Organic Farmer of the Year Greg Reynolds raised a few eyebrows at a ‘Food Dialogues’ event in Minneapolis when he said, “there are words used in conventional agriculture that just grate on my ear.”
Overlooking the phrase ‘conventional agriculture,’ which grates on MY ears, Reynolds has a point. He is a Minnesota grower of vegetables and small grains that he sells direct to restaurants, co-ops, schools and farmers markets and was honored by the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service last winter.
Truth is everyone trying to explain today’s farming methods should choose words carefully. While Reynolds couldn’t come up with specific words that bothered him, U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance research shows there are words we should use and others we should lose when talking about farming to better connect and build trust with consumers.
Rather than talking about insecticides, herbicides and pesticides, our research suggests we explain how we prevent bugs from eating and stealing nutrients from crops. When talking about nitrogen and other fertilizers used on those crops, it’s best to explain that we are nurturing plants with nutrients at exactly the right time, at the right rate and in the right amount to help them grow and thrive.
While GMO seed is a well-known term and trumps the use of the word biotech, our research shows it’s more effective to discuss planting seeds that grow stronger and more resilient or have a special, built-in ability to repel insects and diseases. We use the term GMO over biotechnology because it is consumer language and we want to use the language that connects in every instance even when it might not be the most accurate or is designed to actually strike fear in consumers.
Animals occasionally get sick, just like people do, so we should relate how we work hard to keep animals healthy and maintain growth; sometimes that means properly using antibiotics, according to label directions and under a veterinarian’s care.
U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance offers specialized training sessions, called Conversation with E.A.S.E training, designed to help lead productive conversations with those who have questions about food production. The name, E.A.S.E training, stands for the four steps that help with productive conversation: engage; acknowledge; share; earn trust.
This training emphasizes that there are no magic words or phrases that will connect you with others or build trust. Instead, we must:
Engage by looking for common ground to start conversations and build from there. Acknowledging specific questions and concerns. Once a conversation is started, we can Share stories about how food is raised. Only then can we start to make them realize we are working hard to do the best possible job of raising food in order to Earn trust. If you have never tried talking with a stranger about agriculture, you will probably be surprised at how many people enjoy talking about it to real farmers.
During a recent E.A.S.E training session, dairy farmer and St. Croix County Farm Bureau member, Todd Doornink explained how the health of his cows is tracked by wearing something similar to the popular Fitbit bracelets. It was an analogy that resonates with today’s tech-savvy consumers and helps explain how he uses modern technology to give his cows extra care.
We all have stories to tell about how we care for our land, animals, farms and families. When we tell them, we need to make sure we choose words that non-farmers understand and relate to. It will take planning and forethought to avoid jargon and technical phrases and it will take practice to get comfortable saying them. Start thinking about how to relate what you do best on your farms and how you might explain your work. Then practice with your friends or family and when you’re ready, share your story online at www.fooddialogues.com.
Now about that ‘unconventional’ farming Reynolds believes he’s using. Actually USDA organic practices dictate well-defined standards that haven’t changed in decades. Meanwhile my farm strives for continual improvement by using the latest, scientifically proven evolving technologies as we strive to be more economically and environmentally sustainable now and in the future.
For more information on the USFRA’s E.A.S.E. training, please contact training@fooddialogues.com. Meanwhile you can check out our other resources at fooddialogues.com and on Facebook at U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance.
Nancy Kavazanjian
Nancy Kavazanjian and her family operate Hammer & Kavazanjian Farms. She is the chair of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance. USFRA consists of more than 80 farmer and rancher-led organizations working to build consumer trust in the way American agriculture produces food.
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