Farm to Facebook

One of today's biggest topics in our agricultural industries is social media. There is no doubt social media is one of the most powerful forms of communication... and it's growing. It's convenient and reaches a lot of people, really fast. However it can be hard to convince everyone how important it is to make a presence on social media, and more specifically, Facebook. It is even more important that we convince those who are farming and providing the mass majority on Facebook with the food they're eating while scrolling through old high school flames' profiles.

The first problem and doubt I've heard over and over again - "I don't need to be on Facebook. Who is there that I need to be talking to?" I can answer that question... everyone on there is someone you should be talking to. I mean, just look at this video to see how many people are using Facebook, every second, of every day:

The scary part? Every single person on this social media trend is being force-fed information every time they log into their profile. What's something even scarier? It's a lot of false facts thrown around to drive people's opinions and views in a certain way. Conventional agriculture is taking a hard hit, and so are our farmers. That is EXACTLY why all of our farmers need to create a presence and voice on Facebook, to promote their products and the love and passion that is their business and livelihood.

I was recently a part of an eye-opening discussion that broke down what farmers need to focus on while creating their Facebook page:

1. Delegate. Who associated with your business has the personality for social media? Is it you, a spouse, your son or daughter? Maybe it's even a sister-in-law or grandma. No matter who it is, the person in charge of your Facebook needs to have the patience and determination to put enough information out there to gain a respectful and significant following.

2. What's your purpose? Are you trying to sell your products? Are you trying to let the public know how important it is to you that you to keep the care of your animals and land a number one priority? Or is it a way to be an advocate of your industry and practices? Know why you're on social media and what message or image you are trying to portray.

3. Build your credibility. No one is going to listen to you if you're not supporting your claims with cold hard facts. And if you don't have a certain and confident answer, BE HONEST ABOUT IT. It's is completely and totally OK to NOT have an answer. Just be clear that you are unsure of the correct answer, and have a backup of resources that you can guide them too.

4. Know your opponent. There are a lot of different character on Facebook. And in those interesting people, are individuals who are everything you stand against. Remember that arch enemy in high school that had a retort for everything you said? Yea, well they're back... and they're back with friends. Thousands of them. It is crucial to be prepared for people to lash out at your Facebook content with negativity, and to know how to respond to them in a professional manner. Always be the bigger person, and know how to listen before you speak.

Acknowledge the importance of the direction our industry is going, and be willing to change with it. Now get out their and show 'em what your made of farmers! And show a little sass while you're at it ;-)

Hug a Farmer

If you've been on any form of social media, you already know what day it is. It's National Ag Day! One of my favorite days of the year. It's a day to post pictures of your favorite farmers, farmer tans, cow selfies and family pictures by the farm sign. However, I saw a girl roll her eyes and turn up her nose to all of the "annoying posts about farmers today" on Facebook and Twitter. At first I was mad, but then I realized... how does she know any different? Does she even know what a farmer does every day? And then came along this "10 reasons to thank a farmer" picture floating through Facebook:

Now that you have reasons to thank them, here are 10 reasons to hug a farmer on National Ag Day:

1. They work hard to provide food not only for consumers, but a good life for their family as well
2. A farmer doesn't work 9-5... they're on the clock 24/7 
3. They don't get a vacation day on Christmas or a 4-day weekend for memorial day
4. A farmer is up at the crack of dawn to care for their animals, land and the environment
5. Farmers are passionate about what they do
6. They're responsible for beer, cheese and milkshakes
7. .......Oh yea, and pizza
8. Farmers are goodhearted, incredible people who never hesitate to lend a helping hand
9. Without farmers, you'd be naked and hungry
10. No farms, no food 

So if you're like the entire human population and enjoy eating and living the life the way we do, give a farmer a hug and say "Thank you, for all you do." 

The Good Guys

In the industry of agriculture, it seems as though we are always fighting against negative images and media. Between Panera Bread's "EZ Chicken" campaign and Chipotle's new "Farmed & Dangerous" series on HULU, our social media timelines haven't stopped buzzing with feedback. And in the case of my personal timeline, it's all angry responses fighting for the rights for a positive image of farmers and their industries.

At this point, we know what everyone thinks of these two food companies. Basically, they suck for using fear-tactics in marketing and twisting information to misguide consumers who have no way of knowing any better. We can keep lashing out at those "I'm actually full of crap" businesses, or we can take a moment to step back and appreciate the good in life. 

