| | | | | | | | | The Power of Storytelling | | | As I sit down to write this week’s letter, the Congressional reconciliation bill is making headlines across agriculture. And it should, with $113 billion earmarked for ag. In sifting through the news to make sense of it all – like this interview by Farm Journal’s Chip Flory – I’m reminded of the unmatched power of storytelling. Perhaps that’s not where you expected me to go with this, but it’s true. As I tried to pick apart the highly detailed technical information of a budget reconciliation process, my brain kept going back to the narratives – which ranged from hopeful to disastrous – that different political operatives were weaving for me. Storytelling is central to the human experience, and we’re hardwired to absorb information when it is presented in ways that create emotional connection. Research also demonstrates that stories are powerful purveyors and influencers of societal norms. How well are we applying this lesson across sustainable agriculture? Two recent happenings lead me to believe that we’re doing better than one may initially think given how often we hear concerns about only talking to those like us. In a recent Executive Q+A, National Corn Growers Association CEO Jon Doggett lays out the evolution of farmers’ willingness to talk about sustainability in a compelling way. And at Farm Journal’s Sustainable Produce Summit, effectively communicating about sustainability work – avoiding greenwashing and ensuring integrity – was a central thread running through the event. Stories matter, and messengers matter just as much. We’re most likely to believe stories from people we relate to and already trust. And trust is in short supply these days, so it needs to be safeguarded and stewarded. How are you communicating about your sustainability story, and how do you know you’re doing it effectively? That’s something Trust In Food™ works on every day, and we’d love to hear your ideas – and your challenges. Drop me a line at acole@farmjournal.com and let me know. Yours in regenerative ag,
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| | | | | | | | The Importance of Communicating Your Sustainability Story | | | | Shared by Emily Smith, community engagement coordinator, Trust In Food: Sustainability rarely happens on an A-to-B path. Instead, it is complex, multifaceted and requires an openness to continuous improvement based on new information. In our work at Trust In Food™, we have found that many farmers who incorporate at least one regenerative practice such as no-till or cover crops are open to considering what else they might do to increase their farm’s sustainability. I anticipate that by continuing to share farmer insights, experiences and recommendations, our industry will see an increase in the number of producers who express greater willingness to voluntarily adopt sustainable practices because they see the value to their economic ROI and environmental footprint. | | | | | | |
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| | | | | | | | ACAM Executive Q&A: Jon Doggett, CEO, National Corn Growers Association | | | | Throughout 2021, Trust In Food is inviting leaders of the Founding Partners of America’s Conservation Ag Movement to share their vision for the future of conservation and sustainability in U.S. agriculture. In this post, we spotlight Jon Doggett, CEO at National Corn Growers Association. | | | | | | |
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| | | | | | | Shared by Nate Birt, vice president, Trust In Food: New data continues pointing to the regenerative and economic potential of practices such as no-till, nitrogen inhibitors and plant-root inoculants, says Dr. Charles Rice, Kansas State University agronomist, in this fascinating interview with Farm Journal's "U.S. Farm Report" TV program. "No-till sequesters about twice as much as tillage,” Rice explains. “We've been doing this research long enough now that we're starting to see carbon sequestered not only in the top 2", but that's moving down into the next layer 2" to 6" down into the soil.”
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| | | Shared by Rebecca Bartels, director of business development, Trust In Food: After Cargill made a commitment to advance regenerative agriculture practices across 10 million acres of land in North America by 2030, the company has been enrolling farmers in RegenConnect™, a new regenerative agriculture program that pays farmers for improved soil health and positive environmental outcomes. The new program connects farmers to the growing carbon marketplace and will help scale the voluntary adoption of regenerative agriculture practices.
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| | | Shared by Drew Slattery, human dimensions of change lead, Trust In Food: A report conducted by agriculture market research firm Beck Ag in collaboration with Environmental Defense Fund and The Nature Conservancy, analyzes interviews with 100 Iowa farmers to understand their interest in adopting soil health practices and tests multiple ways agricultural lenders could support the transition. The article's author, farmer Scott Henry, shares that he "sees a strong competitive advantage in the future for producers and lenders who take a proactive approach to addressing climate change and use it as an opportunity to innovate."
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