The last time I was in Indianapolis was the summer of 2003. I remember it pretty well because I was still
sulking about The Colts being moved there without my permission and not quite over their inglorious departure from my hometown of Baltimore twenty years earlier. My bitterness melted away however in nearby Plainfield at The National Chimney Sweep Training School, the site of my very first Dirty Job. There, I was instructed in the fine art of “flue maintenance,” and engulfed in 
flames while attempting to extinguish a raging creosote fire from the top of a rickety demonstration platform. Things went downhill after that and by the time I finally left town I was unrecognizable, concealed under a thick layer of ash and soot, with no plans of ever returning to The Crossroads of America.
Of course, in those days I was unrecognizable on a daily basis. Dirty Jobs would not debut for another six months, and I had no reason to think that anyone would watch when it did. I was wrong about that, and I’ve been wrong about a great many things ever since. A few months ago in fact -
proving once again that my plans and my life have little in common – I returned to Indianapolis a lot cleaner, and a lot less anonymous, to deliver the keynote address at The 82nd National Convention of The Future Farmers of America (10/21/09).
For those of you who don’t know, The FFA is an organization of 500,000 
teenagers, most of who look like they fell off the front of a Wheaties box. Wholesome, polite, and impossibly well mannered, these are the kids you wish you had, diligently pursuing an adolescence of agricultural acumen. Unfortunately, I arrived at their annual convention with the same level of planning and forethought I brought on my last visit, (i.e., none,) and found myself pacing in the wings twenty minutes before my appearance, trying to arrange my thoughts into an “inspirational and G-Rated message.” Luckily, I happened to glance down at the “FFA Briefing Packet,” recently handed to me by one of the organizers, and found some inspiration on page 4.
“The FFA currently faces an image and perception problem. The previous name of the organization, “Future Farmers of America,” lends itself to stereotyping by the public. The FFA faces a continuing battle to redefine itself against narrow perceptions of “agriculture,” “vocational” and “farmers.” The name “FFA” is now used instead of “Future Farmers of America.”
Incredible. Have we really become so disconnected from our food that farmers no longer wish to be called farmers? Apparently, yes. The FFA has determined that most Americans think of farmers like those actors in Colonial Williamsburg – smiling caricatures from Hee Haw and Green Acres, laboring quaintly in flannel and denim. From what I’ve seen, they’re right. Over and over I hear the same thing from farmers I’ve met on Dirty Jobs. Technical advances in modern agriculture now rival those of Silicon Valley, and today’s farms are more efficient than ever, but no one seems to have gotten the memo. No one seems to care.
The question is “why?” and fifteen minutes later I was on stage, trying to provide a sensible answer to an audience of 55,000 future farmers who preferred to be called something else. I talked about the power of labeling and the dangers of typecasting, from Hollywood to Iowa. I relied upon my own mistakes and 
misperceptions to make my points, (no shortage there,) and told some stories about the education I’ve received in the course of shooting Dirty Jobs. I don’t know that I was 
“inspirational” per se, but at the conclusion I was presented with some lovely parting gifts, and left the stage to thunderous applause. In short, I had a blast, and think the kids did as well.
Later that night though, I discovered that there had also been some grown-ups in attendance. Some very serious grown-ups who run the kinds of organizations that actually put the food on our plates. People like Chad Gregory. Chad’s a big shot with The United Egg Producers, and claimed to have enjoyed my comments immensely. He is also convinced that the PR challenges facing groups like The FFA are not only real, but critically relevant to anyone addicted to chewing and swallowing things.
Chad believes we have started down a slippery path that will forever change our nation’s food supply. He talks passionately about the need for people to get educated about the realities of feeding a growing population, and
foresees a time when our country imports more food than it ships out. Chad says that without massive awareness and sweeping change, egg production in California will be all but eliminated by 2015, and that thanks to recent ballot initiatives, the process has already begun. He points to the confusion around the “free-range” issue, and the power of groups like The Humane Society, who have taken their agenda to a whole new level. According to Chad, one of their intended goals is now the elimination of all US animal-based agriculture.
Chad wasn’t alone. Walking around Indianapolis I had dozens of similar encounters with a variety of people, all deeply concerned about the future of food production in this country, and frustrated that the relevant issues have been framed by well-funded political organizations with very specific agendas. I listened to stories from agri-scientists about environmental groups fiercely opposed to biotechnical and chemical breakthroughs that would dramatically increase food production worldwide. I saw literature from PETA that likened beef production to “genocide.” And a young farmer named Travis told me about a $1,200 fine levied by OSHA, because the bottom rung on one of his ladders was bent.
As I spoke with various farmers that evening, I realized that I had asked the wrong question. “Why?” is too easy. Obviously, today’s farmers need a PR Campaign because they are beset by an army of angry acronyms, each determined to change modern agriculture in a way that better reflects their particular worldview. The better question is “How.” How is it that 300 million Americans – all addicted to eating – have become disconnected from the people who grow our food? What new priorities have captured our shared concern?
The answer depends entirely upon whom you ask. PETA has one response; The Sierra Club has another. The Humane Society might see it differently than The EPA, and Greenpeace has a different reply than OSHA. Fair enough; it’s a free country. But how did these organizations get so much power? Are their arguments really that compelling? Are their leaders really that charismatic? Are their members really that enlightened? Or has our prosperity created a toehold for ideas that would have simply died on the vine one or two generations ago?
