Listen Now: TownTalk Commentary with Dan Jackson, Be an AgVocate

by Eric

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Commentary By: Dan Jackson, AgVocate

On Friday I attended the Western Peanut Growers Association meeting in Seminole. Now typically a cotton ginner might not attend, however Friday the WPGA honored a true AgVocate, Chairman Mike Conaway. Our friends at WPGA did a tremendous job Friday, and it was a great event that got me thinking about what we all do. While Chairman Conaway was the chief reason we have a farm bill that works, he is first and foremost a true AgVocate every day in Washington, DC. He most definitely leads by example, and it’s an example we should all work hard every day to follow.

We work in the greatest industry in the world…Agriculture. Our farmers and rancher provide food and fiber for the world and do it utilizing modern technology and good old fashioned hard work. What we don’t do is tell our story, and folks we have to change that. Two years ago, Aaron Alejhandro with the Texas FFA Foundation spoke at the Lubbock Chambers Ag Luncheon. In his remarks he stated that the buying decisions made by 18-54-year old were made based on information gained from social media. The problem he said is others are framing the conversation about agriculture, from GMO’s to today’s modern farm practices. Most of the time using false data and scare tactics to paint production agriculture in an unfavorable way. If we don’t start telling our story these folks will ultimately win the day. That made an impression on me.

Now you may ask what can we do here locally to help? Well it’s quite simple, take any opportunity to tell your story. When you have a chance to talk to friends, family, news media or other groups do it. Several of the West Texas Young Farmers have done Facebook videos that have thousands of views. I did a walk thru of the gin a couple of years ago, just to show and tell my family and friends about the gin while it was running. That video was viewed 5600 times. Folks we have an awesome story to tell, and we MUST TELL IT. Any chance you have to speak with young people especially, take it. Talk to them about the technology and equipment that allows you to farm more acres with less help and equipment. Tell them about how using GMO technology you apply less chemicals now than you did ten years ago. Tell them the true story about what you do and how you do it, and most of all how you as producers feed and clothe the world. In our own neck of the world talk about the economic impact of what you do means to the communities you live in, and the region and state. I do an economic footprint every year before our Annual Meeting just to let our member/owners know what they’re a part of. The three-year economic footprint for Meadow Farmers Co-op is $10.6 million dollars. That’s just one of five gins in Terry County and doesn’t include peanuts or our friends in the vineyard business.

Chairman Combest made a great analogy of what ag means to this area. He said,” When the base closure committee came to Reese Air Force Base, then headed into Lubbock people lined the road from Reese all the way into Lubbock. Now understand I loved Reese, and it affected the Lubbock economy to the tune of about $250 million dollars a year. Now folks that’s a lot of money. A year ago, we had the Chairman of the Senate Ag Committee in Lubbock and we didn’t have 200 folks show up, and agriculture affects this region to the tune of $10 billion dollars a year.” That hit home folks, and today that number is somewhere North of $12 billion a year for this region.
What an awesome story to tell! And we all must do a better job of telling it. We all have groups that represent us on the State and National stages and they are always looking for folks who want to be involved. Cotton has the NCC, and PCG, peanuts has WPGA and NPG, our friends in the vineyard and wine business have the High Plains Wine Growers. All provide opportunities to be involved. Be an AgVocate…

Get involved and tell your story…if you don’t someone else will…

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