Dialogue

As we enter the final days of the 2016 Presidential Election campaign we continue to see discussions take place on major news channels, social media, at the supper table and wherever two are gathered to dialogue about the candidates.   One concern I have is how the dialogue between candidates, the news channels and folks wanting to express their perspective has become more tense and personal than ever before.  Even though political campaigns use a strategy of putting the opponent down, I don't believe we have to do that in our conversations about divisive topics.   As a farmer I have had many opportunities to engage in divisive conversations about how food is grown. There are some techniques I have learned through CommonGround that I believe would be very helpful in discussions we have with one another.  These four tools can be the basis for a conversation that leaves room for respect and another person's point of view.

Be Positive.    When we are positive we allow room for other opinions, other ideas, other thoughts.  We can seek to find common ground by first focusing on just that.  As a mom I can often find common ground with other moms when I talk about how much I care about my children and grandchildren.   I can talk about how my family drinks the water on our farm and we eat food produced not only on our farm but we buy it in grocery stores just like they do.  When we seek to find something in common with another person we can separate the problem from the relationship.  We can share our ideas about a problem and even if we disagree on the solution at least we can keep a level of respect for one another.

My husband and I have five children.  This picture was taken in
around 1990.  Two of my children and a niece are sitting on my
lap.  Our children are all adults now but I will forever be their
mom and will always care about their welfare.

Be Inclusive.  In agriculture we are often pitted against one another by outside forces.  Big farms are often portrayed as impersonal while small farms are put on a pedestal as the only way to produce food.  As a farmer I choose to join the both/and crowd in recognizing the need for both.  We need modern tools that allow us to develop seed technology that will survive the threats of drought, floods, insects and other natural attacks a seed faces.  We also need farmers that will produce food in a way that allow consumers to have the choice to buy food right from the farmer.  When we build on the initial respect for one another we can find ways to be inclusive to more than one way of doing things.  Most of the time we can find a both/and solution versus either/or.  There are times when we will not reach an agreement and when that happens we can agree to disagree.

Be Credible.   We are able to look for information so quickly now.  Sometimes an infographic or blog can influence people to believe an idea that has no basis in science or fact.   One example is of a discussion I had with a radio host about sugar.  She saw a picture on Facebook of a liver wrapped in netting and the writing below it said that if you eat high fructose corn syrup your liver would look like that.  I went through the steps of explaining how an Iowa State researcher had proof that the body does not recognize sugar by the source it came from.  If she had sugar from beets, cane or corn it would all act similarly in the body and none of them result in netting around the liver.  Even though I had credible information this person had trouble getting that visual out of her head and still struggled with believing me.  Finding the right sources to get credible information can be a struggle for many people and that is why we have many farmers reaching out to consumers to talk about how we produce food.  We base our decisions on science and research so that we can build trust with consumers.  .

One way for me to visit with consumers about how food is
grown is through an invitation to have a conversation by
spending time in supermarkets for CommonGround.

Be Real.  You are who you are because of your lived experiences, education, beliefs and choices.  As a farmer that works with our cattle I can share the experiences I have of caring for cattle in a feedlot setting because I live it each day.  My values from my faith flow over into the way I care for our land and our animals.  My education gives me the foundation of how and when to administer antibiotics.  I admit I do not have all the answers and so I depend on other professionals like our veterinarians, nutritionist, nutrient manager and crop consultant to help us make the best decisions we can to be responsible, sustainable and successful.  When I travel I utilize photos from our farm to help in conversations that happen in places like the airport.  Once, I was sitting next to a gentleman from Miami on a flight from Chicago to Omaha.  He was telling me about his condo and the beautiful view he had.  I shared some information about my farm and the beauty I see.  He got his phone out and started showing me pictures of that beautiful view he had.  I asked him if he would like to see photos of my farm.  The first picture I pulled up included grain bins, cattle, fields, etc…   He burst out “you have a REAL farm” with such enthusiasm that I nearly fell out of my chair!  I don’t know what fake farms are but I do know that there are a variety of ways to show people our real side.