Imagine The HSUS successfully closing down California egg production back in …1960. Or in the same year, imagine OSHA fining a family farm $1,200 for a bent ladder. Imagine telling hungry Americans decades ago that environmental policy would make it impossible to maximize food production. I’m not looking for a fight – really, I’m not. I understand that different things are important to different people, and I don’t begrudge anyone’s right to champion the issues that matter most to them. But what’s more important than eating? What’s more important than feeding a hungry planet, and supporting the people who grow our food?
On Dirty Jobs, I’m no expert, and I’m even less of one here. But I have a theory, and it goes like this – all jobs rely on one of two industries – mining and agriculture. Every tangible thing our society needs is either pulled from the ground, or grown from the ground. Without these fundamental industries there would be no jobs of any kind. There would be no economy. Civilization begins with miners and farmers, and polite society is only possible when skilled workers transform those raw materials into something useful or edible.
I started mikeroweWORKS.com, because I think we’ve become disconnected from that basic premise. I think we’ve simply forgotten about the underlying industries upon which all else depends, and as a result, created for ourselves a vocational identity crisis. Our collective definition of a “good job” has evolved into something that no longer resembles Work, and that has detached us from a great many things, including our food, and the people who provide it.
Could this be the root cause of the FFA’s “perception problem?” Could our warped view of the modern farmer be just another symptom of our warped relationship with work in general? It’s just a theory, but how else can we explain a country that marginalizes and stereotypes the very people we depend on most? From what I’ve seen, most people like farmers. Most people like food. The problem is Work. We’ve spent decades trying to distance ourselves from traditional notions of Work. And who embodies Work more than The American Farmer?
If Chad’s right, U.S. animal agriculture is under siege, and we’re well on our way to getting our eggs from China and our beef from Brazil. Perhaps this would please The Humane Society. Perhaps PETA would like to see those items removed from menu’s altogether, and that’s fine. People often disagree about important matters, but without context, the bigger issue gets lost. This is our food supply we’re talking about – not the size of a chicken’s cage, or the resistance to chemically enhanced soil. We already rely on the world for our energy. Do we really want to rely on them for our food as well?
I auditioned the other day for the voiceover on a TV commercial about the American Farmer. (Yeah, I still audition.) I don’t recall the whole thing, but it started out like this – “Every year we demand more and more from our farmers. More food from less land. More food from less energy. More food from less labor. And every year our farmers deliver.”
I believe that to be a true statement. I also believe that as a country, we haven’t made it easy for them. Two percent of our population provides the rest of us with all the food we need, and we behave as though it’s our birthright. Like nothing we do can threaten the abundance. It seems to me that as a country, we could do a better job of supporting the people who feed us. And we could start by acknowledging the incredible challenges facing The American Farmer.
But I digress.
All I really wanted to do was congratulate The FFA for their good work, and thank them for inviting me back to Indianapolis. I spend a lot of time these days talking about the importance of getting dirty – mostly with white-collar workers who don’t really know what I’m getting at, which is fine. Preaching to the choir doesn’t do much but bore the choir, so I rarely take the opportunity to talk to groups who already “get it.”
However, there is something to be said for occasionally finding yourself in the company of like-minded people. And every so often, if you can get your thoughts organized in time, it’s fun to address the rafters and deliver a message that gets 50,000 enthusiastic future farmers to stand up and holler back with unbridled gusto.
Such were my last three days in Indianapolis. Good for the spirit, good for the ego, and far superior to crawling down a flaming chimney.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that…
- Mike
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I’m sorry. But I am part of the FFA and 4H organizations’. And YES – we did put together packets of food for the children that are starving in the country. That is one of the main things that is required for us to do down there. We care about everyone that is in need of food, not just our own family.
Think before you speek. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. So you should join FFA and come to one of the National Convention’s and just see how much we actually have to do on helping the people that don’t have enough meals in a day.
Bonnie, come on over to the watercooler. http://www.mikeroweworks.com/forums/showthread.php?10109-COMMENT-Interesting-(and-Opposite)-Viewpoint-to-quot-The-Future-of-Farming-quot&p=148331&posted=1#post148331
Let’s talk about the issues. Yes?
You seem to give farm animal abusers a blank check to do
anything they please to animals including raping pigs with a pipe to beating and kicking chickens. I am disgusted by thepompous attitude of the FFA and uninformed people like you.
“Feeding the hungry?” LOL. I bet not one of those 50,000 attendees or their parents have ever contributed or even know or care about Feed the Children or just how many people are starving in this world right now. The color of their jackets is perfect — little bluebloods who are worried about preserving THEIR family legacy income. Get a clue, visit a disgusting factory farm or CAFO or talk to
some of the people who have worked undercover in these
hellholes for animals.
Okay, Mr. “Dirty Man”, censor away this comment….
Mike Rowe,
I guess I am ignorant about our agriculture, ARE we really importing eggs from China and beef from Brazil? When we have SO MANY PEOPLE OUT JOBS HERE IN THE USA we need to keep it at home and get OUR OWN ECONOMY going and WORKING!
Speaking for myself I would gladly pay more for eggs, meat and produce grown in the USA! Keep it at home and get OUR economy back here! Quit supporting other countries and SUPPORT OURS! And I’m sure there are others that feel the same way, but only if they knew, as I did not know myself. I will be checking my groceries from now on.
Thanks for letting me sound off a little, and I love your show!
Thank you, Mike. I just hope the higher ups are listening.
