BY JEREMIE NOTHDURFT
In January, my wife Laura and I extended our trip to the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) annual conference in San Diego to see more of California. Neither of us had been there before. It was quite an experience for a farm boy from southeast Missouri; never in my life have I ever seen so many nuts — groves of macadamia, almond, pistachio and walnut trees.
Acre after acre of vegetable crops, vineyards, row crops, citrus orchards, dairy farms and beef cattle were scattered on the mountain sides. It seemed every inch of land that wasn’t a city or national park was in agriculture production. According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, their farmers received $44.7 billion for their outputs in 2012. To put it in perspective, Missouri received $10.2 billion the same year.
I wonder how activists and people who aren’t involved in agriculture get such a strong hold in a state that is number one in cash farm receipts? When, how and, more importantly, who is going to stop activist groups that push agendas that hurt agriculture and ultimately consumers? The largest agriculture producing state has not been able to stop them and as a result, farmers are losing more control.
The Humane Society of the U.S. and other groups have Missouri on their radar. With the passage of Amendment 1, we slowed them down, but only for a while. We still have to take a stand and speak out for our industry.
Acting now and staying active is critical. All farmers and ranchers need to speak out and educate people about what we do and who we are. We look out for their safety and our own. We strive to be the best stewards of the land when we produce food and fiber to feed the world. We are paving the way for future generations of farmers.
Like many young farmers, I work two jobs, one off the farm and one on the farm. I work to raise a family. Who has time to do anything else? We think when it gets really bad someone will step in to speak up for us. Who? Only 2 percent of the population is involved with farming. Fellow Missourian Don Borgman, who won the AFBF Distinguished Service Award in San Diego, said, “Farmers have to be focused on our customers, and our customers are everyone who doesn’t farm.” We agriculturists are outnumbered. We have a lot of mouths to feed.
Back when the telephone was being spread across the countryside, most rural areas got phone service by working together, cutting poles and stringing the wire themselves. What about barn raisings? All of the old barns on our farm were built with the help our neighbors. These are difficult tasks that take time, but the more people working, the lighter the workload. Speaking up for our profession is no different.
What happens now paves the way of the future. Let’s stay ahead; let’s stay involved and share our story with others. Don’t miss an opportunity, whether it’s in person or online. Better yet, create opportunities to tell others about agriculture and what you do. You can put a face to farming. When you do, people will think harder about what they support and vote on when it comes to your livelihood.
Jeremie Nothdurft, of Cape Girardeau, is Chairman of the State Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee and State Board Advisory Member for the Missouri Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm organization.