Diary of a Dairy Wife: Bridging the Gap: Commitment & Involvement

Agvocate. Do you know what it means? It is a new thing. It's one of those new words we've come up with because of social media and all of the technology at our finger tips. Agvocating is really nothing more than advocating on behalf of agriculture. It has become quite a big movement in my little world. Farmers and those interested in farming have come around to accepting that we need to share our stories. As a rule farmers like to be fairly private people. We don't really like being out in the middle of things...we don't like sharing things because we aren't in our business for praise or fame. Farmers haven't ever had to explain themselves because people used to know what a farmer does. People used to believe in the people feeding them. There wasn't an all out attack on the hard working people feeding America. But thanks to social media and technology and fear mongering advertisement farmers are moving out of their comfort zones and are learning to share their personal stories of hard work, practices, love, and hate of the profession that chose them.

There are so many ways to agvocate. My blog is an example. My Facebook page, personal and blog page are how I agvocate. I love telling our stories. I love talking about the facts and myths of agriculture. I am not always knowledgeable on every aspect of ag, but I am always interested in learning more and teaching more. I have friends that shock me sometimes with what I thought I have taught them and they end up asking me something that makes me think..."really? I didn't make that priority? I gotta up my game!" I have lots of farmer friends, but also lots of non-farmer friends. And when there is a hot button issue...believe me....they get educated quickly. I get a little passionate.

Another way I agvocate is to be involved in our local and state Farm Bureau Federation. There is more to Farm Bureau than insurance. If you are a Farm Bureau member (you don't gotta have their insurance) you pay yearly membership dues. That yearly fee goes to help the organization fight for farmers and their rights. They have educational programs, lobbyist, staff, promotions, and so many benefits you can't keep up. It really is a good organization that has done so much for farmers and the agriculture industry. I would say that without the organization farmers would be in pretty bad shape in some places. If you aren't familiar with your state/local organization I would certainly encourage you to check it out...you end up getting benefits that far outweigh your dues.

( Arkansas Farm Bureau website: www.arfb.com ) 

Our involvement in the last 10 or so years has been more than just paying dues. We have served on state committees, participated in amazing leadership development opportunities, and been involved on our county board and women's committee. We have learned and grown so much in our few years. The Milkman and I both have gotten far more out of our involvement than we could ever have put in. We have made more friends and business connections than I can count. I promise there isn't a chance we would take any of these years back. That's not to say, however, that no problems come with our volunteering.

There is a HUGE generational gap in farming. The average age of a farmer in the U.S. is 57. That is about 25 years ahead of the Milkman and myself. And that's an average....so if you think about it the gap is far more than 25 years. Consider the technological differences we have now compared to 25 years ago. There are few things that are done the same way. Think about the differences in what was acceptable then and what is acceptable now. Think of how long it took news to travel, how committed people were, how 25 years ago very few people knew what a computer was much less had one in their homes and we certainly weren't connected by "the Internets."

This gap is in lots of occupations and organizations. And this gap makes getting things done dang near impossible. My generations wants things done fast. We want to do things on a massive scale. We want to do it in the most efficient way with the most efficient tools we have. We aren't opposed to the "old school" way of doing things, but we know how today's world works. We know that one tiny little slip or slow reaction ends up on everyone's news feed and YouTube within seconds. Things. Move. Fast. 

I'm not saying that the older generation is slow or that they don't understand or even that their way is wrong. Or even that every person belonging to that generation is opposed to today's ways. There are plenty of times where we need to slow down and look around and take into consideration that the older generation kept our family farms going. We need to be considerate of those who kept agriculture alive when things were desperate and so difficult that getting up in the morning was hard to do. 

On the flip side of that coin...I have seen so many of my generation quit and be "ran off" because the older generation refuses to change. Some refuse to allow any younger generation to learn, to lead, to help move us into today's fast paced world. We don't expect everyone to use a computer, or text, or Facebook, or YouTube, or even email. We don't expect everyone to be willing or able to master today's technology. We do, however, expect some respect for the fact that today's agriculture is facing the biggest attack that agriculture has ever seen. We expect the older generation to help us along with all of the knowledge they can bestow upon us and allow us to use today's technology to make things happen.