When I share this photo of our feedlot many people are
surprised at how much room the cattle have to move around.

Using the CommonGround approach to being positive, inclusive, credible and real in our conversations with one another can help us keep our relationships strong and provide room for the exchange of ideas.  I would like to share with you this quote from Pope Francis about dialogue.

“Dialogue is born from an attitude of respect for the other person, from a conviction that the other person has something good to say.  It assumes that there is room in the heart for the person’s point of view, opinion and proposal.  To dialogue entails a cordial reception, not a prior condemnation.  In order to dialogue, it is necessary to know how to lower the defenses, open the doors of the house, and offer human warmth.”

Dust In My Coffee

     Several years ago I became aware of the public conversation about how food is grown and cared for.  The conversation I was reading about was not an accurate portrayal of our farm or of many other farms and ranches I know of.   At the same time a grassroots movement of farm women, CommonGround, was forming to have farmer to consumer conversations.  My opportunity to share our farm story through CommonGround expanded further into the creation of my blog "Dust In My Coffee".

This is a group photo of some of the women volunteering for
CommonGround.  There are around 165 women from all across the
United States having conversations with consumers about food.

     Walking in the shoes, or boots, of a farmer has opened my eyes and understanding of how we work with nature to grow food year after year.  Growing up around corn fields enabled me to see farming from the outside looking in.  Marrying a farmer gave me hands on learning to understand the day to day routine of caring for the land and animals.

Steve and I went on a buggy ride from the church to
the wedding reception.  Fortunately, we did not have to
rely on horses for field work like his grandparents did.

    
     Our early years of farm life were not as romantic as I pictured farming to be.  The hard work was not a problem as our parents had modeled that very well.  I was, however, used to getting a pay check and having time off.  Signing notes at the bank for money with the hope your crops and cattle would make money made me a bit uneasy.  Having to miss taking the kids to a circus because hay had to be put up was another wake up call to the timing of every activity on the farm.  In addition to those early shifts in my farm life paradigm, the farm crisis of the 1980's was hitting farms very hard.
      There were many fine people who left agriculture during that crisis to do something else.  I will never forget the list of farm sales, meetings, crisis hotline commercials and Willy Nelson concerts for farm aid.  We survived and kept working hard to care for our family and improve our farm.  You could say we figuratively plowed our way through it.    Our oldest children learned the value of a quarter at garage sales and went without the Happy Meal toys.  They also learned the value of hard work, perseverance and faith.

This is our family when our youngest daughter, Kim, was baptized.  These
are the five children that continue to bless us with much joy and love.

  
     The message we were receiving in the 80's was to treat the farm like a business, increase production at the lowest cost possible and keep food prices low for consumers.   Farmers are very good at figuring things out especially with the support of our land grant colleges.   Research and development continued full speed ahead in agriculture.  Machinery improved.  Seed development improved.  Soil conservation became a management priority.  Cattle health and nutrition improved as cattle utilized more sources of feed to convert to protein.  I witnessed first hand the explosion of technological advancements that enable farmers to continue to do a better job of caring for the land, water and animals while keeping production high so people around the world can benefit.

In 1992 the FLVR SAVR Tomato became the first G.E. food crop to be approved
by the U.S.D.A.  There are currently There are currently nine crops commercially
available from GMO seeds in the U.S; Alfalfa, Canola,Corn (field and sweet),
Cotton, Papaya, Potatoes, Soybeans, Squash, and Sugar Beets.

     As those developments occurred the conversation about production agriculture changed seemingly overnight.  As farms sizes grew and people grew away from direct experiences on the farm a change in the discussion was inevitable.  Farmers Markets began to pop up in more places with an increased emphasis on organic production and locally grown products.  Add a movie, books, social media and some people using fear to sell a message and you add to the confusion. Consumers are wondering what food is good for you, what farming methods are good and what should a mom buying food for her family do when confronted with such a variety of choices.

