Like a lot of people I know, I’m so busy during the week that unless I hear it on the radio, it’s hard for me to make time for the news. I DVR the evening news and my favorite show, 60 minutes, so if I do have free time at home I can catch up on the latest happenings. But in the last few weeks I have heard a lot about a story in the news that I can’t stop thinking about- and it seems neither can the media.

I was running on a treadmill in a hotel gym when I watched with amazement the full story of Shirley Sherrod. If you haven’t heard about the story yet, then welcome back. You must have been vacationing on a deserted island not to have heard about the ousted Agriculture Department staffer who was fired when a doctored video suggested she was a racist. At first glance the former Georgia rural development specialist seemed racist in an edited video clip showing a speech she gave at a NAACP meeting. Not long after the story broke, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack fired Sherrod who was denounced by many in the media, including NAACP leadership. Many apologizes have been expressed to Sherrod since the speech in its entirety made it clear her comments were not hateful.

While there are facets of this story related to racism and bigotry that can be debated and should be discussed as President Obama said “around the kitchen table”, I think its important to note why the story became a firestorm to begin with.

One blogger wrote a story that dramatically changed a woman’s life over night. A story without the facts, without the whole story, that created a wrongful verdict in the court of public opinion. Sound familiar?

Sadly, this happens all of the time in the agricultural industry. As I ran on the treadmill that evening listening to Shirley’s story, I couldn’t help to think about how the media helps people to jump on a treadmill- or bandwagon- until we fall off and on to the next story. It can be exhausting!

One person writes a story about one livestock abuse case, one pesticide product, one biotechnology stance, one ______ fill in the blank and the industry is left with a very damaging story that does not present all of the facts, if any. Often by the time the facts are presented we are on another treadmill or topic in the media and the public never hears the whole story.

I hope if Shirely Sherrod’s story teaches us one thing, it’s to look for the whole story. Rightfully someone shed the light on her whole story. I don’t think American Farmers and American Agriculture can wait until someone else sheds the light on all of the false stories we are faced with everyday. We must tell our story, the whole story, of how we feed and clothe the world with fewer resources than ever- before we as farmers are ousted beyond come back.

Recently, I have been asked a number of times why I farm. I had never really given any thought about why I am a farmer. As I consider the question, I began to realize that the reasons I am a farmer are varied. I started working on the family farm full time just over three years ago. Prior to that, I worked in food safety, both on the production side and regulatory side.

Why am I a farmer? Well there are a number of reasons. Most importantly for me is the family aspect of farming. Watching my oldest daughter as she rides her bicycle around the parlor while we milk the cows. Seeing the joy on my daughter’s face as she looks at a new litter of kittens. The fascination on my youngest daughter’s face when she watches the cows. Working side by side with my husband.

Family aside, one of my favorite things about my job is working with the cows. Each cow has her own quirks about her that make her unique. On a stressful day, being around the cows can be a kind of therapy. We pride ourselves in giving our cows the best care we can. I enjoy the challenge of producing wholesome, nutritious food.

Another part of farming that I enjoy is the challenge. Learning to run the equipment on the farm. Figuring out solutions to the problems that we encounter. Every day is a different day from the last.

For me, there is also satisfaction in seeing the end results of your work. Observing a newborn calf, knowing that I had selected the bull she was sired by nine months prior. Watching the calves that I feed everyday grow into cows that we milk. It’s gratifying to see the fruits of my labor.

The reasons I have for being a farmer are probably not the same for all farmers, however, I think all farmers would give a similar answer. I farm because it’s not just a job, it’s a way of life.

Yesterday I had the unique opportunity to take part in a survey administered by two K-State geography students. This survey was gauging how those of us in agriculture viewed climate and the environment around us. As I answered I realized those of us in agriculture go to great lengths to protect our environment. Here is what I shared with them.

Farmers and ranchers have always been keenly aware of the land, water and air around them and we have always tried to protect those valuable assets. But in the past ten years we have come to an even greater understanding of how to protect and improve the world around us. Improvements in technology (yes, the same technology the radical fringes would try to use against us) have allowed us to preserve more of the soil, water and air we all depend on.

Advances such as genetically modified crops have allowed us to use better herbicides allowing for less invasive weed control methods. Many of us now use herbicides such as Round-up to control weeds rather than mechanically cultivating the ground. Mechanical cultivation tills the soil allowing for erosion due to the wind and water. By not tilling up the land we are also keeping more of the organic matter on the soil surface. This not only helps hold the critical top soil in place but also helps with the overall fertility of the soil.

No-till farming practices coupled with soil conservation methods such as terraces and water-ways help to insure that we will never see another Dust Bowl. Not only protecting our soil but our air quality too. Our farmland is not only healthier but more productive than it ever has been and we are striving to improve it everyday.

I also noted that we have improved our native range. Many ranchers are utilizing methods such as rotational grazing to improve the health of our native warm-season grasses. We have a better understanding of the growth patterns of our grasses and we can tailor grazing programs, prescribed burning of those native ranges and herbicides to keep them growing vigorously and free of invasive brush. Our tall grass native prairie in the Flint Hills is a very fragile ecosystem and must be maintained with regular burning and grazing. Our ranchers have an intimate understanding of the ecosystem and work tirelessly to maintain and improve it for our future generations.

The final part of the survey was about climate change. The students looked at me with furrowed brows when I told them I thought it was fairly egotistical of us to think we could change the earth's climate. Personally I believe everything runs in cycles and we must work with those cycles. However, I am also equally sure that as farmers and ranchers we are doing everything we can to both protect and improve the environment around us.

I am not sure what they thought of my answers. They were very polite and told me they would share the results of the survey with me this fall. What I am sure of is that as I answered their questions, I once again reaffirmed my belief that those of us in agriculture are the ultimate environmentalists. After all we are the stewards of the land who rely on the air, soil and water around us to make a living off of the land and we are the same stewards of the land dedicated to protect it for future generations.