I had an interesting conversation earlier this week with a local farmer, it was amazing that they could speak of birth weights, epds, feed prices, weaning weights, etc. but were not aware of any of the proposed legislation or new regulations that would affect our future in agriculture. It is extremely important that we continue to educate the general public about agriculture and its importance. They are the consumers of our products and if properly informed can be our best allies. However, it is also important that every farmer today be informed on what is happening outside the farm gates. Whether it is a new piece of legislation or the newest teen fad, it all has an impact on agriculture. A farmer should be able to talk about legislation affecting their part of the country, new trends and simple facts and figures on agriculture.

This can be accomplished through involvement in your local farm bureau, commodity groups or even through your states legislature. Wouldn’t it be great if every farmer educated just two people a week on our industry? Each farmer has a different circle of friends or contacts that can all benefit from simple knowledge of agriculture. So I urge each of you as farmers/ranchers to educate each other and the general public about agriculture and its importance!