We all know that there are several issues facing agriculture today. If we want agriculture to continue to be a part of our lives and the lives of future generations; we have to make our voices heard. Advocating for what you believe in is very important, but possibly what is more important is advocating the right way and making sure the message you are portraying is delivered in a positive manner. Over the past year, I have had the opportunity to advocate for the beef industry and I have learned a ton about how, when, where, and why to advocate.
First and foremost, if you are going to advocate for an industry, it is important to be well educated that industry. Just because you grew up on a cattle ranch does not mean you know everything about the industry. So, in order to better educate yourself on an industry, speak to professionals in the industry that already actively advocate, go to industry conventions, or find information about that industry online. If you are interested in advocating for the beef industry, I would highly recommend completing the Masters of Beef Advocacy training, which is free and offered online at http://www.beef.org/mastersofbeefadvocacy.aspx. Although I am not familiar with some of the other industries, I am sure many of them offer similar trainings.
Learning how to advocate is also important. At times, it is very difficult to not become defensive when advocating. Possibly one of the most important things to remember when advocating is that you do not just want to spill a ton of facts. Instead, connect to the other person, (or group of people) then tell them a real-life story with just a few facts. No matter what you do or say, there are always going to be some people who are strongly opposed to the industry you are advocating for. However, it is important to remain positive in your discussion and end the conversation on a good note.
As with everything else, becoming a good advocate takes practice, but if you are passionate about something it will come fairly quickly. Even though at times it feels as if your one voice cannot make a difference, when you combine it with everyone else’s voice, it makes a huge difference! So, I encourage all of you to go out and advocate for whatever you are passionate about, especially if it is about agriculture.
– Kailey Barlow