Tell your story
Ryan Jenkins urges fellow farmers to be agriculture ambassadors
Story and photos by Page Haynes
Row crop farmer Ryan Jenkins urges fellow producers and growers to regularly speak up about agriculture and the important role it plays to sustain us.
In this day and age — especially since the advent of social media — agriculture often gets a bad rap. Negative talk can be expected from certain media outlets and special interest groups about perceived questionable farming practices, such as planting genetically modified organisms (GMOs), treatment of livestock, and pesticide usage on food crops.
Ryan Jenkins, a fourth-generation row crop farmer from Jay, Florida, says that upon learning that he’s a farmer, people often ask what he would view as shocking questions, like, “Do peanuts grow on trees?” He says that for years, he has taken for granted that the general population knows about basic farming techniques but has learned that what’s normal to a farmer might be foreign to others who don’t live around agriculture.
“We need to stand up and tell people the truth,” Jenkins told participants at the recent Southern Agronomy Summit in Nashville. “It’s time we take the initiative to tell our farming story — the real way we farm and what we do. We need to connect the consumer with the producer and let them know that real people like us are being affected by their decisions.”
Jenkins emphasizes that agriculturalists must actively tell their stories to policymakers and the public, as less than two percent of the population are farmers and an even smaller percentage advocate for agriculture. He argues that storytelling helps develop agricultural policy, serves as a voice for advocacy against misconceptions, and bridges the disconnect between producers and consumers.
“Just two or three generations ago, everybody was either a farmer or knew a farmer who lived close by,” he said. “Nowadays, no one can even name a farmer. That’s a problem. So, it’s becoming more important for what few of us are left to tell our story so we can get the help we need. A voice helps develop policy. We’re all in this together.”
He challenged those in the room to not only contact their state representatives, but to travel to Washington, D.C. and meet with lawmakers about the realities of agriculture.
“Those guys in Washington like to hear from us farmers,” he pointed out. “But in the last couple of years, we’ve started sending other industry representatives instead of going ourselves. We are all 100% on the same team, and it takes all of us telling our story to move the deal. Our stories help develop policies.”
A grower panel moderated by Amy Winstead, senior vice president of retail for GreenPoint Ag, featured Jay Coker of Stuttgart, Arkansas; Brian Dean of southwest Georgia; Stewart McGill of north Alabama; and Jason Waller of Mer Rouge, Louisiana. The panelists discussed their operations and answered questions from participants.
mes, looks at agriculture as a negative influence rather than an essential one.
“If we’re not here to refute that, it gets easier to believe, and that gets repeated more times until it becomes law,” he said. “And that’s basically what is happening. So, we must advocate for ourselves. Average farmers want to sit on their tractors, on their own land, do their own thing, and not be worried about this. But it’s going to take an effort from all of us to change these misconceptions.”
Key barriers to farmers becoming effective advocates include discomfort with self-promotion, avoidance of conflict, and lack of time, he said, but doing nothing exacerbates the problem.
“If you let something fly without correcting the problem, you’re basically giving your stamp of approval,” said Jenkins. “I think you should research and learn as much as you can about a particular commodity to be able to refute these things when they come up in conversation. For example, people hear the phrase ‘GMO,’ and they freak out. I personally think it’s one of the best things that’s happened to agriculture, and it’s one of the few things that’s going to sustain us. We need to be a voice against fake news, against the bad things that are being put out.”
Jenkins provided practical strategies for sharing agricultural stories, including using fun facts about agricultural products. Examples include that 540 peanuts make one jar of peanut butter, one bale of cotton produces 313,600 dollar bills, and one acre of soybeans produces 82,368 colored crayons. He encourages farmers to use social media and simple photography to spark conversations about agriculture.
“I’m always trying to think of ways to connect with people,” he says. “We can put just a little bit of farming in them every day. Even if you don’t have a story to tell, everybody has a phone. Stop in the middle of the day and take a picture of your tractor, or the field you’re in, or your herd, and share that. If you want to put some words on there, that’s good too. Just be thankful that God taught you to be a farmer. Be proud of what you do. It’s the oldest occupation in the world, and one of the most important occupations in the world. We need food, clothing, and shelter, and most of us are providing at least two of those.”
Jenkins also advocates for agriculture by getting as many people as he can to visit his farm. To engage young people, Jenkins hosts an annual Ag Career Day on his farm featuring diverse presenters from both college-prepared and non-college career paths. He also organizes Farm Safety Days to educate emergency responders about agricultural equipment and accidents. Jenkins shares his content through various platforms, including TikTok and YouTube.
As for launching a farming operation, Jenkins recommends that young farmers work with established operators to gain experience and access to equipment and land, as starting from scratch with capital alone is nearly impossible.
“Have fun and just ‘be the voice,’” he told the audience. “I can’t emphasize how important it is that we get out and meet with people. Become active with your local Co-op and Farm Bureau. They are helping us tell our story and are advocating for us.
“God called me to be a farmer, and I just hope that whatever I do, it brings glory to Him and that it helps somebody along the way.”
For more information, visit Jenkins’ various media platforms: www.youtube.com/JenkinsFarmJayFlorida; Facebook.com/ryan.jenkins.712; twitter.com/duster33ryan; Instagram.com/ryan.jenkinsfarm; or contact him at duster33@yahoo.com.
Jenkins, left, with his father, Rennie, and son, Chase, enjoy farming together at Jenkins Farms in Jay, Florida, where they typically farm 2,000 acres of peanuts, cotton, soybeans, corn, wheat, and oats.
By Page Haynes,
Contact phaynes@ourcoop.com