Myth of the Modern Farmer

My sister and I talk about this one often.  You see a post on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Yahoo News, etc.  promoting the hardworking farmer.  It makes us feel good to be in the industry and generally, it’s as far as you want to look.  Then scrolling down to the comments, you see the standard post that "those farmers are good, but real farmers don't work hard like that anymore, they just let the antibiotics/robots/pesticides do the work for them, and collect a big pay check."  

While the part about the big paycheck might be comical, those types of comments are a problem that we often run into.  As individual farmers, consumers see us as the hardworking person, who gets the job done.  Each one of us is the exception to the rule of "corporate farmers,” or "Big Ag."  However, our industry as a whole is viewed as corrupt, run by the executives of Monsanto in some high-rise office building.  How can we use technology in our farming, and not seem like the bad guy?

When talking to people, they will defend my right to farm the way they believe I do to the death.  They tell me that I am unique in that I don't abuse my animals, and use antibiotics responsibly.  If friends post a picture that demeans agriculture, they even will go out of their way to tell me that my farm is the exception.  My job at this point is to get them to realize, my farm isn't the exception, and it is the rule.

As Farmers, we take responsibility for providing good, quality food to our own families, neighbors, and larger communities.  We believe the food we produce is safe and we try to produce it in the best way that we can.  Part of that care is treating those who are sick, and euthanizing animals that are suffering. We house our animals inside to protect them from bad weather, and provide them a stable environment. We use technology to help us achieve a consistent product, something our consumers demand.

We don't have to look far to start to spread the message of responsible farming.  It's just not something we have had to do much in the past, so we don't always understand some of the questions.  By ignoring the myths that live around agriculture, we are letting them grow.  People who don't know will follow the popular opinion.  We are no longer just farmers, but also educators.