News

Proactively addressing ag misconceptions

A member of the American Farm Bureau Promotion and Education Committee says misconceptions about agriculture created by the mainstream media are a direct reflection of farmers not being comfortable sharing their stories.

Melinda Groth of Minnesota tells Brownfield too often news outlets report on issues related to farming that need clarification.

“If you don’t understand agriculture, you might have no idea why farmers do (what they do).  So we need to take that time to explain to our consumers why we’re doing things, and that we are acting in the best interests of the land and the animals that we’re caring for.”

Farm Bureau’s Promotion and Education Committee is encouraging farmers to make it a routine to offer glimpses of what life is like on their operation.

“Snap a picture, take a video, write a quick sentence.  Invest your time in that because that’s going to come back to your farm in ways that maybe you are thinking of.  But, we need to have consumers for our products and we need to be trusted sources of information.”

At the recent Farm Bureau FUSION conference, Groth says members from across the country shared ideas and success stories in hopes of empowering those in agriculture to seek more opportunities to connect with consumers.