Should We Stop “Feeding the World”

290384685_640“Feeding the world by 2050” has been a common phrase agvocates have been using for many years. It is based on the real need to feed the world’s growing population by 2050, but I don’t think it is working. This is just one example I found online that explains what consumers are being told, and it all isn’t a lie. I think consumers are beginning to see “feeding the world” as an excuse rather than a reason for why producers farm the way they do.

This is why agvocates need to stop using this “excuse” and begin using reasons. Producers don’t give cattle antibiotics to feed the world, they give it to their cattle for health reasons. A producer’s farm hasn’t grown to feed the world, it has grown to respond to market conditions pushing the price of milk down and feed costs up.

A farm isn’t a business so it can feed the world, it has always been a family-run business to feed a family.

Somewhere I think we agvocates have forgotten that farming is about family. If producers don’t do everything right, they could lose everything. They could lose the farm that supports their family. For some reason, consumers view these family businesses in a different light than the millions of other family business that are across America.

Agvocates need to help consumers realize farms and small, family businesses are actually the same thing.







Why It’s Hard to Let Go of “Got Milk?”

got-milk-superman“Got Milk?” relates to pretty much everyone in the dairy industry. Whether you took milk mustache pictures at the county fair or you took pride in the dairy industry whenever you saw a billboard that said “Got Milk?”, there will always be memories with the “Got Milk?” tagline.

As you may have heard, “Got Milk?” is being replaced with “Milk Life” as the official tagline of the dairy industry. I’m not really opposed to this new tagline, but rather am sad to see the old one go.

It has been with the dairy industry when the milk price dropped and when it peaked. It has been a constant reminder for the last 20 years to make sure consumers across the country got milk on their way home from work.It has been one of the few constants in the dairy industry for nearly 20 years. It has provided laughter every time we pass a sign with a celebrity donning a milk mustache. Or maybe pride for the dairy producer that painted the phrase on their barn.

“Got Milk?” wasn’t just an ad campaign, it was something that every member of  the dairy industry could embrace as their own.

I guess I’m getting nostalgic thinking about the last 20 years. With that same nostalgia, I know there will be new memories with this new campaign. So, drink up America…Milk Life.

Why Ellen’s #selfie Should Make You Mad

By now you probably have heard about this…


The (in all honesty) awesome photo taken at the Oscar’s that features Ellen DeGeneres, Julie Roberts and a bunch of other A-list stars. You probably also have heard that Samsung has decided to give 3 million dollars to a charity of Ellen’s choosing? And 1.5 million of that she has decided to give to HSUS? More about that here.

While this all should make you mad because we all know who and what HSUS is and stands for, I want to instead discuss something else that should upset us…Why are we agvocates not connecting with A-list stars?

Ellen is just the beginning of a Hollywood that doesn’t know the facts about agriculture.

HSUS, PETA and any other animal rights groups are always armed and ready with a top movie star that will shout their name. Where is agriculture in this mix? Where is our #selfie?

I don’t really have an answer for you, but all of this news about Ellen and her #selfie made me just a little jealous that we don’t have stars giving farmers money.

I guess for now, we agvocates will need to keep tweeting and sharing our own #felfies. None of us may reach 3 million retweets alone, but as a collective unit we will. That’s the great thing about agriculture, when we come together, we have a really big voice.