IARN — The American Farm Bureau Federation recently held a seminar with two celebrities who have a goal of engaging and advocating for agriculture.
During AFBF’s recent virtual convention, a session called “Keeping it Real” that was moderated by Greg Corcoran – AFBF’s vice chair of the Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee – detailed two successful stories of agriculture advocacy.
Melissa Burns helps run her family’s farm operation in Milford Center, Ohio. She was a cast member on CBS’s Tough as Nails program and highlighted how she was able to represent the Ag community through her experience with reality TV.
“Being the first farmer on this show on national television, but also being a woman farmer on this show, I think that showed a lot,” Burns said. “Not only because the producers had men to choose from and everything else, but that they chose me. I told them the struggles (farmers) have and how sometimes you have to sell equipment and you can buy it back. Some years are good and some years are bad. I told them everything.”
Trenton, North Carolina native Will Sutton is a high school FFA Advisor and was the runner-up on NBC’s Titan Games. He feels his reality TV run helped give him a platform to promote the positive attributes of American agriculture.
“This gave me a platform to make my voice heard a little bit more about agriculture,” Sutton said. “People would listen to what I had to say a little bit more instead of it going in one ear and out the other. They were resonating with what I had to say and my students were believing in what I’m saying a little more. We’re just trying to engage them more – and even the public – with my social media platforms and all of the people around me. I’m showing them all that I’m passionate about agriculture and want it to keep on growing.”
More information on advocacy for agriculture can be found on American Farm Bureau Federation’s website.
Story courtesy of the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network
