Why It’s Important the Farming Community Grow Beyond Own Fences
November 22, 2022 My neighbor, Betty Ann, and I like to drive through the beautiful area we live in, especially when the leaves are changing. The drive to our church, passing farm fields nestled in a valley as we approach the Chagrin River, is especially bucolic.
Each year Betty Ann speculates about what’s in the field during planting season and wonders out loud where they’ll send their crop to. This year, when the corn slowly browned before being cut, she exclaimed, “I wish they would put out a sign telling us where the crop is going! Tell us if it’s fodder for livestock or being used as a mulch.”
Betty Ann doesn’t have an agricultural background. She is an artist who attended art school during World War II before moving to Europe after the war, where she met her American officer husband. They settled happily into the suburbs around Cleveland.
Nevertheless, she’s curious about what goes on in her community, including farm life.
When Betty Ann wished aloud for some type of communication from our local farmer, years of similar comments clicked for me. She’s not the only friend I’ve heard wonder aloud about farming that can be seen from the road.
We humans are curious creatures. We want to know what’s going on around us.
Spread the Word
As an industry, why don’t we satisfy our curious community? While most farms connect with customers via social media accounts, platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube attract those who either already know you or have an avid interest in common with you.
But most of your community probably doesn’t fall into either of those categories. They drive by your farm or see you at farmers’ markets, have a passing interest, and move on with their lives.
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So why bother with casual curiosity?
I’m circling back to human nature to answer that. Small impressions add up. Roadside and market signs can help rally community support of your operation. Small things like “Our cabbage is heading to local schools” or “This clover/rye is feeding our soil,” and so on will spark conversations in dozens, if not hundreds, of cars over time. Parents have an opening to discuss where food comes from, and elderly neighbors’ curiosities are satisfied.
When it comes time to vote on agricultural referendums, they’re more likely to have your back when they feel you are part of their community.
Oh, One More Thing
Purdue University has been following consumer attitudes toward food for years. In its May 2022 edition of the report, it asked consumers about their views of farmers and their use of fertilizer. Here’s a sampling of the results:
- 58% say farmers know best how much fertilizer to use on their fields. Only 10% disagree.
- 55% think farmers should replace synthetic fertilizers with organic fertilizers. 12% disagree.
- 55% think farmers should replace synthetic fertilizers with compost. Compare that to the 10% who don’t agree with that concept.
- 20% don’t think the government should more closely regulate synthetic fertilizer use. In contrast, 43% think the government should. (The rest neither agree nor disagree.)
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