I too agree with Melissa, “Mike has done a great job in using his fame to bring an extremely important issue to light.” I completed four years of FFA in High School in the Phoenix metropolitan, where as you can imagine it was not “cool” to be in the FFA and where there was not a lot of farming going on, however, because of my experiences with the FFA I am known to all of my friends these days as somebody who can fix anything and somebody who can do anything from wood working to welding and Oh by the way I am the only one I know, who knows the difference between a Holstein cow and a Guernsey cow. I think people these days take a lot for granted when it comes to the food we eat. Take for example, my own son, I recently started to teach him how to barbeque and when he had to handle the raw meat, you would have thought I was torturing him. That is a far cry from when I had to reach deep into the posterior end of a cow to pull out a lot of “waste” because she was plugged up, or when I had to castrate a bull, all of this done within the FFA program. Anyway, I will continue to do my part to teach my children how not to take our food for granted. Even though I went through the FFA program 30 years ago, I still hold the upmost respect for the people who keep us with food on the table, our farmers!
Can you believe I still have that FFA jacket even though I could never fit into it again even if I fasted for the next year?
Thank You Mike,
Len
Natoma, Kansas is nestled along Paradise Creek in Paradise Valley. Located some twenty miles from the epicenter of the Continental United States, this Heartland farming community continues to exhibit the Pioneer spirit of optimism, perseverance, and determination to put food on the world’s tables. From this heritage my father at 92 retired only a few years ago. With aging farmers filled with vast knowledge, the challenge is for the next generation to love the land and care for it as their predecessors. It is time to rally the nation behind those who feed them, the American farmer. We invite you to this tiny town named Natoma, in Native American language meaning “new birth”. You will see firsthand every facet of a struggling, yet determined people. Laah Tucker, daughter of a farmer.
Mike Rowe,
I agree many Americans have a lot to say about what’s wrong.Yet most who have the most to say about whats wrong, are the ones who are the biggest contributors to the problems of food insecurities. I am a farmer and every organization mentioned above would never come close to being able to walk a mile in a farmers shoes,thats a fact. So cheers to all you do and to all others involved in the production of food. In a country full of words with very little actions.
Michael Nault
Sustainable Foods and Bioenergy Systems Specalist
As a white collar guy with dirt under his fingernails, I really applaud your efforts Mike. It’s amazing to see a celebrity bullypulpit used to lift “ordinary people” up. Keep up the good work!
I am currently doing a speech on a similar topic and i honestly am proud to be called a farmer
Well said, I hope you are heard far and wide. Mike if you still have a chimney sweep brushes maybe you could put it to work cleaning out some environmentalists ears
To Rosemary,
Have you ever been to IA? I’m pretty sure they could not produce all the vegetables and fruit that was produced in CA to feed their state alone, as their state ALONE provides many of the others states in the country, as well as other countries. Period. They are utilizing the amazing soil and fertility, as well as growing seasons and weather, to support consumers worldwide. Please be more educated in your future remarks to agriculture.
I did not attend the FFA gathering, but from the transcript above I detected a wee bit of antagonism towards environmental organizations as being anti-agriculture; anti farmer. While there are some militant vegetarians out there and uneducated GMO-paranoids, most environmental/social justice organizations are militantly PRO farmer. Some will criticize the system that has developed in the last 50 years where government policies have promoted mono-culture at the expense of a family farm that produces meat,dairy, veggies and fruit in a symbiotic way. The policies that result in a state like Iowa growing nothing but corn, and importing nearly all their fruit and veggies from California, when they could do all that just fine in Iowa is a waste of energy. It’s dumb stuff like this that many champions of sustainability are angry about and are eager to change. All that corn in Iowa takes lots of fertilizer – which washes down into the Mississippi and causes a gargantuan oxygen depleted dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico every year for a few months. Any fish or crustacean entering this zone dies. Period. Thus in making a food-source for cows, the policy destroys another food source for people in the Gulf.
I am a proud Mom to 4 boys who all have been or are still involved with FFA. And still to this day your appearance at the National Convention is the best speech I have heard!! Thank you for coming, and sharing. We still have 2 sons in High School, and I am involved with our FFA Alumni, it is an honor to help these kids get a start in life, and I truly enjoy it. I just wanted you to know how you have still affected the ones that got to hear you talk. Sincerely a farmer and promoter of FFA in Missouri!!
I feel it is absolutely awesome that Mike is promoting awareness of American agriculture. I feel that his theory about ‘all jobs relying on two industries – agriculture and mining’ is dead accurate. If it’s not dug out of the ground, it’s grown from the ground.
I also agree with Mike’s statement about the nation becoming entirely disconnected from its food source. As and agricultural educator and FFA advisor, I am attempting to educate my students that in just that – no farms, no food. Some of my students already have awareness towards this because of their background, but others are actually surprised that there are farms that feed cows to produce milk.
Mike has done a great job in using his fame to bring an extremely important issue to light. I applaud and thank you for being our voice!
PS – “Dirty Jobs” is great!! I have several seasons, and I play them in class as career education and exploration and, sometimes, just to learn about the animals. My students love it!!
When my mom heard that I had joined FFA in college, she immediately told me to look up this entry. I thoroughly enjoyed the read and very much appreciate your support of the agricultural industry. As an avid watcher of your show, I’ve done a few of the jobs you’ve been invited to partake in myself and I love watching your reactions. I’m used to working from sun up to sun down and so it’s interesting to me to see what someone unaccustomed to the labor thinks of it. Farm work is no easy chore, by far. But it’s nice when someone off the farm understands what we as farmers are doing. There aren’t many people in my new big collegiate life who marvel when I say I’m going back to the farm after getting my degree. They always seem to miss the part when I mention that I’m also working to revolutionize the wine industry in the three years left to me on campus. It takes a lot of knowledge to farm these days, and it pains me that so few people realize that. Thank you for your compliments to these future farmers. I wasn’t able to attend National Convention the year you spoke, but older members still tell me how inspirational you were. Thank you. :]
Mike, It’s great to know people such as yourself, with a following are speaking up for the American Farmer. We are encouraged that the gap between food and folk is closing as more and more people are realizing the importance of knowing where their food comes from. Buying direct from the farm benefits our society in the many ways you outline.
