An Ag-Tastic Day

I'm a little late on this post, but it's one I have to share with you all.

Blame the five-course load and excessive student club involvement for my shoddy blogging abilities. I certainly do. But time management is a skill I'm working to develop, especially after completing my last two papers in the wee hours of the morning.

Last Saturday was jam-packed with agvocacy. It was one of those days that gives you the boost you need to keep working towards your goals. The kind of day where you're doing what you love, so getting through those impending midterms becomes more of a stepping stone than a roadblock. I'm so poetic today.

My morning started at the crack of 8am in the Butterdome (large, awkwardly yellow building on the University of Alberta campus) to set up for the U of A Open House. I attended the Open House exactly two years before as a wide-eyed high school student, terrified by all the huge buildings and studious-looking people. It was exciting to be on the other side of the booth, helping students decide what they wanted to take and educating them about their options at U of A.

Since I was an Agriculture student for my first year and am now in Ag Business,
I spent the morning hovering between these two booths

I left Open House in the early afternoon to drive about 100km south of the city to a little place called Genessee Community Hall to give a presentation on social media in the beef industry. I was presenting to a group of beef 4-H members and their parents at a regional learning day.

Presenting on different social media platforms

The presentation was on the basics of social media: what it is, how to use it, and how to be safe with it. I couldn't think of a better way to demonstrate the effectiveness of social media than to reach out to my Twitter followers for advice. Below they answered my tweet asking them why they think social media is important for agriculture.

I got the chance to tell the group about the fabulous places social media has taken me (ahem, Nashville) and the great people I have met through it (see just a few of them above). And you can trust that I said great things about all of you.

I'm thankful that all of you are part of my social media story. And I'm thankful to be so passionate about communicating agriculture, and sure that it is where my future is going.

Using Your Words

When was the last time you came across something that frustrated you? For me, this happens every time I read an article or watch a video highlighting a negative aspect or delivering false information about agriculture. Cattle and agriculture are how I define my lifestyle and how I plan to make my living, so it hits home when someone uses the media to harm my industry. I spent far too much time seeing this information but not knowing what to do about it. I would discuss what I read or saw with my family and come to the conclusion something needed to be done about it, and then find myself too busy to actually do it. Guess what I figured out since then? The things that I want to change will never get there unless I do something.

So, you're feeling inspired from that short paragraph to start changing your world. How exactly do you start such a thing? Small, my friends, we start small. The idea of the week is letter-writing.

For example, you just watched the Oprah episode where her and 378 staffers went vegan for a week. As an agricultural advocate, you feel like Oprah is only telling one side of the story and neglecting the benefits of meat in a person's diet. So you write a letter addressed to the contact on her website. At this large of a scale, it may not feel like your letter could make a difference. But if every agriculture enthusiast wrote the same type of letter, our impact could be huge. With these letter-writing tips, you'll be well on your way to voicing your opinion in a tactful and educated manner to animal rights groups, media outlets, and around your community.

Letter-Writing Tips

• Create as many rough drafts as you need to get it right. Write it out first on paper or a word document- never directly into an email where you could press send at any point.
• Keep it simple. The reader should understand your point in the first paragraph. Delete any sentences that don't contribute to your main idea.
•  Use personal examples for a personal issue, like your family's farm. Give the reader an image of your life and let them identify with your perspective.
• Propose a solution at the end of your letter. The last thing someone wants to read is a letter riddled with complaints and no solutions. Create a rational and simple solution.
• Follow the correct letter format, outlined here. Professionalism is the best way to be taken seriously.
• Triple-check your grammar and spelling! Another key to being taken seriously.

Good luck writing your next letter. Keep following the blog for a feature on one that I've written. Questions?

Meet Your Farmer!

A great new website was recently brought to my attention by my fabulous mentor, Dianne Finstad, who I will hopefully have a chance to blog about later. She sent this link to me after it was recognized by the Canadian Federation of Agriculture for outstanding Agriculture Awareness and Education. It is a project of the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture..so far. But my agvocavy wheels are already spinning with how much further an idea like this could go! Before you read on, check out the Meet Your Farmer website!

As you can see, the goal of the website is to create a consumer-friendly space for people to feel like they are interacting with and getting to know the people growing their food. It seems to me like the next best thing to a real live farm visit, which are far more difficult to get people interested in. I think the NSFA has done a great job of showcasing the honest, hard-working food producers as just that. 

The best part is the diversity in the operations they've highlighted. Care for the environment and sustainable practices are common to all the bios and videos, no matter what type of farm they run. They even provide contact info of the farmers if you have more questions or would like to schedule a visit.

I'm sure I haven't found a one-of-kind-site here. Many more with the same general goals are popping up on the web, where they can be easily accessed by consumers. I am quite sure, however, that this is the only one of it's kind in Canada. So what are we waiting for? 

I like to think I have a similar goal in creating this blog. I want to teach people about agriculture in the best way I know how- by giving them an honest look at what I do everyday. So check out the website, I assure you you'll learn something about agriculture you didn't know before. And if you yourself are an agricultural advocate, use it as inspiration to tell your own story! I like to think the Canada-wide version of Meet Your Farmer isn't too far off either.

Get the Facts.

Every day, consumers are bombarded with information about the food raised by farmers and ranchers, and unfortunately, it is often untrue or biased information. Do you want to know where to go for honest information about agriculture? Here are a few of my favorite places.

Youtube. How better to learn about what farmers and ranchers are doing than seeing it firsthand? Try these channels which highlight the truth about the ag industry and answers to your most common questions:
Beef Pasture to Plate offers a great variety of informative videos, on topics from the environment to cattle welfare.
My Beef Checkoff  is the channel representing the US Beef Checkoff, a National Cattlemen's Beef Association project. The videos showcase beef producers from all over the United States telling their stories.



Websites. There seems to be a website for everything, so here are a couple to check out next time you want to learn about farming, ranching, or beef products.
For great information on Canadian beef, including nutrition, recipes, and food safety, check out the Beef Information Centre site.
The "Consumers" section of the Alberta Beef Producers website also has some great statistics, recipes, and information on educational programs in your area.

Talk to a Farmer.  Check out a local fair or agricultural show or expo in your area and have a conversation with a farmer. Farmers and ranchers want you to know that they're raising the best product they can for you, and that they care about their animals. 

Facebook. Facebook is no longer just a tool for teenagers. It is being treated as a serious form of media by many groups and companies. A few worth checking out:
I Love Agriculture- mostly geared towards Canadian and specifically Albertan agricultural events, but a great reference for where to go to meet farmers and ranchers.
Canadian Beef- This page is great about updating with interesting information and recipes. It's managed by the Beef Information Centre.

Twitter. Although just a Twitter newbie myself, I'm quickly discovering how easy it is to network and gather information. All you have to do is type in keywords, like "beef" or "ag facts" and there are dozens of pages to follow. Follow me on twitter at rotempleton!