Agricultural Communications
Person: “What is your major?”
Me: “Agricultural Communication”
Person: “What is that?” or “What do you plan on doing with that degree?”
This is a common conversation starter that I have experienced when venturing onto central campus to take my general education courses, where many people don’t understand the agricultural industry and/or still believe that agriculture just means farmers. Realistically though, those of us who do know what agriculture is and how it works, knows that agriculture doesn’t just mean farmers. It also means educators, communicators, and leaders.
Deciding on a major is not an easy task for many people, but for me, it was the easiest decision. I competed in my FFA chapter’s Agricultural Communications CDE for the past three years and on October 28, I will compete at the national level. For those who don’t know what this CDE consists of there are three people on a team who create a media plan, take an APA manual exam, give a presentation, and do a practicum. When I first started this CDE, I was a shy, quiet girl who didn’t like public speaking, but as time went on, I came to love public speaking. This is how my love for agricultural communication started.
I became an agricultural communicator so that in the future people aren’t asking what is agricultural communication. I became an agricultural communicator to help those who know nothing about agriculture understand misconceptions about agriculture. I became an agricultural communicator to help consumers understand farmers and vice versa.
In order for consumers to get a positive image about the agricultural industry, the world needs agricultural communicators. We are the bridges that connect people from different lifestyles. We help people see the world and give thousands of farmers a voice. We are the ones; the ones who shed light on agriculture. As agricultural communicators, we have the ability to change the world and get the public to appreciate farmers more. We have a mission to tell agriculture’s story.
I am proud to say that I am an agricultural communicator so that I can explain why agriculture is vital for everyone.