Five generations. For five generations my family has grown crops and raised livestock for food, fuel and fiber just outside of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. I have always considered myself lucky to be raised on a farm that is committed to providing food for a hungry world. Growing up on a farm in a large metropolitan suburb, my family’s farming intentions were questioned more than once as housing developments, new roads and businesses started closing in on our acreage. It seemed that not everyone understood what my dad does as a farmer, and I often had to explain how the crops and livestock we grow get from our farm to their table. Realizing that even my peers did not understand much about agriculture, I became interested in telling my farming story and sharing facts about farmers’ role in producing healthy food. To become a more skilled advocate and learn techniques that would help me share my story with others, I chose to major in agriculture communications.
We Have Work to Do
It wasn’t long after I settled into my freshman year, that a group of students in matching t-shirts handed me and other students walking to class a ‘Guide to Going Vegan’ brochure. After class I read the brochure, published by peta2 (a branch of PETA that targets youth and young adults). The brochure was filled with vegan recipes and false information about “factory farms.”
I was concerned. There I was, surrounded by impressionable college peers who were uninformed about the safe and humane animal agriculture practices. Being handed a brochure with misinformation about animal agriculture on an agriculture campus while walking to an agriculture education class made me realize… those of us with a passion for animal agriculture have our work cut out for us.
what will you do for animal agriculture?
This summer, I will take action while interning with the Animal Agriculture Alliance: an organization that stands up to protect producers, engage influencers and connect industry stakeholders to bridge the communication gap between farm and fork. There is an immense need to share farmers’ commitment to responsibly and ethically produce meat, milk, poultry and eggs.
For those who have the privilege of working in the agriculture industry, I encourage you to share your story. Personally, I get to spend my summer creating social media content that busts myths, shares facts and answers questions about the animal agriculture industry. What will you do? With all of us working together, we can dispel the myths of animal agriculture and ensure a secure, safe and reliable food future.
All posts are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily represent the view of the Animal Ag Alliance.
