Aimee Whetstine blogs at everyday epistle. She wrote her first food and farm post Milk Wars in 2011. Her work has been featured on BlogHer. This is her first appearance as a Bandita.
There’s nothing quite like preaching to the choir.
It feels so good, so validating, to write something and have like-minded people stand up and cheer. The rest of the world may balk, but these people understand. Together, you are a community, a force for change. They get it. They get you. And they give you a hearty, “Amen!”
I love it when that happens. As a blogger, I love it when I write something that inspires others and when I read something that inspires me. Behold the power of social media.
If you’re reading this, you’re into social media. You can deny it and say you just read this one blog or follow that one person. So how did you get here? Via Twitter or Facebook? By link, email, or RSS feed? If you’re sophisticated enough to be here reading this now, you’re into social media.
Chances are, you’re also into agriculture. Of course you already knew that. This site is called Agriculture Proud, for goodness sakes! You appreciate every post from bull semen collection to the diet and digestive process of a heifer. You, my friends, are bona fide members of the choir.
But some of you are here for other reasons.
You’re curious and skeptical. You saw this handsome, young buck blogging about farming on CNN, and you have questions. Where does our food come from? Is it really safe to eat? Are the animals and land cared for in a responsible, dignified manner? Is farming sustainable? Why do some farmers use pesticides, hormones, antibiotics? Is there enough food to feed everyone? Will our grocery bills escalate?
My husband grew up on a dairy farm and works in the food and farming business, but that’s not my experience. I was raised in the suburbs by a non-farming family. I have no idea what farmers are talking about in some of their stories. I don’t live on a farm now, and it’s unlikely I ever will. I have the same questions about food and farming as my fellow city dwellers. Lucky for me, I also have access to a vibrant online community for answers. So do you.
If you have questions about farming, there are people in this Agriculture Proud audience who have answers. They’ll share with you what they do on their farms and why. They’ll give it to you straight and connect you to others to learn more.
As for the farmers, ranchers, and ag experts in the house, I’m counting on you to make me an honest woman.
There’s a terrific amount of energy spent preaching to the choir. That’s fine; community is vital. But there’s an urgent need to reach beyond like-minded people. And I just promised the non-farming folk that you’d talk to them.
A multitude of sincere and confused consumers are caught in the middle of the rhetoric about food and farming. They’re bombarded with one-sided messaging, and they really need to hear from you. They’re also into social media. A few of them even blog. Sure, some have an agenda, but most don’t. Most want to learn and share.
Many of you, like Ryan, have already engaged people outside of this circle. Many more of you are poised to begin the dialogue with your blog or Twitter handle in place. Take the next step. Strike up a conversation online. Post a friendly comment to challenge misinformation when you see it. Pitch your story to a website you follow that isn’t exclusively ag-related. Invite a mommy blogger from a neighboring city to visit your farm and write about her experience.
The power of social media is at your disposal. Join the conversation, stand up, and sing.