We have answered your call,Mike, and have started a web site dedicated to the PR of the American Farmer and the meat we put on our tables. We are accepting farmer profiles now and invite your farming readers to check us out and upload their profiles at http://www.homegrowncow.com/?src=farming
You are so right, Mike. Today’s children have no idea where their food comes from. Just last week I was driving with my nephew. He’s in college, a brilliant student, he complained when we got “stuck” behind a farm vehicle for a short distance. I told him that the man driving the vehicle is the person feeding him so he should respect him. This intellegent kid says his food comes from cans. I had to explain that someone had to grow the food first before someone else put it in the can. Unbelieveable!!!
We are not only becoming to distanced from our food sources, but there is to much processing occurring between the source and consumption. The addition of all those chemicals and the processing is the root cause of many of our current illnesses and disorders. Other countries do not have the same safety standards as the US and we often hear of tainted foods arriving here from other sources. Is that what we’re headed for? It’s a sad day for the United States when we give away our strength like that.
No one seems to mention that up to 50 percent of food (raw or cooked) is WASTED!. I guess if food is cheaper it’s OK to waste it.
Mike – read your account with great enthusiasm. We own and operate a dairy and grain farm in NW PA and have faced frustrations such as these for years. Wish everyone could read this. I hope someday people will truly see what is important, but I am afraid that the day will come too late. You know what they say ‘you don’t know what you got till it’s gone.’
I admire your words Mike. Thanks for all the people that work hard and make this country run!
I just want to send my appreciation to all the Farmers and let them know there are MANY American’s who support the work they do. I hope they know that for those who speak out against the kind of work they do, they are many more (who probably should speak out more) who are all for it. Keep up the hard work!
I have always enjoyed your show and you are my 13 yr. old sons hero! I came across this blog because about a year ago I, and several other ambitious people, got together to put on an educational event that would promote agriculture to adults. We called that event “Farm-ol-o-gy” and in addition to the very cool hands on demonstrations we featured a 100 mile meal. (All food was grown and/or processed within 100 miles from where you sit down to eat it.) The event was a huge success and we were awarded the “Counties Activities of Excellence” by the State of Michigan and invited to present that idea at the American Farm Bureau in Atlanta, Georgia January 9-12 2011. While making my arrangements to go I saw that you were the guest speaker and my son is green with envy. I look forward to hearing you speak and if you find the time to walk through exhibitor booths we are in E24 and would love to tell you more about Farmology! Thank you for your support.
It’s heartwarming, as one of those farmers, to read ‘that someone gets it’, too. After 40 years in the dairy business, we have never been more unsure of our future. The last two years have brought about such losses that we may not survive the industry. It’s not really about our loss, but the publics’ loss when the next ‘local’ farm is gone. It’s time to ‘tell our story’ to all that will listen. What we do is essential and good, for the community, and for the future. I urge all of you to get to know a farmer, find out what they do. If we do not stand up for ourselves, and let people know how important we are, the only one talking will be the ‘anti’ groups. Thank you Mike, for ‘getting’ it. Our food needs to be grown HERE!
Thank you Mike. I have to shamelessly admit that I was ignorant of this particular subject on farmers and farming. Support the farmers! I’m in.
I was lucky enough to be one of those 50,000 sitting in Conseco field wearing their official dress. Let me tell you as a sophomore in high school who has had to sit through many boring lectures mike’s was not one of them. It was my first time at national convention and Indianapolis. As if I wasn’t excited enough to go to the stadium of my favorite team,The Colts, and go to the Indianapolis speedway (I also love Nascar) getting to see Mike was one of the highlights. His keynote address was one I’m sure every student, adivsor can resignate with. I remember him talking about how we as FFA members didn’t want to limited by the title of Future Farmers of America. While that title is part of the history of our organization FFA today has expanded to be much more than that. Not only is FFA for those of us that will head to the fields but those of us that will be in labs creating new better types of seed varieties as well as the students who will enter the business side of agriculture. The fact is that agriculture today is so much more than a tractor plowing a field. As Mike spoke I could tell he understood that or if he didn’t he did a great job pretending. Sitting there at the age of fifteen I couldn’t help but be appreciative that some one finally got FFA. You see I come from a small town where you think my school would be full of farm kids but the fact is its not like that. I sit at a table with six girls and one boy at lunch. None of which are in FFA. And I’m fine with that, but when your sitting at lunch trying to talk to your friends about your public speaking contest that’s coming up or how the team did at soil judging they don’t really care or know what your talking about. They don’t have to get they’re my friends no matter how much or little they know about ag or FFA. However, as you were finishing up your speech I realized something people really do get people like me. A girl who has grown up all her life on the farm. And though I won’t be heading to the fields after I graduate in two year (actually a year and three quarters) I will definitely be taking some sort path into agriculture. So thank you for understanding people like me and my family. Thank You for understanding FFA. Last week I returned to Indianapolis for the 83rd National FFA Convention and as soon as I walked into to Conseco field house and was reminded of sitting in the stand watching you speak. It is truly something I will remember for a long time.
Forever in Blue and Gold
Rachel Owens
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I am currently attending college with a bunch of kids who don’t get it. It is refreshing to see someone of your stature believe in what agriculture provides to this country.