And by good in life, I'm talking about Culver's. Culver's is a (freaking delicious) restaurant based out of Wisconsin. They focus on family, sustainability, quality ingredients, the best deep fried cheese curds ever and above all else... giving thanks back to those who deserve it: FARMERS.

Check out Culver's website or Twitter and you'll see the constant reminder that they owe their success to the farmers who provided them with the high quality ingredients to make their beloved and delicious menu items (especially the milkshakes!). Any time I'm feeling discouraged in the fight for our right as farmers, I check out this Twitter campaign featuring some of Culver's customers:

Never quit fighting for what you believe in... but don't let that get in the way of supporting what you believe in. Now... cheese curds anyone?

Got Milk? Cause you need it!

If there is one thing that gets under my skin, it's ignorance and stupidity. When people preach "facts" that aren't really facts. I mean, who are we, to go around spreading around information that is 100% complete and total crap? Well that seems to be the theme of whatever poor lost soul posted the image and facts with Got Milk? Throw it away.



While I wish I could find the evil culprit behind this stone cold, false, wrong and crappy junk, I would like to set this mystery punk straight. Here's a few REAL facts about milk, nature's most perfect food.

1. Milk is dairy, and dairy is irreplaceable in your diet. Without dairy, you are depriving your body of essential nutrients it needs to survive. Whether it's milk, yogurt in a breakfast smoothie or string cheese as an afternoon snack, these products provide magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium and 48% of your daily value of protein... ever heard of Osteoporosis? You should probably start pouring a glass of milk with dinner and sprinkling a little extra cheese on your pasta.

2. Not only is dairy an essential part of your diet, it's beneficial to other aspects of health and wellness as well. From now on, when you work out (or look at the equipment and consider that exercise like I do) have a glass of white or chocolate (my favorite) milk afterwards. Your abs at the beach will thank me in a few months.

3. If you're not convinced that milk is important, maybe you need to think about some of the kids in your life. It doesn't matter if their your own children, nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters, students... they're a part of the 100% of children who need the bone-building calcium and other nutrients in milk their bodies need to survive.

4. So you only like chocolate milk? That's totally ok. Chocolate milk is still just as beneficial. In fact over the last 5 years the added sugar in flavored milk has been reduced from 4 tsp to 2.4 tsp per serving.

5. If you are a low fat or fat free kind of person, there are lots of dairy items available that fit your diet requirements. There are also lactose free products, and I'm not talking about almond or soy milk (throw that shit out). I'm lactose intolerant actually, and according to every doctor I've ever talked to it takes 4-6 hours for someone to react to dairy, not 30 minutes, in case you're wondering about this milk hater's credibility. The lactose free options are just as satisfying and provide your body with what it needs, and are still real dairy products.

6. Fun fact: If you cut dairy out of your diet, think twice. Instead of three glasses of cold, delicious milk, you're going to have to replace that same amount of calcium with 21 cups of chopped broccoli. Unless you're a rabbit, that's not enjoyable. And if you think that sounds appetizing, drop what you're doing and go eat a cupcake, NOW.

6. Now for the touchy subject... hormones. All milk has a very small amount of hormones. But hey, want to know something funny? Milk from cows who are treated with the hormone rBST show the same normal range of hormones in their milk as a cows that have NOT been treated with rBST. Says who, you ask? The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and other respected and trustworthy health organizations say so.

7. Why is rBST used? Some farmers give it to their cows as a tool to help them produce more milk. However, some milk companies have started offering rBST free milk, NOT because it is healthier. ONLY because it is in response to what the market is demanding. Milk, with rBST or rBST free, is wholesome, nutritious, safe AND YOU SHOULD JUST DRINK IT OK.

Milk comes from the cows on our farms to you consumers as a delicious, fresh, pure and SAFE product that ensures the health and well being of your body. Next time someone is slamming a soda and tells you to ditch the milk, you should probably just ditch them.

Wanna know more about what I've told you? Check out these sources:

• Dairy Check Off
• Dairy Farming Today
• National Dairy Council
• Dairy Good

Farmers are real people too, ya know

In the dairy industry, we talk a lot about "reaching out" and "creating trust" with consumers. But at the same time, we're constantly fretting over the progress we have or have not made with our attempts at public outreach. So what is it that we're missing? Why do we, as farmers and industry advocates, feel like we're taking one step forward while our consumers are taking two steps back the other way?