One activity I really enjoy is meeting consumers at the grocery
store.  They have a chance to ask me anything they want to
know about antibiotic use, hormones, GMO's and so on.

    
     The confusion about food production, the chance to share facts not fear and my desire to share our story led to the development of this blog.  The title "Dust In My Coffee" came about as I sat pondered dust particles landing in my cup of coffee.  Every question about food production, no matter how small, matters to me.  It is my intent to share my experiences, past, present and future to be a positive, credible, real and inclusive voice in the story of how food is raised.  I am very grateful to join the many other voices striving to connect our farms to consumers.

    

    

Subway Responds

     This past week Subway announced a move to use food from animals that had never received an antibiotic.  I responded with a blog pondering why Subway would do this.  You can read that Subway blog here.

 

     It has come to my attention from Anne Burkholder, a highly respected cattle feeder and  blogger, that Subway has added a statement on their website.  This statement follows the original plan of transitioning to using only animals that have never received an antibiotic:

     "That said, we recognize that antibiotics are critical tools for keeping animals healthy and that they should be used responsibly to preserve their effectiveness in veterinary and human medicine. Our policy is that antibiotics can be used to treat, control and prevent disease, but not for growth promotion of farm animals. Accordingly, we are asking our suppliers to do the following:

• Adopt, implement and comply with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (“FDA’s”) guidance for industry 209 and 213, which requires that medically important antibiotics not be used for growth promotion. Visit the FDA site to learn more.
• Assure that all antibiotics use is overseen, pre-approved and authorized by a licensed veterinarian before they are administered to any animal.
• Keep accurate and complete records to track use of all antibiotics.
• Adhere at all times to all legal requirements governing antibiotic withdrawal times. This assures that antibiotics have been eliminated from the animals’ systems at the time of slaughter.
• Actively encourage, support and participate in research efforts focused on improving animal health while reducing antibiotics use."

     I join Anne in applauding the upper management of Subway for recognizing the value antibiotics play in the care of animals.   I also join Anne and many others including our veterinarians in the commitment to work together to lead discussions about continuous improvement of the care of animals.  Those discussion include no use of antibiotics for growth promotion that are necessary for human medicine and direct supervision by a veterinarian for the antibiotics used by the end of 2016.  Anne does a great job explaining that in her blog here.

     Subway has not changed their home page as of the writing of this blog and the statement is not very easy to find.   My applause will be hard to hear until the public at large can see that statement as part of their info graphic.

 A screen shot of Subway's home page shows that it has not
been edited as of this writing to show the added statement
of responsible antibiotic use.

     Going forward I encourage you to visit Subway and tell them what you’ve been hearing and reading.  We want to support our local restaurants and for those of us in the rural area that includes Subway.  Keep talking to friends and relatives about what you are eating and encourage them to seek the facts behind the messages.  If you have questions about your food I can direct you to a group of 165 farm women from across the nation that would love to visit with you!  That website is here.    

As a CommonGround volunteer I love to
answer questions moms have about how
their food is raised.

     

     It’s Sunday and  a great day to have a meal together as a family.  I would like to share with you a delicious roast beef recipe that is easy to make.    You can put this together and then get outside and enjoy the fall weather.   Happy Sunday!

 Simply Delicious Roast Beef

3 pounds Chuck Roast

1 package dry Italian salad dressing

1 package dry Ranch salad dressing

1 package dry Brown gravy mix

2 cups water

Directions:

Turn oven to 325 degrees.  Sear the roast (brown both sides).  Place roast in roasting dish.  Warm the 2 cups of water in pan used for searing and pour over the roast.  Put seasoning packets in a bowl, mix, pour over the roast and in the water.   Cover.   Bake 3.5 hours in oven or bake in Crock Pot for eight hours on low. (I add an extra cup of water to the oven version)

You can add baby carrots and baby potatoes to the side of the roast.  Another alternative is to add small potatoes to the oven in the last hour of baking.  After skimming the oil you can use the liquid to make a wonderful gravy. 

For more great beef recipes go here.