We need to stop the belief that farming and ranching must look pretty in order to be safe, healthy, and sustainable.
We all know social media tends to highlight the best of things. From our own looks, to our homes, and our agriculture, it always seems to focus on things that make us feel good because they look pretty.
But, I keep seeing people bash on different sectors of the ag industry because they aren’t “pretty.” Entire sectors of the industry are being condemned, and canceled because they don’t meet the demands of society. Because the media has told them what agriculture is supposed to look like, despite never having had to raise animals or grow food for anyone.
The grass isn’t tall enough, it’s not green enough, there isn’t any grass. The cattle are in barns, not in pastures, the animals are in houses, not in the open. The list of things that people can, and do, pick apart about agriculture is never-ending.
But, does the fact that it isn’t always picture-perfect mean these ranchers and farmers are cruel or the animals and planet aren’t being taken care of?
ABSOLUTELY NOT.
Ag doesn’t have to look “pretty” to be humane, or to be environmentally friendly. Just because you see a photo that isn’t picture-perfect doesn’t mean your rancher or farmer is doing it incorrectly, or not working hard to focus on the safety and well-being of animals, planet, and people.
If you saw a feedlot or a dairy you might think they are awful, instead of seeing how efficient and well-cared for their animals actually are. The teams of experts, the regulations they have to follow, the ways they reduce waste and recycle, the amount of space they actually have (go check out an aerial view of a feedlot on google earth) …and the list goes on and on, are examples of how these necessary parts of our industry aren’t perfectly green grass in a sunset on an expansive rangeland, but how they are efficiently and effectively feeding the world and STILL focusing on happy, healthy, well-cared for animals and planet. This goes for all ranching businesses from all sectors. There are many things that aren’t pretty, but are still the best for the animal and the planet.
A lesson I think the world could use right now is to stop glorifying and wanting filters on things that aren’t bad in the first place. Try to understand why something is the way it is, and know that judging a book by its cover never gives us the whole story. And, just remember, agriculture needs all kinds of management practices in order to meet the demands of feeding the entire world, and while we should always focus on moving forward and improving, these kinds of things take time, so we must encourage the good stewards, regardless of if they meet our aesthetic standards, and focus on removing the those who are in the industry for the wrong reasons.
So, the next time you look at agriculture, make sure you understand if the animals are safe, healthy, fed, well-cared for, before you tell someone how they’re raising them is wrong because it doesn’t fit your aesthetic.
