Dear Offended Farmer,
In today’s society, consumers are more than ever disconnected with where their food comes from. There are over 313,000,000 people in the United States and only 1-2% either claim farming as their occupation or live on a farm. I would venture to guess that the majority of the population has never even stepped foot on a farm.
More than ever consumers are wanting to know where their food comes from. SO where do they go to get that information? No, they do not come to us as farmers. They go to the internet. AND we all know that everything you read/see on the internet is true (insert sarcasm). The internet can be a source of great information but it is also a source of millions of opinions and agendas. You click on an anti-farming page and you have tens of thousands upon thousands of followers. You click on a farming page and you are lucky to see they have hit 1000 people. Consumers these days are being raised in a world of social media, it is everywhere. It is much easier to go to the internet for answers than drive to a farm.
This is where you come in. I know how hard you work. I know how much you care. I know first hand how it feels to struggle. I know the sting of an uneducated comment intended to bash me as a farmer for who I am and what I do. I know how frustrating it is to have friends/family members share negative and uneducated comments regarding agriculture. But you know what, we kind of have ourselves to blame. I know how easy it is to just lash out at those that are spreading manure from their mouth.
BUT…
We cannot lash out! We cannot match ignorance for ignorance. We cannot possibly reach someone by calling them names and/or using profanity. We need to explain to them as to why their information is incorrect. If someone says farmers work an 8 hour day. Explain to them how many hours you work, what you do in that time and why. If someone says that we are lazy, invite them to “job shadow” you for the day. If someone says that we do not care, explain to them that you do and why. If someone doesn’t understand something we do, explain it to them. Patience is very important. Not everyone will see your point of view and that is ok. Move on. Education is key and we need to step up our game!
There is no reason why anyone of my friends or family should be uneducated to my farming practices. There is no reason for a single one of them to be worried about the food I supply. If they are looking for answers, I should be their number one resource. They should have access to my farm and to me for any questions they may have. Doesn’t mean they will not go to the internet, but they should have access to the truth(me & my farm).
So I guess the point of this letter is more like a plea to you as a fellow farmer. What you do or don’t do affects us all. If you decide to attack someone that just got done bashing you, what are you really going to gain? Nothing. Take all that energy of being “offended” and turn it into educating. Instead of calling someone names and using profanity, explain to them why what they are saying is wrong. If you have trouble with putting your feelings into words, do a little research before you respond. More than ever farmers are stepping up to share their story and there are quite a few that are good with words.
Most importantly if you find that you are offended that someone is uneducated and is “bashing” you for what you do, think for a minute, what have I done to educate consumers? Do I have a farm page where I can share my farm with people? Do I have a blog where I can explain in detail what I do and why I do it? Have I wrote the local paper to share within the community? Have I participated in community events? Is my farm open for farm tours? Even more, is what I am about to say (or type) going to be affective in showing this person that they have been given the wrong information about my farm?
How you respond is more important than you may think…
Sincerely,
Krista, The Farmer’s Wifee
Krista Stauffer
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well said!
<--- grew up on farm, miss it so much. Ignorance is a sad existence, sad so many people choose this from of reality. Keep educating and if u can enlighten even a few, you have done well.
What you have said is very true. It does not improve anything to lash back — although that is VERY tempting. It is just hard when the uninformed one does not want the education and continues in their ways. However, we must remember you really are doing God's work, for without you the earth would not prosper, and just leave it at that.
Very well said. My dad grew up farming and I can remember as a child my parents being called to look for my grandpa b/c he hadn't returned home, so my dad had to search for him. Turned out his vehicle had broken down. I have cousins and people in my church that still farm. I have nothing but respect and gratitude for the farmers. I hope they will take your advice and step up the game!
*I meant to mention my grandpa was a farmer w/several pieces of land he farmed….
o importante e que o fazendeiro e feliz!!!!
In some cases, it might be better to just turn and walk away. Some people have no interest in the truth. Many people think farmers are stupid and uneducated. I think this is the harder stereotype to fight than the unsafe food issues. Because the truth is, some of our food is raised in poor conditions. Food does get recalled. Most, if not all, large hen/egg farms are pretty tough on the birds. If you get into an argument with a non-farmer regarding food safety, your only course of action is to say, “Food from my farm is safe.” That is most likely true, but it is not convincing for the 98% who need to eat. I appreciate your spunk and I even remember feeling that same energy when I was a young farmer's wife. I had a zeal for protecting the image of farms and farmers, but then I grew old and realized that 100% of people need to eat. They can piss and moan all they want, but in the end they need us more than we need them. I don't waste any of my last minutes on this earth arguing with ignorance. Just say this, “Don't complain about farmers with your mouth full.”
This was so well written….thank you! We have what most people call a “hobby farm” We don't raise animals on a large scale…nor do we raise produce on a large scale…we are a self sufficient…eat what we grow and grow what we eat farm. I take pleasure in knowing I have been able to get a few friends started on gardening, and canning…and even had a few come help with butchering day. (poultry) Showing people where their food comes from is a blessing….too many people are uninformed.
If I can open the eyes and hearts of even a few people, It makes it all worth while to me.
I have only been at this for a year but the response I have had has been every bit worth my time trying to educate. The farmers that have joined the rest of us in agvocating because of my page or even just one blog post… it is worth it. The people that come across my page & said… I was wrong in the way I was thinking. That to me is worth a couple hours of my time each week. I totally get where you are at if you have been at it for much longer than I have… farming can wear you down & so can uneducated people in regards to farming. Thanks for taking time to read my blog & thank you for what your family does every day!
