a difference. Put your story on paper, on film, or on the web. Tell your neighbors of your adventures. Share the good times and the bad. Do not be afraid to tell about that calf you lost due to sickness. You put a lot of hard work into trying to save it. What about all the others that you did save?

One by one, we can make a difference, but it takes that first step. We can be on the headlines of the Evening News or the daily columns with our true story of food production. It has already begun, but that does not mean we can stop. Get out there and do your part. The more consumers learn about those who produce their food, the more they become aware of how much it affects their daily lives. You never know when you might reach that one person that can make a difference.

Here are a few recent posts that are working to share the good story of production agriculture.

• Working Ranch Magazine works to tell the daily life and work that takes place in cattle feedyards.
• JP shares her thoughts on a comparison between the current Farmville craze and real agriculture.
• This On The Farm post shares a little inlet to the knowledge and decision-making skills it take to be a professional farmer.
• Let’s not forget the grassroots efforts of the AgChat Foundation to enable producers to utilize social media to share their stories.
• I find the efforts of this Illinois Farm girl, turned New York Lawyer very interesting. Cari Rickner is not afraid to bring Agriculture front and center to the minds of those in an urban setting.

I really could go all day showing you links to those who are doing great things to agvocate, share the story of agriculture, but that’s not my point. Please take a leap out of your comfort zone, grab a camera, a laptop, a notepad, or take advantage of a planned trip to town and start sharing your story today.

The opinions expressed in the above post represent the thoughts and feelings of the blogger, and not necessarily NYFEA as a whole.

Source: http://agricultureproud.wordpress.com/2010/09/13/let-us-fix-this-consumer-ag-disconnect/