Ag advocacy fits naturally for AAWH correspondent

One of High Plains Journal’s All Aboard Wheat Harvest correspondents entered into a different field as she traveled to New York City to receive training from the American Farm Bureau’s Partners in Advocacy Leadership program.

The need to advocate is plenty and the messengers are needed now more than ever as Laura Haffner is stepping into that role. She and her husband, Ryan, operate High Plains Harvesting, Park, Kansas. In addition to travel and training modules in different parts of the country, Laura and others in the program have the opportunity to receive education and practice ag advocacy skills.

“Our focus topic around these exercises has been climate change and communicating our stories to various audiences,” she said.

A video project helped her and others to practice the skills they learned June 12 to 16 in New York City. “It forced us to think about what might be compelling to the media, inform the media about the (PAL) program, our project and shed awareness to the media and ultimately the public surrounding climate change and how agricultural works to be a solution to those challenges.”

Thoughts in advance

Before the group’s first module trip (one of four trips over the next two years), Haffner was filled with various emotions.

“The first emotion was excitement. I love adventure, traveling and encountering new people. I was excited to meet my cohorts and coaches from across the country that I would be growing with and learning from over the next two years.”

The high-level, executive style training was intense and even though she felt she was up for the challenge it was still a nervous time. American Farm Bureau Association, Farm Credit and Bayer were significant investors into preparing her for leadership development.

“I put a lot of pressure on myself to represent Kansas Farm Bureau and agriculture in a positive light. I also had a bit of guilt as I was leaving my family in the middle of harvest and the busy season, something I had not done in June for nearly a decade. However, I knew the long-term payoff of the training would be worth our short-term sacrifice.”

The training in New York was intense with scheduled presentations and mock interviews held in the presence of peers. These situations captured the essence of what it was like to communicate with media with a variety of angles and surprise questions. Coaches included people who have been in major television media markets.

Advocacy in the “real world”

The goal was to prepare Haffner and others for diverse situations in the “real world” as they continue to advocate for agriculture and address policies that have consequences for all Americans. They also had opportunities to tour the city and get a feel for the culture.

One activity was a scavenger hunt where they were required to navigate the city to find specific landmarks, try a new food and communicate with urban consumers at Whole Foods, she said.

They also visited with industry professionals including Paul Gigot, editor of the editorial division at Wall Street Journal and several members of his team. It was an eye-opening experience to learn some of the ins-and-outs and what their staff is looking for in regard to stories and interviews, she said. Darrin Rahn, brand manager at PepsiCo, also offered an intriguing presentation on how his company manages and navigates consumer perception, particularly about sustainability.

“We visited the Green Market in the heart of the New York City, where we talked to farmers about the joys and concerns of operating in an urban market. While our farms and business models may be a bit different, we face many of the same concerns like regulations, labor, increase input costs, urban sprawl, investor competition for land, etc.,” Haffner said. “We also got to interact with urban consumers, and it was very interesting to hear their take on agriculture, what they were willing to spend on products and why, and why they choose the market to do business.”

Positive interactions

In the recent years, the response to agriculture, whether on social media or mainstream media, is one of extremes, she said, adding either there is “total love” for farmers and ranchers or they can be as perceived villains.

New York City was a breath of fresh air in that regard, she said.

“Everyone we talked to was friendly and willing to engage. It reminded me that despite algorithms of social media that sometimes reflect negativity or what the current sensation on TV may have us think, most people are of moderate nature,” Haffner said. “Most people are reasonable, want to live a good life and provide well for themselves and their families. The people in combine seats and the people in subway seats really are more similar than we are different in that regard.”

She was intrigued by the people attending a farmer’s market and how interested they were with how food is grown by their favorite vendors.

“The adage ‘people buy from people’ is true,” Haffner said. “One woman I met was going to take that love to the next level and become a farmer in her retirement on an acreage outside the city. She was looking forward to raising ginger, a crop she chose for its anti-inflammatory properties. I learned every bit as much from her as she did from me.”

Because her experience is around farming in northwest Kansas and custom harvesting the Great Plains region, her conversations were often about food production.

“One great question I received, from a consumer in Whole Foods, was about wheat in general. I was able relay that there are different classes of wheat and each is used for something specific. For instance, Hard Red Winter Wheat, grown in much of the central United States, is typically for bread products. Durum wheat, more common in the northern U.S. is great for pasta. The consumer wasn’t previously aware of the differences.”

Climate, weather impact

There is no other group that feels the effects of climate and weather like those in the agriculture community, Haffner said, as farmers and ranchers experience it firsthand on a daily basis. It greatly affects the ability to successfully grow and produce crops that feed the world.

“However, consumers in cities also experience changes as well, though in diverse ways. They have concerns and they have questions based on their firsthand experiences,” Haffner said. “We need to find ways to come together and work together to find common ground. An ‘us versus them’ mentality is not leading us down a productive road for meaningful conversation and resulting action.”

Because of past negative experiences with how agriculture has been portrayed in the media or with certain action groups it does not change the fact that agriculture is part of the conservation solution, she said.

How agricultural advocates answer makes a difference, she said. Whether it is bristling at the question or exhibiting negative body language it can come across as defensive or being evasive, which is the wrong approach.

Those involved in agriculture have been involved with and continue to conserve lands for future generations, she said, noting integrated pest management, no-till, precision agriculture and other practices.

Listening means not just hearing one’s voice speaking and that is not lip service and it takes practice, she said.

“It is best to keep an open mind and then find common ground while responding to their questions. Many people aren’t looking for a battle but are truly wanting to learn. Creating an emotional response of personal experience, and not solely peppering people with statistics and facts, helps develop a genuine personal connection between farmers, ranchers, and consumers.”

In a world that seems increasingly polarized, having strong leadership and communication skills will be key to bridge the gap between rural farmers and ranchers and urban consumers, often several generations removed from the farm, she said. Haffner was appreciative of the American Farm Bureau’s PAL program that is equipping her and others with skills to be active in sometimes difficult conversations.

“I look forward to taking the skills I learn over that next two years and continue to advocate for agriculture and show that we can work well with others and are continuing to play and active role balancing conservation with the task of feeding the world, all while navigating the uncertainties of climate change.”

Dave Bergmeier can be reached at 620-227-1822 or [email protected].