I recently witnessed a couple of different people take rather benign conversation as personal attacks and wanted to address this for a second.

I farm with my family on a farm that my grandparents started. I grow crops and choose “GMO” seed to grow those crops. I do this because the science shows that these crops are a very sustainable way to farm.

We work all season long to grow the safest available seed into a product that is marketable at harvest. We have at times grown these crops for a loss. But we press on, and make it work even on the lean years. It’s in our blood and it’s what we do.

Now I want you to picture yourself (if I may) doing whatever it is that you do. You pour your heart and soul into your work. You take pride in doing the very best job possible. You have taken the time to do the research. And you understand your job inside and out. Now think about how you would feel if someone was making comments that you could easily disprove, but were negative about your work. Think about how you might feel if someone tried to claim that your products were unhealthy or causing people harm. Think about what you might do if you actually knew where their comments were wrong. And especially think about what you would do if you had enough information to correct them. Would you just turn the other cheek? Would you just ignore them, because they are entitled to their opinions?

This is how it goes regularly when people talk about agriculture. There are so many misconceptions and so much bad information about farming. There are labels that are specifically created to fear monger about competition. There are activist groups that actually make up entire arguments to make farmers look bad. And there are regularly misinformed people with entirely good intentions. Me, I try to correct them.

So please accept that your opinion isn’t more important than the facts. Please understand that farmers are going to get defensive when you question their every motive. Please realize that we actually might understand what we are doing. And please ask us before you assume that some ridiculous meme or advertising campaign or activist site knows what is best.

But please realize we aren’t trying to be rude. We are trying to educate about the very things that we know best.

We are your friends. We aren’t going to try to kill you. And we do understand how to best do our jobs. So be patient with us. This isn’t the easiest job in the world.

 

Rod Bednarcyczk

https://www.facebook.com/mrfarmersneighborhood/