There are some new voices in agriculture, and they are demanding to be heard.
The Western View: My Job Depends on Ag!
To the rest of society, the person who grows food is in the background; it’s the supermarket or the food packer that stands out, with flashy signs and labels and sparkling advertisements. But, at some point in the past, people began to distrust their food. Lots of health gurus jumped on that bandwagon, and some of them were fakes that fed that distrust with lies and misinformation – and now we have some people afraid of our food. They’ll pay dearly for anything labeled organic and GMO-free, and turn their nose up at the conventionally grown product even when it is just as safe and healthy.
Enter those new voices of agriculture.
People like Amanda Zaluckyj – blogging as the Farmer’s Daughter USA. She first wrote about her family’s farm, following their corn and soybean crops. But soon she realized how powerful the anti-GMO crowd had become, with no legitimate science backing them up. She entered the fray and created “Team Ag,” which challenges the misconceptions some people have about farming. Another voice has been my own daughter – Sabrina Hill – who recognized the need to advocate for agriculture and has done so for AgNet West.
Now we have Steve Malanca and Erik Wilson, two central Californians who are knee-deep in the ag industry, who have sparked a movement on Facebook called “My Job Depends On Ag.” The page was created in May of 2015. There’s been an explosion of interest – with posts and comments from thousands of farmers and ag workers around the country. Non-ag people have been posting as well, and getting to know some real farmers and ranchers, and others who work in the ag industry.
Kudos to Steve and Erik, who have also started a website – myjobdependsonag.com – with resources that help people understand modern agriculture. These new voices will have a welcome impact in the court of public opinion.
I’m Len Wilcox, and that’s the Western View from AgNet West.