Session 2 - Sending positive vibes only
By Alexis Harvey and Miranda Jachens
We started our journey in the March LFB session with learning the importance of positive vibes. It typically takes five positive agriculture messages to counteract one negative agriculture message. It is up to all of us in the Leadership Farm Bureau class and as California Farm Bureau members to share our positive stories, our compliance of regulations and our deeply rooted care for the industry. These positive messages must include our entire industry, consisting of animals, people and plants. Every part of our industry has a beautiful story and deserves to be shared.
Through media training with Johnna Miller, senior director of media and advocacy training at American Farm Bureau, the class practiced our messaging. We videotaped each other and analyzed the interviews. We learned in messaging and interviews that it is important to avoid using acronyms. We use industry terminology every day, but we farmers and ranchers are a small percentage of the population, and we tend to forget that much of the general population may be lost.
For example, what does AI mean to you? Most people will say artificial intelligence, but for ranchers, it means “artificial insemination” … something entirely different. Another acronym that our class continuously used was “ag” instead of “agriculture”—something so basic in our eyes as agriculturists but expanding the word can help people better understand what we are saying.
All of us throughout the state can make a difference from our own backyards. California Farm Bureau members can post on social media a short educational video or a farm selfie captioning our daily activities, and we can say yes to interviews. We can be part of the five messages that create a positive look for agriculture.
We took the first steps to spread our positive messages immediately after our first training by meeting with California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross. We discussed with her the current concerns and issues in agriculture, such as labor, water, technology innovations and government funding.
The class continued to spread positive messages and teach those at Ag Day at the Capitol. Through the power of doing, we were able to show legislators, staff and community members how important and fun agriculture can be. We gave visitors the opportunity to participate in farming throughout the morning by transplanting their very own strawberry and cabbage starters. By letting people get their hands dirty, we can show them a sliver of the hard work and determination this industry requires every day.
As we continued to train and learn new ways to spread our messages, our class met with Anne DiGrazia, director of communications for the California State Senate. She taught us that it is not just the message; it is how we share that message that counts the most. Many times, we in agriculture do not find many people who understand what we do professionally and why. We can find common ground with those who may not understand or agree with us. We have learned that this commonality is how we achieve the best results in education and communication; then we can begin to work together. By focusing on our similar goals, we can overcome our differences and create beneficial legislation as a result. Our LFB class strives to build a bridge with legislators, and that can only be built with commonalities.
We brought this knowledge with us while conducting legislative visits with both senators and assembly members. Although we do not always agree on everything with many California legislators, we were able to find common interests. In our visits, the three main subjects we focused on were agricultural overtime, the Williamson Act and the greenhouse gas reduction fund money. With personal anecdotes, real-life examples and sharing our knowledge of the agriculture industry, we explained our issues while recognizing our common interests. At the forefront of everyone’s mind is affordable food, working families and the environment. Our class was able to meet each legislative office, convey these commonalities and then highlight California agriculturists’ role in each one.
Agriculture faces an increasing number of regulations from both the state and federal governments. It is important to share California Farm Bureau‘s message and our personal stories to educate legislators on farming and ranching practices across the state. We hope that our advocacy efforts help in this legislative session as well as create a relationship that will have long-lasting positive impacts.
The California Farm Bureau and our members can serve as a resource for bill language, examples of how regulations impact our commodity producers and advocates for a better tomorrow. As a class, we continue to share our message as individuals by using our social media as a platform to reach the masses. Together, we can share positive vibes.
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