What would happen if consumers became so far removed from where their food comes from that they don’t feel comfortable purchasing it?
“That’s where we step in as farmers and ranchers and ag business professionals to bridge that gap and communicate what it is that we do on our farms every day,” said Michelle Miller, AKA the Farm Babe.
Miller knows of what she speaks. Talking about ag advocacy with Wagyu breeders during the American Wagyu Association “Shaping the Future” annual convention in Charleston, South Carolina, Miller recounted her days in the fashion industry before moving to an Iowa farm.
During that time, she was exposed to movies like Food Inc. “It’s not at all a truthful film, but unfortunately this film has made its way into academia and schools and education, and people take it as gospel.”
But now, with social media, ag producers have avenues to correct that kind of misinformation and tell their story, she told Wagyu breeders.
However, adopting a public persona and talking about what they do every day on their ranch or farm is something a lot of producers are reluctant to do. So why do it?
“Because activists can take away our science. They can take away our technology, they can take away our chemistries,” she said. “If we don’t have a seat at the table, we might be on the platter.”
There’s no wrong way to be an advocate, she told Wagyu breeders. “So, when you’re thinking about how I can play a role in this, you could start a TikTok channel. You could start a YouTube (channel) Facebook, whatever works for you. Just find a way to tell your story and realize you’ve got some pretty cool stories to tell.”
She advised Wagyu enthusiasts to “just be yourself, however that looks and feels the most comfortable for you. Humor and memes always go over well, and just find that voice and that personality and that kindness. But remember, you’re the expert. So, if (consumers) are not hearing it from you, where are they going to get their information from?”
She encouraged ag advocates to always be positive and kind, sharing her own experience. Remember the Burger King television commercial with the young boy dressed in a white cowboy suit and singing about how bad cows are for the environment?
“Everybody’s mad at Burger King and I decide that I’m going to reach out to Burger King. I thought that they were not going to give me the time of day,” she said.
She sent a Tweet to the global head of marketing explaining why beef producers found the ad offensive and invited him to visit the farm. “I couldn’t believe it. Burger King took me up on it. They came out with their team.”
The result was that Burger King not only retracted and took down the offensive ad, but they also made a new ad based on their visit to the farm. Miller told Wagyu breeders that after, the head of global marketing was asked why he chose to do an ad on the farm?
“He said, ‘Well, the Farm Babe, Michelle, she seemed so reasonable,’ and that’s really what it’s about. It’s about being polite and being kind and having empathy and realizing that just because somebody’s misinformed doesn’t mean they’re stupid or a lost cause,” she said.
Advocating also can be face-to-face communication, she told Wagyu breeders. Invite local politicians to visit your farm or ranch and let them know that you’re just a phone call away if they have questions on how a proposed bill will affect the beef business. Host a field day or invite kids from to visit your operation on a school trip.
“When you look at the trends of where the Wagyu beef market is heading, it’s looking pretty promising,” she told Wagyu breeders. “However, that doesn’t mean we should be taking our foot off the gas, because at any moment, something can strike that can hit us again in animal agriculture.”
That’s why ag producers need to have their voices and their stories heard. “If you think your voice doesn’t matter, I’m here to tell you that it does. There’s never been a better time to advocate for our industry.”