In my experiences at school, I've never been able to get used to the reactions of my peers to us "farmers." Wait... I come from a dairy farming background? NO WAY... Yes way. I, Rebecca Shaw, grew up feeding calves, cleaning poop out of pens and finding excuses to keep me out of the milking parlor. But why is that so hard to believe? Are others more willing to listen to me, as a farmer, now that they feel a similar peer connection?

For us to tell our story, maybe what we need to do first is show our consumers that we're not that much different than they are. In fact, we're exactly like them in some ways. Farmers are consumers that shop at the local super market and members of a community who serve on the school board next to you. Farmers are parents, little league coaches, dance moms and fans starting chants at a high school basketball game. Farmers travel the world and may have a few beers or virgin cocktails along the way. Farmers stop at Dunkin Donuts for a fancy latte and Sheetz for a tank of gas and the latest Cosmo magazine (or maybe that one is just me...).

My point is, that people are more willing to listen and create a connection with those who they can relate too. Other than having a 24/7 job that requires a person to cancel dinner plans last minute, skip a few years of vacation here and there and wake up around 4am every day (including holidays), farmers really aren't that different from their consumers.

More than a Farmer: I'm an Environmentalist

Though this may only be a 12 credit semester, it has proven to be one of my busiest yet. All but one of my classes are discussion based and require readings, papers and prepared debate material. The main idea of these courses are based around the many similar questions. One being, "How can we feed a world of 9 billion people without destroying the environment?"

I'm all about feeding the world and the new technology we've created to do so. However, I am NOT all about people criticizing farmers for not caring for their land. As said by a very good friend and former colleague Kelcie Degenfelder, "Farmers are the best stewardess to the land! In order to prosper the farmer needs to take care of the land."

Unfortunately, not all people like to think that. After a pretty heated debated in an International Agriculture class on this topic, an ERM (Environmental Resource Management) major approached me and said,

"I like the environment and you like cows and farms... can we be friends?" 

As silly as something like that sounds, it gave me the idea for this "More than a Farmer" idea. I couldn't stop thinking about this girl's question while I was on a field trip last Saturday to learn about a biodigester on a nearby dairy farm.

Schrack Farms, located in Loganton, PA, runs a biodigester off of his herd of 1,000 milking cows and around 400-500 dry cows and heifers. For the past 7 years, his biodigester has run at a 99% usage rate, fueling the entire farm, only needing half of the electricity produced. The remaining 50% is then sold back to the grid and used by the surrounding towns and communities.

These cows and heifers are producing manure and waste that is then pumped into a biodigester, and the burning of the methane gas creates electricity. The leftover waste is put to good use as well. The solid matter is dried and used as bedding for the cows and the liquid left over is used on fields as a fertilizer for the soil and its crops.

All during the visit, our tour guide, manager and partial owner of Schrack Farms, made it clear many times that he is not only a farmer, but a stewardess to the land as well. Without adequate soil, he has no farm. So, by implementing this biodigester he has turned waste into a number of beneficial solutions throughout his entire farm, from his cows to his crops.

My point is for you to remember...

We are farmers. We are environmentalists. We are making a difference. Poop happens, and sometimes... poop is excellent.

Food Inc: Round 3

If you've been keeping with the Cow Chronicler (and if you haven't, this is awkward) you'd be expecting my last and final post with regards to the movie Food Inc. Well folks, here it is... and it's another step in the right direction to making a difference.

Before our last class discussion even began, I walked into a class already debating... well only one person debating with everyone surrounding him. Yea you know that kid who said I let my emotions get the best of me? He was back in full force (also interrupting my stupid-expensive McLanahan's dinner) telling people "Monsanto is out to get everyone. They don't care about us. They know exactly the effects their products have on people." (Referring to Agent Orange, GMOs, etc). Before I could even respond, our professor cut him off to hand back our survey results. It's probably a good thing she did before I threw away all of my class and dignity and chucked my turkey wrap at his head.

