Are Farmers and Ranchers the Best People To Tell Ag’s Story?
Who should be telling the story of agriculture?
Some say that it should be farmers and ranchers, but they are only about 1% of the population. Others say agriculture needs more Mike Rowes and Dirty Jobs in the world to broadcast ag’s story.
“The bottom line is farmers and ranchers are probably the most knowledgeable, but we might not be the best at talking to our urban friends,” says Rob Sharkey, more famously known as The Shark Farmer, in his online Farm Journal Field Days presentation.
During a recent interview, accomplished chef Jill Bosich from Temecula, Calif., shared with The Shark Farmer how understanding the amount of work that goes into the steak she is preparing has changed her life.
Bosich has spent the last 19 years on a dude ranch. She originally went there to learn how ranching is done, but she’s stayed there because she loves it. The experiences she’s gained on the ranch have shown her just how much work it takes to raise the animal to put a steak on a plate.
“It's just profound, the expertise that you need just blows me away,” Bosich told the Shark Farmer. “Those kinds of experiences really crafted my mindset to where I endeavor to share with others how difficult it is to grow and raise our food. And as a chef, the appreciation I have for it now is just immense.”
Bosich has a large following on Facebook, the Shark Farmer adds. People who make decisions for the family when they go into the grocery store to buy food. People who vote on livestock bills that change how farmers raise livestock. People who know how to handle tough questions from their friends about how livestock are raised.
“These are the type of people that you and I probably are not going to reach,” he told attendees of Farm Journal Field Days. “So, who cares if Jill is a legitimate rancher or she's a chef or whatever you want to call her? Because we know that she is a huge ally to agriculture.”
To hear The Shark Farmer’s thoughts on who should be telling agriculture’s story, register or log in to Farm Journal Field Days.
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