I don't want to leave out the fact that I have several people that would fall into the "older generation" that have become my friends. They have been supportive and willing to put themselves in uncomfortable situations to help me when I was having a hard time. The generalization I am using isn't meant to say that there isn't any cooperation. I am so thankful for the people that have stepped over the gap from both sides and made some progress possible. The reality is that those willing to straddle the gap are few and far between, but I hope to be a part of solving that problem by helping to understand the problems and encourage commitment to bridging the gap.

In our state I have many young friends that also lead in their counties. They face the exact same challenges that I do. My generation likes to multi-task. And we aren't feeling useful until we have about 10 huge projects going on all at once. Our heads spin constantly. We check our phones all the time. We are making progress when all others see is "wasted time." Here's the thing...we are farmers first. Our farms WILL BE FIRST on our list of priorities. We will not neglect our family or our livelihood for anything. We are not at the point of retirement or even close. We have to move as fast as the world moves around us to be successful. Today is not the same as it was 25 years ago and it will never be. It will change. It will evolve. It will move on with or without us. And we refuse to allow it to leave us behind. 

My generation of farmers believes in doing things to better ourselves and our world. We want to be involved. We want to change things. We want to get along and make everything work for the success of our industry. And the thing that I hear that causes more damage to our industry is something that is said and thought constantly. Do you know what it is?

"It's the way we've always done it."

That makes me a little sick to think about. It isn't working. The way it has always been done hasn't protected us from activist groups. From people who believe that conventional agriculture is the devil's spawn. It hasn't kept government regulations from choking us out. It hasn't stopped lies and falsehoods that threaten my very way of life from being printed or showing up in a news feed or on the nightly news. The world has changed and so must we. The train is moving...get on, get off, or get out of the way.

I have personally had my share of hurt feelings and disappointment. I have lost sleep and been sick over the way someone treated me or another person I invited to participate in different events. And most of the time it was because someone didn't understand why something was done or why it was different. I have learned, though, that I can't let it run me off. I can't let it make me quit. I can't let it make me lose sleep or take from my family. If I quit and let a little bit of stubbornness discourage me then I will not only be hurting myself, but also my industry. 

One time I said something that must have made sense. It was something about one voice being a whisper, but if we all speak together we become a shout. And a shout can be heard. We can't expect a generation of hard core, wise, in it for life folks to understand all of the changes we want and need, but we can do our best to help them understand the world we live in. The average age of a farmer is 57. They can't run us off and expect agriculture to survive. We are the next generation. The next ones to be a little stubborn and set in our ways. We are needed. We are absolutely necessary for the future. There is very little middle ground, but that middle ground is the only chance we have. A house divided cannot stand. And an entire industry depends on our ability to bridge a generational gap that is, at least, the size of the grand canyon.

I am not retired. Not even close. I do not have free evenings, free days, free weekends, or time to spare. I have priorities and demands and a farm and family that will get my first shot at attention. I have the ability to work from my home. I have the ability to manage several things at once thanks to the Internet, my phone, and my computer. This may not be the definition of involvement and commitment from 25 years ago, but it certainly is the picture of commitment in today's world. 

I will put everything I have into organizations that help secure the future of my farm. I will give my all to make sure The Milkmaids have the opportunity to farm the land that the Milkman has kept in his family for a few generations. I will not give up, give in, or give away my right to fight for my livelihood. I'll always protect what I love.

Agvocating isn't always easy, but it is always important. I teach my children that it is important. They will grow up telling our story. They will grow up defending our farm. They will know that they cannot let a little adversity get in the way of their  success. 

Take the time to evaluate where you stand on the things you are passionate about. Make sure you are one of the folks helping things move along and not the one chained to the John Deere model B demanding that we not move on. (look it up...I had to) We are all on the same team. We all want agriculture to succeed. Is it such a hard thing to give up "the way it's always been" to keep agriculture alive? I would hope not.