Does Size Matter in Agriculture? (And Other Observations)

Deceptive marketing tactics. (Ahem, Panera.)

Food fear factor. (That’s you, Chipotle.)

Small farmers – good. Big farmers – bad. Big ag – really, really bad.

Organic turkeys are happy. Conventional turkeys are confined and unhappy. (And don’t get me started on heritage turkeys.)

Heck, everyone knows white eggs can’t compare nutritionally to brown eggs, right?  (Only they can – and do.)

I’ve heard it all. I won’t lie and say all this doesn’t drive me crazy on a pretty regular basis. When did all of these remarkable food choices in our country mean that we must differentiate them using fear or misinformation?  And the Paneras and Chipotles of the world aren’t the only ones who do this. I’ve seen a television ad from a chicken company that claims its chickens are healthier, all while showing a cartoon chicken getting pumped up with, presumeably, hormones and steroids. The same hormones and steroids that are, as a matter of record, ILLEGAL to use in all poultry production in the U.S.

Not only are farmers and agriculture groups fighting deceptive marketing tactics by restaurant chains, but food companies are fighting themselves with conflicting messages.

So what’s a consumer to do?

1) Despite all these slick marketing campaigns, it is actually easier than ever to get to know a farmer and ask your own questions about how food is raised, especially if you use social media or enjoy reading blogs. Social media is a hotbed of agriculture activity, did you know that? Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, blogs … farmers are here, there and everywhere. Example (because I’m a poultry gal): Want to get to know a turkey farmer on Facebook?  Easy peasy – check out Meschke Poultry and these fine folks from my home state will be happy to answer your questions. (You can also check out Minnesota Turkey or Minnesota Chicken – or email me and I will do my best to find answers to your questions and connect you with a farmer if I can.)

2) Remember that old saying – “You can’t judge a book by its cover?” Well, I believe you also can’t judge a farmer by the size of his or her farm operation. I know turkey farmers who raise millions of turkeys each year and employ 20 or 30 family members (along with other employees) within their farm business. Big ag? Definitely. Bad ag? Not a chance. Their birds are raised with care and the family is constantly studying and improving the way they do things in and around their barns.  I also know turkey farmers who raise a few thousand birds a year with the same kind of commitment to excellence. (Of course, some would claim even a thousand turkeys equates to “big ag” but that’s another post for another day.)

I just read an excellent article on this very topic at FarmProgress.com, entitled “CAFO: The Auschwitz of Livestock?” I encourage you to click here to give this a read. The writer notes, “There are good large farmers and bad large farmers. There are excellent small farmers and terrible small farmers.” What we all need to be careful about, the writer continues, is someone who “plays loosely with the facts.” Amen to that.

3) Food choices are an amazing part of living in our country and we should be thankful we have so many options and a variety of price points. But rather than denigrate one choice over another, I continue to hope that we can keep our marketing and messages more positive and that we don’t take down one production method over another. There is room for many options.

I don’t pretend to have all – or, quite frankly, any – of the answers. But I do know there are many good farmers out there, raising a variety of different crops and livestock and poultry, who work hard every day to do the right thing by their animals and the land on which they farm. I’ve met them first-hand. Rather than succumbing to marketing tactics based on fear and misinformation or made to feel guilty about what you eat, I hope you will make your own decisions on what is right for you and your family – because only you know what that means for you. And if you have questions, please ask. Those of us who farm or (like me) who work for agricultural organizations want to show you how food is raised in this country so that you can be better informed.