The movement to raise the voices of America’s farmers and ranchers and facilitate the dialogue about today’s food is gaining momentum. The U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) is a collaboration of more than 75 farmer- and rancher-led organizations and agricultural partners. The organization aims to create new ways for farmers and ranchers from all types of agriculture to reach consumers – whether that’s in the national news scene, popular culture or social media.
“We’re changing the conversation about how food is grown and raised,” said Bob Stallman, chairman of USFRA and president of the American Farm Bureau Federation.
“Farmers and ranchers are telling their own stories and leading the dialogue on some of the hottest topics about food."
Research shows consumers welcome the opportunity to talk to “real” farmers and ranchers and turn the conversation from one that is often strained to one that is constructive, where all viewpoints are welcome.
“For many years, people outside of actual food production have been telling our story, and sometimes not accurately,” said Jim Schriver, a soybean farmer from Bluffton, Indiana, and production chair of the United Soybean Board.
USFRA debuted in September 2011 with a four-city simulcast panel discussion about food production, called The Food Dialogues Town Hall. More than 4,000 people participated in the discussion either online or in person.
In addition, USFRA partnered with Discovery Communications to produce four video vignettes featuring farmers, ranchers and consumers discussing how food is produced. The videos aired on Discovery’s network of channels including Discovery, Animal Planet and TLC.
Click here to view The Food Dialogues and Food Discovery videos.
More than 2,000 farmers and ranchers have joined the Farmer and Rancher Mobilization (a.k.a. F.A.R.M.) Team – USFRA’s effort to get farmers and ranchers involved in the conversation that is taking place about food production.
Beginning this summer, USFRA will continue its national food dialogues with events in California and New York that include key media figures and influencers. PD
—From U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance news release
