Leading through food and farming

Mara, Libby, Derek, Lauren and I were a few of the
college students in attendance at OFFLF.

The agriculture industry is filled with leaders. Who are these men and women leading the way for the future of our industry you might ask? Well, after attending the Farm and Food Leadership Forum and a session of the 95th Ohio Farm Bureau Annual Meeting, they are the people who are making efforts each day to advocate about food, fuel and fiber in our country and nation. They are members of Farm Bureau.

The main event I attended was this new Farm and Food Leadership Forum (#OFFLF). Sessions were held to discuss topics in agriculture from leadership, trends and issues, board functions, and more. It was an insightful day and definitely worth postponing my studying for finals this week!

At the bottom of this post is the Storify about the events that have occurred this week. Many young, passionate people have been sharing their experiences on social media. We can see what they are doing and advocating all over the place! However, their are some unspoken voices we should share.

Take a bite from our ethics

This semester I am taking a media law and ethics class, as well as an ethical leadership class. Little did I know when scheduling last spring that these two would compliment one another so well. In the past few weeks, we have reviewed the structure of ethical decision-making, how they are perceived by the public, media and law and what our ethical job may be as either citizens or journalists. It has prompted some thoughts in my mind about the correlation in agriculture and ethics.

In recent news, we see many negative stories, horrific imagery and shrewd explanations of viewpoints and events. Some things shared may be ethical or unethical. In relation to the agriculture industry, there has been increasing conversation about:

• Livestock production methods and housing

• Crop production -- organic, GMOs or other

• Food locality

• Corporate or "Big Ag" (whatever that means)

• Animal welfare and activist groups

If you study the theoretical meaning behind ethics, it is "the analysis, evaluation and promotion of correct conduct and/or good character, according to the best available standards." Layman's terms: 
what people perceive as "good" evolves over time based on society beliefs.

We raise our cattle for freezer beef,
plain and simple.

Ginger and Cinnamon--two goats
from my farm.

In the agriculture industry, we are judged by our ethics. Farmers are supported as being honest, caring, responsible laborers for the land and life. However, most general public do not support "farming" based on the bullets above and others. 

As agriculturalists, we often times argue, "we are providing for a growing world", "without farmers, there is no food" and "we are open to share our agriculture story with you". All of this is true. However, many don't understand the ethics behind our statements. 

Farmers and ranchers are more open than ever to share their businesses with everyday people. Our (myself included as a farmer) methods of outreach have evolved over time. More people want to understand or learn about food production. This is where the disconnect and ethical situations come in. 

On my farm, we care for the health and welfare of our cattle and goats. It is to our benefit to raise them in a clean, safe environment so that they can be healthy, grow and serve their purpose -- go to market. Our ethics as individuals and farmers motivate us to do just that and other farmers and ranchers do the same.