Mike
good job. The FFA is underappreciated in mighty ways. I moved to the country and started my own garden, canning and jamming, so to speak, and it is backbreaking, difficult and dirty work. A neighbor gave me a chicken, plucked and ready for the pot. I thought, heck I’ll bake it. There’s a big difference between range fed chickens and store bought plumped up chickens. Also I raised chickens. Another dirty job I believe you have seen. These little raptors are serious carnivores and kept my place clear of wandering cats and scared the chickenhawks… the point is, all of it is hard work. You would never know until you provide your own food by your own hand with the grace of Providence and good weather. FFA I salute you, and thanks Mike for standing up for all those who work so hard for the rest of society. (I’d like to say society is spoiled and whiny but I will leave that out. )
Mike,
You are so awesome. I was one of those FFAers present at your presentation; only I wasn’t there as a student, but as an agricultural educator. I also am a 5th generation rancher, a farmers wife and a mom to a little boy that will grow up in rural America, knowing and LOVING American Agriculture.
I appreciate what you do, more than you know and love how you graciously support Agriculture everytime you go out on the job. Truth be told, your entire show is agricultural. When I travel on the job and must leave my students to a substitute who often times knows nothing about my profession, I always leave them in your hands. I know you will teach them something, or at least open up their minds to a new career or new method of doing something. I always leave a dirty jobs DVD at the mercy of my substitute.
I also have a minor crush on you, my husband knows it, as do all 63 of my students. I just adore everything you do, and this new page on your website seals the deal. You are awesome and I appreciate everything you do. What you teach Americans about agriculture and what really goes on gives agriculturalists more positive advertisement than you know.
Thank You, sincerely from the bottom of my heart! If you ever find yourself in Duncan, Arizona (population 712) come by my classroom. I’d love to show you what these “future farmers” are doing.
Mike-
Excellent blog. My agency is currently working for 4-H which has a similar image problem. ALthough 4-H is different in that it supports many programs which are not related to farming, many many 4-h’ers are farmers–and the authentic core of our country. How did we get to a place where FFA changes its name to become more relevant. So glad you ‘get it’.
I have to say as an FFA member that was at the 82nd National FFA convention you did a great job! We were very thankful to finally have someone thats a “big shot” understand our problem of being stereotyped. This letter was wonderful and the Charlotte FFA Chapter really enjoyed it. People that heard this finally realized its not just a group for farmers but a group for everyone. Thanks for all your support we really appreciate it.
Sincerely
FFA member
Our family has both water well drilled and farmed for over 100 years. Our land and its products, that it so readily given, have been seen as prized gifts by many generations. We must recognize the farmers and drillers,that provide these needs, that are both educated and sensitive to the future of our world. And we need to acknowledge that these jobs cannot and should not be done very long by someone with out a vested and earned interest in that future. http://www.BookamerFamilyFarm.com
Thank you farmers for feeding the world. People need to get a clue and not listen to organizations who don’t know a damned thing about animals. All areas of animal ag is being targeted by these idiots. Dog breeders, cat breeders, horse, pig, cow and exotic every type of animal industry is being torn apart by these activists who make people think they know all about animals when they don’t know anything. The HSUS uses their oh so sad commercials to dupe people into donating to them thinking they are helping the poor animals. We the people need to take a stand against these org’s and say no more. Let the real people who know these industries make the laws and rules, not some group set on destroying the worlds food supply and pet industry. I for one love meat, eggs and veggies, I also love what I do. I am a small home breeder and love to provide families with a happy healthy puppy for them to love. Peace to all, Happy Lil Pawz.
Mike,
Thank you for speaking out on an issue that frustrates all people in American Agriculture: Why do the people of this Country constantly bite the hand that feeds them?
Most farmers and ranchers are too busy and/or too tired to notice that several generations of Americans have been propagandized to the point that they cannot distinguish fact from fantasy. They will buy anything spewed out on TV or in the media regardless of how foolish it may be. They have become the sheep that groups like PETA, H$US, Greenpeace and even the EPA push over the cliff at will. Perhaps your presentation and your position in the media may be able to at least them to think for themselves a little.
In the meantime, thank you for speaking to our young ones of the FFA who continue to raise the best, safest and most environmentally sustainable food products in the world.
Joane White
Lady J Land & Livestock
Price, Utah
Mike, There is definitly a link between PETA and the HSUS. When PETA infiltrats dog shows they release the dogs from their crates. There have been incidents of putting antifreeze in the animals water bowls too. They feel that the animal is better dead than being in a crate. Have to make sure the FFA keeps going in spite of these organizations. Keep up the good fight, we are behind you. God Bless America
Hi.
Assuming this article was written a while ago, I sincerely hope the conclusions you reached back in 2003 are not the same ones you have today in 2010. Agriculture is a mess. It is based on a high-profit hierarchical corporate structure that is determined to seize, manipulate and control the heroic farmer and his stock.
Farmers are heroes and I am furious at what is happening to them. Many, many conventional farmers wind up in an endless cycle of debt and servitude to these greedhead profiteers. You wrote: “…not the size of a chicken’s cage, or the resistance to chemically enhanced soil…” And while I do not agree with most of the philosophies of groups like PETA or the Sierra Club, and many times nefarious powers use them to re-direct mainstream opinion for political gain, in certain cases, they have their place. Please seek out and review some of the documentaries about Mass Concentrated Feeding Operations and GMO technology along with the use of chemical pesticides; and perhaps an updated article by you can shed more light on the plight of the farmer and the unwitting consumer in a way palatable to your audience. But for pity’s sake, educate.