So, in preparation for class we were instructed to complete a response survey created by me and two other classmates, also known as the "Farm Girls." The results (including anonymous quotes from classmates) are as follows:

1. Who do you feel that the film Food Inc. is attacking?
• 83% Corporations
• 4% Farmers
• 0% Consumers
• 13% Other
• "Both corporations and farmers. Corporations are mainly to blame, but at the same time farmers are compromising their values and the food supply for monetary gain so that they can continue to support their farms and families."
2.  What was the most important issue brought up in the film, Food Inc.?
• Food safety and disease prevention
•  Corporations are controlling farmers and the market
• Putting unhealthy products into the market without considering the health of consumers
• Industrialization and modernization of today's agriculture
• "Personally, I believe the most important issue brought up during the film was the lack of overall consumer knowledge and the hurdles that are placed out there to keep information at bay and harder to obtain, whether it is for a consumer or agriculturalist. I believe there is a strong movement that needs to be attended to working towards a more 'glass case' environment in terms of our food production."
3.  While watching the film Food Inc., did you find the portrayal of any practices, technologies, farm operations, etc. hard to believe?
• The Monsanto controversy
• Organic being healthier than everything else
• Ammonia being used in meat packing plants
• Chicken farming practices and techniques
• "I am not sure if I would describe it as 'hard to believe' - however, I believe that some of the imagery chosen for the documentary was chosen in order to best hook an audience by tugging at their heart strings, very similar to the tactics taken by Chipotle in their Scarecrow commercial released in the Fall of 2013."
4. Modern agriculture has no glaring problems
• 0% Yes
• 100% No 
5. After the film, Food Inc. did you go look up information about the topic discussed?
• 50% Yes
• 50% No
6. Are there any technologies used in modern day agriculture that you believe address environmental or human health issues negatively?
• Waste entering our water supply
•  Pesticides, chemicals and other unnatural ingredients
• Over use and reliance on GMOs
• Fast production and "efficiency" tactics
• Use of antibiotics in animals
• "There is a long list of things in modern day agriculture that affect the environment. We have pollution issues in water from fertilizer run-off and soil eroding into the water. There are numerous other things, but we are slowly starting to correct them. There are not as many health issues today as there were in the past. The biggest issue now is just to produce healthier food, and produce enough to feed the worlds growing population."
7. Are there any technologies used in modern day agriculture that you believe address environmental or human health issues positively?
• Waste management plans implemented by farmers
• The use of GMOs
• Increased production of food allowing us to feed the world
• Sanitation in food processing companies, eliminating harmful bacteria
• "There are many things that have positively influenced environmental concerns. Such things as methane digestors convert methane in manure to energy (like electricity) and reduce the methane put into the air. Also, I believe modified crops have allowed higher yields and disease resistance which has lead to more food for the growing population."

 So, simply put... a lot of these answers reflect issues us as "agvocates" face every day. People think antibiotics are bad, GMOs are the devil, corporations are trying to take over the world... yada yada yea we get it, you hate the modernization of agriculture. And we were debating and forth for an hour, everyone with good (but different) points and opinions. But what we DID all agree on as a class is this; Food Inc. was simply portraying that modern day is bad and organic is good. HOWEVER, if you pay very close attention, you'll realize this guy (for lack of a better expression) shits on organic production as well (when Stonyfield sold their company and their products ended up in Walmart). Basically, anybody who goes "big" is bad.. very very bad.

At the end of class, whether or not any minds were changed from the beginning to the end, one point was made clear... if us "farm girls" want to make a statement, we need to try something else. We can argue all day in the agricultural community that we're doing what it takes to reach out to consumers, but if the consumers disagree... are we really doing what it takes? A soon-to-be film major put it perfectly:

"Before Food Inc. I never would've cared or had an interest in what I'm eating at all, and I know the same is true for the general consumer. The fact of the matter is, people are in love with convenience and it's hard to get them away from it without scaring them out of their seats. It's why the news broadcasts extremes, not happy mediums. It's why activists ignore points that count against them. The point is to build up a big enough problem that people want to do something about it.....In class people mentioned a lot of discussion that was happening in the community of agriculture, but nothing really happens when you're preaching to the choir. You've got to get your message out to the public and in a way they want to see. People always talk about wanting to back to the good ol' days but no one really means, why would I drive a half hour into the farmlands when my grocery store down the block has tomatoes and for less. So instead I think moving forward is the way to go. Digital media has made so much information sharing possible. For example the protests in Egypt were aided and organized through facebook. Prof. Ostiguy mentioned that she likes to know her farmer, I think a lot of us would. And I think there's a huge division in or culture where there doesn't need to be. I think it's time for people to integrate into the new media since that's where people give their attention. So if farmers could enter into the media and become less of strangers to America that would be great."

 

The class of consumers has spoken... and there were enough of us who listened. Next step? Digital media ladies and gentleman. Until then... bring on the next battle of "Farm Girls vs. The Public" because we're all ready, and we're excited.