For these blogs we typically have a theme for each week. As you can probably tell, I hardly ever have a theme or follow the theme that was assigned… However, this week’s theme is one that I can truly appreciate, and it is “Learn By Doing”.
I definitely love the learn by doing motto, but had trouble thinking about what I have learned. I know I have learned so much while being in Australia, but I couldn’t think of one specific thing, except the interacting aspect with my fellow classmates. I forgot what it was like to live with non-ag majors and people that come from the city and have a city mindset. Ever since the beginning of college I have lived with people who are more knowledgeable then the media, and this is in terms of having an appreciation and some understanding of agriculture. However, living in Australia even with Cal Poly students, this has not been the case, which is fine, just different. Learning how to deal and live with these people has definitely been a learn by doing experience.
“Are you sure it’s safe to eat these?” This is the question one of my fellow classmates said as the rest of the class was devouring freshly picked blackberries. I was completely taken back when I heard this, and did my best not ripping this person a new one. Of course it is safe to eat these!! I thought it was extremely odd how the first thing that popped into this persons head was if these were safe to eat – my first thought was estimating which one was going to be the juiciest and have the most flavor. As you could probably assume this person grew up in the city and never had the experienced a stuffing of the face with blackberries event before, unlike myself. Hearing questions like these makes me more and more thankful that I grew up in the place that I did, and a little concerned for the general public.
Clearly with questions and concerns like these, the anti-agriculture campaigns are hitting people and making them concerned consumers. Honestly, knowing that a potential career of mine is going to be refuting false claims toward agriculture makes me excited yet very concerned. I would rather have ignorant consumers then consumers that know a little about that agriculture industry, but act as they know everything, and believe everything they read. From previous experience with people like my fellow classmate, they believe all the negative things like large industry farming and copious amounts of chemical spraying. When in reality the agriculture industry is mostly made up of small family farms and a cautious use of chemicals when needed.
I hope to God we can teach people like this the truth about agriculture and to enjoy some of the greatest aspects of life, like devouring freshly picked blackberries.
Note to Self: You have to appreciate people like these because they make life interesting for the rest of us.
Note to Self: 
And also why we need people to tell the agriculture story and educate others
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Annelise, here is a quote that my mother and I remind each other constantly in moments like these: “Some people don’t think like you do.”
With the little knowledge that these non-agriculture citizens gain from the media, they are sucked into believing that all farmers are cruel people. For instance, walking to the train station today from Semaphore beach, there was a large billboard with a cow on it stating how the dairy industry is cruel. They even had the heart to give the cow a name and mention how her calf, like many others are taken away from them as they sadly bellow for their young. Now if that doesn’t tug at the heart of an uninformed person, I don’t know what will.
Just remember that you are an ag-vocate. Use it to your ability and inform those around you about the millions of farmers who feed the world.
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