The value of connection

Our columns and articles are inspired by our readership

I wrote the first “Snapshots” column in May 2017 after returning to the Co-op fold in January 2017. This one is noteworthy — it marks my 100th column.

Thankfully, I didn’t have to have all those 100 ideas on hand when I was handed the assignment. But I had a good example to follow.

The predecessor to “Snapshots” was former editor Jerry Kirk’s “As I Was Saying” column. He started the popular feature when he took over as editor in 1974. It was consistently ranked at the top of elements liked by our readers as long as I can remember. And I recall how I was always amazed at how Jerry was able to come up with something that was “just right” each month. There were often glimpses of humor, his love for the Co-op system, and the cooperative business model. It seemed that whatever topic he covered, all his neighbors, along with farmers and Co-op employees across our trade area, shone through brightly. His personality, natural curiosity, positive attitude, love for Tennessee, and viewpoint always clicked with our readers.

Jerry left some big shoes to fill, and while he is often on my mind as I write these pieces, I have never tried to be him. He did inspire me to find stories that would, hopefully, connect with our readers. That was part of the example he set for all of us who worked with him: be yourself. The connection will come.

To me that is the most important function of The Cooperator and specifically this column. The Cooperator is our only system-wide membership communication piece, and all of us who work on this publication take our job seriously. We strive to find stories throughout the magazine that reinforce our customers’ and farmers’ connection to their local Co-op and the overall Co-op community. Our purpose is right on the masthead to the left of this column. This column is supposed to be a conversation, and a conversation is by nature an exchange, and it works best when it inspires readers to share comments about what they have read.

When I was thinking about how to approach this piece, I thought back to the first one. It was perhaps in some ways the easiest. It was a tribute to Jerry as he finally decided to step away from his writing and editing duties at Tennessee Farmers Cooperative. It was a bittersweet moment and one that at the time was still a bit overwhelming.

When I was given this column, I had some topic ideas I wanted to cover, but often they are revealed by what’s happening within agriculture, the world, and, more specifically, the Co-op community.

Thank you to our readers for helping us to be the best we can be, as we eagerly look for stories that inspire, educate, and inform others while keeping us grounded in our family, faith, and agricultural traditions. We have a vibrant, thriving Co-op family, and there are plenty of stories out there yet to be delivered to your mailbox or picked up inside your local Co-op.

Story by Glen Liford,

Contact gliford@ourcoop.com