AgVocates are Everywhere!

I recently had the tremendous opportunity to address the California Young Farmers and Ranchers at their Annual Convention in Ventura, California.  First of all I would like to commend the fantastic group of young people on their energy and enthusiasum for our industry.  Makes me want to be young enough to be a member !  No such luck unfortunately !

As I spoke to the group I put emphasis on the given topic , “Strength in Numbers” and the power of joining forces with all agriculture organizations to better tell our ag story.  Because that is what we do , right? Tell our ag story! And the more we do it the better we get the more educated those are that are listening.

However during the question and answer session I had one young lady ask ~ “what if you did not grow up on a farm or ranch or are not affiliated with an agriculture occupation, then how do you share the real life experiences of telling the ag story.”  I was glad the young lady asked this question and for me the answer was quite simple. She is probably one of the best people to be telling the story to the general public because she supports agriculture!  She might not have grown up on a farm or ranch but she believed in what we were doing and she was attending the YFR Conference.  She is a voice for so many consumers out there who appreciate what we do , consume the safe and affordable products we provide and are willing to share that story to the masses. 

Bottom line – you don’t have to be a part of production agriculture to be the best ag advocate. Sometimes being a consumer and supporting the ag way of life is the best spokesperson we can have for our industry.  The “average joe” consumer can relate !  Never second guess the power of those who support us, we need them, they are an intricate piece of the big picture! For me its just that simple!