News : Area Farm Bureau leaders hear about need for farmers to tell their own story

Area Farm Bureau leaders listened to Troy Hadrick speak of the need for farmers to educate others.

Area Farm Bureau leaders, including Al and Ruth Schafbuch, gathered in Cedar Rapids Monday evening to hear a South Dakota rancher discuss the need for farmers to tell the story of agriculture.

Troy Hadrick and his wife Stacy began a three-day “Lead Out Loud” tour in Iowa Monday at the Kirkwood Hotel in Cedar Rapids. The Iowa Soybean Association joined the Iowa Farm Bureau in sponsoring the event.

The two shared some examples that demonstrate the need for farmers to tell other people what they do and how they help feed the people of the world.

Stacy told the audience how she was watching an episode of “Jeopardy” for young people when a young man who lives just three miles from their farm could not identy a combine from a picture.

But the lack of understanding – and the false impressions that many Americans have about agriculture – are much more serious than a teenager not knowing the name of a farm implement.

Troy told the audience how he sat at his kitchen table with journalist Michael Pollan in 2001 and 2002 for a New York Times article on the beef industry. “He told us he wanted to do a positive story. He lied to us,” Troy said. The article, said Troy, accused the cattle industry of pollution and producing unhealthy meat; the impact of that negative article on beef caused an immediate drop in prices.

The experience, Troy said, taught him a valuable lesson: To tell his own story instead of letting others tell it for him.

During their speech, the Hadricks told the audience – including many ag students and young farmers – to prepare a “30-second elevator speech.”

“All you need to know is your name, where you live and what you do for agriculture,” said Stacy.

Troy said its important for farmers to tell Americans the good things that the agriculture community is doing to help feed the world.

Fifty years ago, he said, there were three billion people living on Earth, and 1/3 of them were starving. But now, he said, with 6 billion people living on Earth, only 1/7 are facing hunger. That, he said, is proof of how farmers are feeding more people with fewer resources.

Now, said Troy, farmers are using fewer resources to produce 2.5 times more food than a half-century ago.

Despite this, he said, many people are still spreading false information about farming.

Troy urged farmers to find out what opponents of agriculture are saying and be able to respond to those comments. He urged them to use social media – Facebook, Twitter and Youtube – to spread their message.

Stacy told the audience how the couple has been teaching young school children about what they do on their farm. They also organized a counter-protest at a PETA anti-dairy rally in their state, where the state’s farmers joined efforts to give away hundreds of gallons of milk to an area food pantry. That allowed them to show the media that they farmers are community minded, she said.