by Rebecca French Smith
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Let’s be honest; most of today’s population did not grow up on a farm. I didn’t. That does not mean, however, you and I don’t know a thing or two about food. We all eat, don’t we? So, we all know something about food, much of it based on our own personal experiences.
I grew up in a small family-owned restaurant, and from that perspective, I can relate to farmers and ranchers. For nearly 50 years, my mother took care to make sure the food we served was good, that it was affordable and safe for our customers to eat. My family was dependent on those things for a steady income, but more importantly, the people we served in our cafè in our small southwest Missouri town were our friends and family. Like farmers and ranchers, we were concerned about providing safe and affordable food. As true as those words still are, today’s consumers expect more answers. The correct answers depend on where they get their information.
These days, it’s easy to jump to conclusions about food when you get information based on hearsay and half-truths. When I’m struggling with a question, I go to an expert, if I can. When it comes to food, who do you trust? Someone who doesn’t have all the facts or someone who’s an expert, who knows the science, research and tried-and-true methods of raising crops or animals? I like the latter. So when it comes to food, if Mom is not around, I ask a farmer. (If you don’t know one personally, they can be found online blogging and taking part in conversations on websites like fooddialogues.com.)
What you might discover is there are many ways to farm or ranch, just as there are many ways to cook chicken. Typically, they aren’t good or bad, right or wrong, just different. Farmers and ranchers run their farms in ways that complement the land for which they are stewards, ways that fit with the markets they choose to serve. A quick look at the U.S. Agricultural Census underscores farmers’ diversity.
Consumer demand also plays a large part in what farmers produce and how they produce it. Consumer tastes are as vast and varied as the people who grow food. Wouldn’t it be boring to eat at the same restaurant, the same meal every day? If all farms did things the same way, we wouldn’t have innovation and improvement in agriculture practices. There would be no new way to do something, no variety. While I love the cashew chicken in southwest Missouri, sometimes it’s nice to order it fried, grilled, baked or not at all. My mom’s fried chicken rocked, by the way.
Whether it’s an individual, a family partnership or a family corporation… those are just tax designations… 98% of all farms in America are family-owned. Your farms are family farms, and your food comes from your neighbors. Have a little faith in farmers, talk to them and really listen to what they have to say. Chances are, the ones who are talking, know what they’re talking about: They’re experts in their field.
(Editor’s note: Rebecca French Smith, of Columbia, Mo. is a multi-media specialist for the Missouri Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm organization.)