I grew up on a farm and know first hand of the techniques used to grow and “sustain” crops and now, 25 years later, those same farmers and their families (friends and family members of mine) are catching cancer at a very high rate. All is not well, mate. My hope is, these FFA kids become as educated as they can about these issues and the backlash is tremendous. Then these kids become our future heroes.
Eat less, pay a bit more and smaller is better…
Mike, thank you for bringing attention to agriculture.
I was in the crowd for your remarks to the FFA kids in Indianapolis and I plan to be in the crowd for your remarks to AFBF in Atlanta…I’m looking forward to it.
I heard a quote once: “Rich countries have many problems…..poor countries really only have one…”
Our capacity to feed our population is critical to our security as a nation…most U.S. citizens have yet to realize that fact.
We have to fight tooth and nail to keep the vocational programs in our local high school. The push is to center the curriculum around a state test that each year is re-vamped (a moving amorphous target). We are farmers ourselves and acutely aware that America needs to appreciate the various “trades” we can’t live without: mechanics (all types), plumbers, big equipment operators, welders & metal workers, general fabricators. I believe we have lost our way by making things too disposable versus “fixable” yet there is still an inherent desire to repair things rather than throw them away. We farmers- have we become too marginalized by the convenience food industry that transforms our crops into an unrecognizable foodstuff? I hope not! I agree there is a desided shift away from work and the pride of a hard job well done. We are also drifting away from the opportunity to work- prohibiting work- for youth. 18 is too late to instill a work ethic (for most) and football (insert whatever sport you want) practice is no replacement. Where is the individual accountability?
Mike- keep pouring it on-
Mike,
Thank you so much for your inspirational words that you gave to an organization that I have dedicated my life to. I’m an FFA member that was at the convention that you spoke at, and I truly loved it. I’ve been around agriculture all my life. I literally live in a corn field, my grandpas and dad are all farmers and my mom comes from a farming background. We also have 4-H cattle and pigs. Its getting harder and harder for us as farmers. And not only economically and all, but also steriotypically. We are not just dumb hicks that yell yee haw and ride mules around, we are people trying to feed a nation that isn’t educated about how exactly they get their food into the stores they buy them at. In fact, some people think the food just pops in their and that is where the food is produced. We need to start educating people about how important agriculture is in their lives or else we’re all going to pay.
Mike, thank you for your support of the American farmer and stockman. I am not against animal farming and ranching, either. I am both a farmer and a consumer, too.
As a former member of FFA and a current timber producer I found your article to really be spot on. We already buy vast amounts of lumber and plywood from places where we have no idea whether it is being harvested in a sound and sustainable manner and we think nothing of it. Here at home we protest those who wish to harvest timber and replant the land. My new cowboy boots were made in China and Lord knows what else. I applaud all the kids who are taking up vocational education and hope that we reward them well for their efforts. Keep it up!
Hello Mike!
I so appreciated your article (someone forwarded it to me)….and as the wife of a fourth generation cattle rancher and mother of 3 former FFA-ers, totally appreciated your message here! I am also a writer/author and former high school history and English teacher, from a small high school, where most of the kids’ lives revolve around FFA. I so heartily approve of what FFA stands for and teaches.
As agriculturalists, in California, I cannot stress enough what is happening to us via the far-left movement. It’s no secret to us that there is an agenda to eliminate us from the economic picture of this great state. Sadly, most consumers do not get the picture, but have “bought” into the myths that abound! If only they could/would go RIGHT to the source (which is what YOU DO!) and ask REAL farmers and ranchers about what is happening. We are being asked to farm without water and produce without any profit….and few realize that farmers and ranchers ARE conservationists and care as much — more — than the average American about animal welfare, the land, our resources, our contributions. My husband used to think that he was providing something GOOD for the world; now we daily face a barrage of emotional attacks and he, for the life of him, cannot figure out what has happened. As a side note, we raise natural beef and try to remain on the “cutting edge.” We also provide a natural preserve for wildlife and waterfowl on our ranch, and few Californians realize that 75% of ALL waterfowl are protected by private landowners and ranchers, NOT the federal or state government. If we can’t make it on our land, that protection is GONE for wildlife must have wide open spaces.
Further, cattle are an environmentally FRIENDLY species. More than 85% of all grazing lands in the U.S. are not suited to crop cultivation AND they are natural fire retardants…wouldn’t it be great to find a natural way of curbing fires in the West? Cattle can consume fire-starting dry matter and turn it into a powerful food source. In addition, efforts to stop global warming have focused on reducing emissions, not in taking carbon out of the atmosphere (carbon sequestration). Cattle, like buffalo, can contribute to sequestration: grass takes in carbon from the atmosphere; grazing animals trample the grass into the soil and carbon is absorbed; new grass sprouts and the process is repeated over and over, absorbing more and more carbon. The cow is an amazing animal and can help us in so many ways!
Health-wise, for those “scared of eating meat,” there are 29 LEAN cuts of beef that are super-nutritious and heart-healthy. Lean beef has heme-iron (superior to plant iron), protein, vitamins B-6, B-12, zinc, iron, niacin, phosphorus. Beef is brain food for kids and too many kids in this country are anemic or low in minerals and iron that contribute to cognitive and learning growth. Too many teens and young mother are also iron-deficient. Lean beef can help in any diet and contribute to lean body mass.
So, that’s My soapbox!!
BTW, I love your show and we rarely miss it. That you support and endorse blue-collar people is a rare blessing and gift. We need more dialogue between those who look on us as poor cousins and as part of the problem vs. part of the solution!