Exactly… as long as I am changing the minds of people(even a few people)… it is worth it to me too! 🙂
Thanks everyone for your comments! Please feel free to share any of my blogs or FB posts. Have a blessed day!
Thank you! This is exactly why I began my blog. No, not because I, or our farm, or our farming practices were being attacked, but because of the lack of good and honest information available. After hosting a school tour at our farm, and explaining the hours spent each day caring for our land and our animals, a 3rd grader asked, “What is your husband's REAL job?” I knew right then that we must be our own advocate for the life style and career we have chosen. MyBarnYardView.blogspot.com
Deep down I think everyone wishes they could experience the pleasure and great satisfaction of watching something grow that they have nurtured and/or planted with their own hands. We invite people to visit our farm and they can even stay a night or so with us in our farm stay. http://www.naylorsorganicfarmstay.com
I agree that educating people is critical to the future of agriculture in the USA and that the internet has been used much more successfully by the “anti” crowd. The anti-everythings have found they can spread misinformation quickly and widely through social media. All of you formally taking on the task of agvocating regularly through social media, blogs, twitter and whatever else is out there are to be commended. Your calm voices, research backed information, and personal connections to the readers are important to educating generations far removed from where their food comes from. The only thing I didn’t understand in this blog was “…we kind of have ourselves to blame”. Keep up the great work!
When I said this, I was implying that for too long farmers haven’t spoken up. Why would they(we) as there is so much work to be done. Most farmers like to keep to themselves, which is great. I am the type of person that likes to have my space & privacy. But there has been a need for farmers to step up for some time now & it is still like pulling teeth to get them too! Farmers need to understand that the days of just working the farm are over. Future generations are depending on consumer education. Labor issues, wage issues, animal rights activists, EPA, etc… If you do not have an educated public, who is going to stick up for the 2%?
Well said! We, too, are just a small farm – with currently 14 head of cattle and a maximum of 20 – with one of them being a Jersey milker, 30 chickens – soon to be 75, and a large garden and greenhouse. If I think I have it hard, all I have to do is think about the farmers that cultivate hundreds and thousands of acres, or run a dairy farm with hundreds and hundreds of milkers, and I don’t feel so overworked – knowing they could all work circles around me. We welcome people to our farm and are happy to discuss it and other farming practices any time. During these conversations, I’ve learned that some people (who primarily get their information from the Internet, biased people and biased books) just want to believe the worst, and there is no convincing them otherwise. I quietly back away when they refuse to visit ours or anyone else’s farm. When we moved from the city to the farm, I made a commitment to myself (and my farm) that it would be successful – which means I have to be here to do the work that’s required. After 11 years, I still get frustrated that my family and some of my friends think that I can just drop everything to do things, travel and stop in to visit. We are now implementing a ‘work visit’. For anyone who wants to come visit us on the farm – they are welcome. Bring gloves and sturdy boots, because you may end up pulling fence wire, feeding livestock or working in the garden, but you are definitely welcome to come! I’m curious to see who still wants to come! (Note: all this was said with very sore arms after doing ‘Clean Up in Pasture 3’ with a sledge hammer, crow bar and heavy hammer!) Any one have and liquid Advil? I ran out and don’t have time to run to the store to refill! 🙂
I think a work party is a great idea! I think if people did what the average farmer does in one day they would change their tune, not everyone but some. Thankfully my family is pretty understanding. We get calls even when it is just a birthday party to see if dates & times work for us. We had our first vacation this past fall. Much needed & we came back ready to work! lol
So often, we have to split our travels – our daughter and granddaughter live in San Antonio, and when she needs us, one goes and the other stays to care for the farm. We are slowly but surely ‘training’ our friends and family, and we hope that our new idea works! If nothing else, maybe they’ll be able to understand a little better!
I agree with you. The old adage “you catch more flies with sugar than vinegar” runs through my mind. On that note, I’ve done a fair amount of traveling and always take note of the abundance of people dining out, perusing the menus, not looking for the buzz words to make their dining choice just choosing based on what looks tasty. I tend to think people who are “concerned” are the vocal minority when I really look around. The sheer volume of food that gets consumed in our country is astounding. It can’t all come from our backyards and small farmers who raise just a few animals each year.
I agree. I have been watching people when I go grocery shopping. I am curious how many people are just picking up items & how many people are paying attention to labels & such. While I agree that it appears that most people do not care because the amount of people eating out… I would say that 75% of people I see in the store are at least looking at labels. Heck, I even have family that is buying into everything they read. What we need to think about is what is going to happen in the future. That is why we farm, right? Future generations, our children. Right now the public is so removed from agriculture & they are believing everything the are told. These same people will be voting… the people they vote into office, the state laws they support, etc… ALL of that can either help or hurt us. I am not sure where you are located, but Washington has some things going on right now that are pretty scary if you are a farmer. Education is key! Even though these people seem to be the minority, they are very loud… What is that saying, If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it…
If we don’t speak up the “anti” people in this country will bring this country to it’s knees. It may be to late now but we need to try. They don’t want food produced by modern farming practices, they don’t want trees harvested, they don’t want more drilling for oil, they don’t want pipelines laid to transport oil, they’re for renewable energy but don’t want transmission lines built to carry the power to where it is needed, and the list goes on and on. The more we rely on imported products the less control we have of our future.