It will come no surprise to you when you read this statement: I know farmers.
Farmers are not just someone I visit at a farmers’ market.
Farmers are in my blood. They are my family.
They have been farming the land my family settled 126 years ago after coming to the North Dakota prairie from their homeland of Norway.
I know about farming practices. I understand how farmers care for their land, conserve water, rotate crops and use biotechnology to increase production to meet the increasing world food demand.
I know and see first hand how farmers care for their animals to raise the safest milk and meat.
Through social media, I have gotten to know farmers across North America. Some I have met in person and others I “visit” via their blogs, Facebook and Twitter.
Whether it be the Zweber’s organic dairy farm in southern Minnesota, to a Kentucky farm girl/ ag journalism student Celeste Laurent to connecting with a Kansas rancher mother of five, Debbie, I love reading and knowing the stories of farmers outside my own rural community.
Professionally, I work in agriculture communications and have been a part of a farmer-led initiative to tell the stories of California farmers. My company’s role was to create the tool for the farmer’s voice to be heard. All content has been farmer generated and driven. Through social media, I already knew four California farmers, Jeff Fowle, Ray Prock, Barbara Martin aka Dairy Goddess and Nancy aka Wife of Dairyman. But this project has exposed me to hundreds of California family farmers with stories to tell you about how your food, fiber and flowers are grown.
I have never been so emotional vested in my work as I have on this project. It is run on a shoe string budget and I have volunteered many, many hours (ask my husband) to make sure these farmers’ voices could and would be heard.
It is a passion for me to help to connect farmers to consumers. I have learned so much from farmers telling their stories and know that for the next five, ten, fifteen and twenty years, I want to help more farmers tell their stories. Today, you can “Know A California Farmer” by visiting this site. Watch the videos, read the blogs, comment, create a conversation, see the pictures, share with your friends and family and please, my friends, tell me what you think.
What a great blog post, Katie. Your passion sure shines through. The opportunity for farmers to share their stories with consumers will surely help balance the public debate around agriculture in our fair countries. And it’s about time! Go Farmers Go!
Hi Katie:
Love your post. @Suburban_Farmer forwarded your link to me @GreenSoil. I just want to let you know I’m a Woman rancher here in California here is a bit about my family farming and ranching history and a bit about me WalletPop on AOL
http://bit.ly/cHEPyF
Seed Power
http://bit.ly/9xJ8Cp
What I’m doing to bring farming/ranching and the consumer together.
Keep up the hard work 🙂 #ThankaFarmer/Rancher
Annie Haven
As a fellow co-worker i am INSPIRED by your passion every day, Katie. And you have helped this City-Girl who secretly WISHES she could have been lucky enough to be born a Farm Girl, truly understand what farming is all about: Community, passion, hard work and commitment in EVERYTHING that you do.
Thank you!
Hey Katie!
I haven’t read through everything yet but my brief glance will bring me back. My uncle has orchards in Chico, CA so I am interested to read further when time allows!
Courtney
I think thats wonderful. My family has owned the same farm for over 100 years. And I can’t agree more with educating consumers on where their food comes from.
Great site. I hope people who have questions about where there food comes from visit it.
Miss you lady!
Thanks to each of you for your comments. I love hearing your feedback, opinions & connecting. Annie-I’ll check out the links you left. Thanks so much for checking in.
Katie
Thanks for featuring me in your blog! I’m so honored!
One of my favorite things about farm blogging is that we all get to keep in touch with each other and the little things going on at farms miles away.