The views and opinions expressed in this editorial article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of Salina Post or Eagle Media. The editorial is intended to stimulate critical thinking and debate on issues of public interest and should be read with an open mind. Readers are encouraged to consider multiple sources of information and to form their own informed opinions.
By: GLENN BRUNKOW
Pottawatomie County farmer and rancher
Jennifer and I sell lamb at the farmers market in Manhattan. Yes, it is a great way for us to sell our lamb, but what I enjoy the most is interacting with the consumers who buy our lamb. I take considerable pride in the meat we produce and in sharing it with the end user.
As good as that all is, this is also a chance for me to advocate for agriculture and, in some small way, to help dispel some of the myths about how we produce food. It’s not always easy, and I am not always successful, but it is important to try and get the truth out.
A couple of weeks ago a gentleman stopped at our booth and expressed interest in purchasing lamb, but first he had a question. He asked if we used pesticides on our farm. I told him we do, and they are a valuable tool in our toolbox.
He then told me he was not interested in buying any meat because it would have pesticide on it. I explained we follow all safety precautions including re-entry and grazing exclusion times. That was not good enough for him, and I could not convince him our meat was free of pesticide residue no matter what evidence I presented to him.
In the end I chalked my interaction up to the old adage of “you can’t win them all.” However, that does not mean you should not try. In the end we had a very civil discussion, but he would not be swayed by the evidence. Thankfully, there are many other customers who do believe me.
I also had a customer ask me if my meat was free of hormones and antibiotics. I told them, first, that there are no added hormones I could give sheep so that is not a concern. Moreover, I told them that we are in regular contact with our veterinarian and follow the label guidelines on the antibiotics we do give our lambs.
I told the customer we use as few antibiotics as possible, but when my sheep are sick, I want to treat them with the best possible medicine. The health and wellbeing of our sheep is one of the top concerns on our farm. I also said that we are very conscious of proper use of antibiotics because we want them to remain effective for our sheep as well as ourselves.
In this instance I was successful and made the sale. As farmers and ranchers, we need to make sure we take our time and explain to consumers what we do and why we do it. Farmers and ranchers are among the most trusted professionals, and we need to make sure we use this trust to dispel bad information that consumers are constantly bombarded with.
We may not always be successful but that does not mean we should not keep trying to tell our story every chance we get. We’re not going to win every conversation, but I believe we can win most of them. Each consumer we do educate is one more friend of agriculture — and we need every friend we can get.
"Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.
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