Thank you for all your hard work and energy — and for taking on those dirty jobs! My husband rarely comes home without layers of manure, dirt, grime, or oil on his face, arms, hands, and clothes. I’ve often said I could challenge Tide or any soap producer who says they can get clothes cleaner than clean!!! Show me the clean!
P.S. I have a blog for those looking for more information and FACTS about cattle and beef. Check it out: whatsthebeeffromsouptonuts.blogspot.com
Again, thanks! You are a welcome and delightful voice. I hope you continue to support simple people like us.
Well said. My biggest frustration, therefore challenge in my life is revealing the pride I have and feel everyday when I wake up to begin a day of farmWORK… You have put into words what I have observed starting with a first missed homeroom because I had to help deliver a calf (chuckles from all my townie classmates of course!)… I began using the power of laughter and storytelling to educate in a not so in your face kind-of way. Here I am 35 years older, still farming, still storytelling, still loving what I do. We have (as farmers) let ourselves be somewhat ridiculed, and have kept our head down instead of chin up so all could see the abundance of pride we feel each and everyday. We are an institution of knowledge, we instill a work ethic like no other, and more than anything we feed, water and nourish all our babies… wherever they reside. Can we say that of every single human in the world? I wish we could… Love this write up.
Nicely done Mike. You are an American Icon when it comes to the working class, though there are fewer of us every day.
Mike I’m an ex-dairy farmer ,well not really ex I’ll be a dairyman my whole life . The thing about farmers, all farmers – dairy, wheat, hog, beef, is that we love what we do. Most of us were raised on farms and know that all life springs from the land . Most of us are 4th 5th 10th generation farmers . We are a different breed of people altogether. It seems like the elite class if you can call them that , peta the media, government, like to portray farmers as hillbilly morons . Well that’s okay if you don’t like us please boycott our goods, and don’t eat. I can’t put it any simpler than that.
This is a message that needs to heard across this land, having a 17 yr old who has wanted to be farmer since he was able to push a tractor around on the floor, has been our inspiration to become active in 4H & FFA over the years, to take on livestock projects, like raising chickens & beef cattle. There is nothing like eating your own eggs & your own grain fed beef. We are just a blue collar family, living in an agricultrial area that is slowly seeing the family farms dissappear due to many resons, but those that are still active, still provide milk, meat, grain, eggs & vegatables to those around us. Those civic minded groups who are shoving these farmers out of business, have access to very deep pockets & lots of time to lobby for their cause, while the farmers have little money to fight for their cause & don’t have the time because they are working to feed these people.
My son still has that dream to be a farmer, the same passion he had when he was pushing those tractors around on the floor when he was 2 years old. His mother & I pray every day that his dreams will come true, we pray every day that his spirit isn’t dampened by the heart ache he sees & hears about the local & national farmers. His generation may very well see the end to what this country was founded on & I hope we wake up before then.
Mike, what an awesome article! I grew up in a farming family and my daughter works intimately with the farming industry. We need more voices like yours to get this message out! Thank YOU.
Mike,
Thanks for all the support. I am an Agriculture Teacher and the FFA really loves your support as well as all of the agriculture industry. Thank you for all that you do. If you are ever in California, we would love to have you speak at our state convention. Keep up the good work!
Mike, the farmers of America couldn’t have a better advocate, and they’ve needed one for a long time! Please keep up the good work. Supporting farmers against HSUS and PETA really is a Dirty Job!
Thanks, Mike. We (farmers) appreciate your support of our livelihood. It has been a tough couple of years for farmers but we will continue to produce a local, safe, affordable food supply so that people can still “talk” about farmers while their mouths are full of food.
Well done, Mike, as usual.
Thank-you so much for your support! My husband and I operate a 600 cow dairy farm in NY with my parents and brother. We met showing cows in 4-H and both come from farm families. We love what we do and work hard everyday to take the best care of our animals and the land we operate. I agree with you the America has lost sight of the importance of agriculture in our country and our ability to feed the world. Do people really feel we will be better off importing food from other countries that do not operate at the same high standards as us? I want to believe that we as a nation have just become complacent-food is always there and plentiful, so there is no need to worry. Last year my family lost half a million dollars because milk prices were so low. We know families that have farmed for generations (not just dairy farmers) and are no longer able to keep going because of pricing or other issues such as regulations that push them out of business. There is a quote that hung in my parents office when I was growing up and now hangs in ours that reads “You can burn the cities and keep the farms and the cities will grow as if by magic but burn the farms and keep the cities and grass will grow in the streets.” Author unknown. I firmly believe in this and wish that more people would remember the values that made this country great, the most important being taking pride in working hard. Thanks again for your support.
Sincerely,
Heather Woodis
Thank you Mike for your support. We are 3rd and 4th generation dairy farmers, struggling to make ends meet. It is troubling to see the fight against agriculture, the name calling (factory farms) and the ‘inhumane animal treatment’. It actually keeps me up at night trying to fight them. We are a large farm, milking 700 cows and under definition I imagine a “factory farm”. I do not use that to describe our family farm, but others do. There is nothing ‘different’ in a small farm, or large except for the size. The fundamentals of caring for animals and land are the same. Well, we don’t name our animals cutsy names (sometimes we do when they are really cute – “Heart Girl” when one has a spot that shapes into a heart). Thank you for stepping up to the plate and defending agriculture. I know a lot of people watch your show (it is great by the way) and hopefully, you can help us reach them. Like another wrote, we work 14 hour days, 7 days a week. Cows have to eat three times a day like we do, and they don’t hold their calvings to Monday through Friday.
Thanks on behalf of our two sons who we hope will follow in our footsteps. But to allow them to do that we have to grow to accommodate their future families.
