By: Stephanie Karhoff
Farmers possess a lot of talents, but sometimes communication is not one of them. Telling our story though, is becoming increasingly important as consumers become further removed from production agriculture. Farmers currently comprise only 2% of the U.S. population. The question is, does the remaining 98% understand how farmers care for their land and livestock?
How can we as agriculturalists ensure that the majority of Americans understand and appreciate where their food, fiber, and fuel comes from? Often the first step is to engage in meaningful conversation.
Fulton County Breakfast on the Farm recently hosted a preview event targeting female consumers in the surrounding area, and of the 104 attendees, nearly half had never stepped foot on a dairy farm in their adult life. Attending the event, which featured a tour of Henricks & Krieger Dairy and speakers from the Ohio Dairy Producers Association and OSU Extension, increased their understanding of various management practices by about 40%. What I thought was most interesting, was when asked “who do you trust the most to provide reliable information regarding you food?” the participants’ #1 response was farmers – both before and after the event. This shows how valuable events like Breakfast on the Farm are.
If you are curious about how milk is produced, or know someone who has never been to a farm, please invite them and their families to the 2019 Breakfast on the Farm on June 15th at Henricks & Krieger Dairy in Fayette, Ohio. The event includes on-farm tours and a free breakfast. To register, follow this link: www.go.osu.edu/fultonbotfregister2019
More information about the event can be found at https://www.fultoncountyoh.com/1495/Breakfast-on-the-Farm.