THANK YOU
THANK YOU!
My grandfather was a farmer and my grandmother worked at a packing house all their adult lives in the central valley of California. As a little girl (late 70′s early 80′s) there were a few times when Grandpa let me ride in the tractor with him or irrigate after supper. I was also able to go visit Grandma at the packing house. She showed me how the fruit was sorted and packed. As a young adult, I was very involved with my ex-husband and his family’s olive orchards. From planting the infant tress to taking the olives to be sold and all being done with old fashion elbow grease (this was in the 90′s). Not to mention that during picking season you save some of those olives to cure at home. I recently visited California and drove around my old “stomping grounds”. What I saw was awful. Most of the local olive orchards had been replaced by new homes and some orchards were in the process of being literally ripped out of the ground. The Lindsay Olives you see on the shelf? They no longer come from Linsday. The packing houses (you could find one on almost every corner) now look abandoned with maybe only a couple running a few months out of the year. The farmlands that used to spread as far as the eye could see are now housing developments. What used to be a striving county now seems dried up; lifeless. It is terrifying to think that this could happen all throughout the United States. I don’t think people really grasp that farming in this county is our life blood. We lose that, and America’s heart will stop beating.
Brilliant article Mike! The final downfall of the United States will come when we import our food. If another country wants to control us just cut our food off. We have enough hunger in this country without someone else rationing our nurishment. We can figure out ways around using foreign fuels or merchandise but don’t we HAVE to eat? God bless the U.S.A.
Mike,
The American Farmer needs more voices like yours! How can a group of people that work 14+ hours a day, 365 days a year (often while losing money) defend themselves against groups that have millions of dollars and countless hours devoted to destroying them? Having voices like yours on our side is no doubt one of the best ways that we can get truth and logic out to the general public. Thank you!
I didn’t grow up on a farm. I knew where my food came from, but I didn’t realize the importance of agriculture or the impact it made on my everyday life.
Joining the FFA in 2006 changed my life completely. I am now serving as the 2010-2011 Nevada FFA state president and my life is devoted to educating students about agriculture and leadership within agriculture. Education is the foundation for success and in this case, basic survival. Would people advocate for confinement regulations if they knew they were taking food from the mouths of millions? Would they fight for animal rights if they knew how well farmers and ranchers care for their animals? The reality is that people don’t know. Without educating people about the importance of agriculture, we are doomed to fail.
I would like to thank all of the agriculturists, ag teachers, and supporters of ag for everything they do and for helping to guarentee that we have food to eat in the future.
As a past President of a local chapter of the FFA ( Pasadena Texas 1991) and a present FFA alumni I would like to thank you. Mike you have brought to light a problem with American society. Most of society today has no idea that the produce, milk and meat products neatly packaged in the grocery store is the result of a farmers toil and labor. It did not spontaneously appear on the shelves by its own. People involved in agriculture today are not what was perceived 50-100 years ago. Bib wearing, toothles, illiterate backwoods people. Today, young adults go to four year colleges to gain knowledge in agriculture, to grow more with less and have equipment worth hundreds of thousands dollars to produce a product that many seem to think of as minuscule in their lives. I applaud any young adult who is thinking of persuing a career in agriculture and thank all that are currently producing a product. The best saying I have seen stated was this. It was from a Wendlands feed sign.” if you eat, you are involved in agriculture.”
Well said Mike. We need more people like you that understand the hard work and sacrifices farmers and others in the agriculture industry choose to make everyday. I am a proud alumnus of the NYS FFA and have started to make my career in the agricultural industry where I see the struggles facing the farms, not just from these activist groups but from poor pricing structure and overregulation.
So thank you for showing that you care and I hope that you are able to help notify the country that farmers and agricultural workers are some of the hardest working, proud and responsible citizens of this great country.
Dear Mike,
I agree with you that todays generation is just one step away from not having local foods. I recently traveled into NYC for Agg Education thru New York Farm Bureau. We visit city elementary schools and discuss where food comes from. One of the main questions we first ask the children is where do they think milk comes from. The majority of children all say the store. Now most of them know (5-8years)all know from a cow, but we are seeing some that even do not know that. How sad.
PS I love your show!
Mike –
I received your link from my cousin, who is from a dairy farming family in Wisconsin. Her son continues the tradition; he is a nationally recognized guernsey breeder in Iowa. I spent many a day on my uncle’s farm helping with milking chores, watching as he worked from 4:00 a.m. until late each day taking care of the largest guernesy herd in Wisconsin at that time. The whole family was involved. It takes tremendous commitment and passion to work a family farm. I find it distressing that a myriad of special interests is so close to destroying what I remember as wonderfully whole and good. I believe your analysis is correct. People have lost perspective and the work ethic in the U.S. is suffering. Unfortunately, I see this daily. I don’t have a solution, but the problem is very real.
And to be clear, I love the work you do on “Dirty Jobs.” You’re crazy, but I applaud your willingness to show America what “real” jobs look like!
- Ellen Clark
Here, Here – you have said it well. So many people need to be reminded of this. I ask myself so often, ‘how is it that the most advanced educated & powerful country in the world cannot feed itself’. Another noteworthy point to this whole story is the farmer provides ‘fresh food’, not processed food like our giant food companies market & produce, i.e. Nestle & Kraft who provide processed foods that lead to the many health concerns of our adolescents and adults alike. Support your local farmer and remember it started with the earth.
Thank you Mike. Working in the field of agriculture is difficult and having someone like you who is in the public eye speak out for the men and women who provide food, fiber and timber for the rest of the country is important. Your words were brilliant, thank you for standing on the side of agriculture.