A recent experience at an event reminded me about a few things that might also help you in your advocacy efforts.
- Being passionate about your work can inspire others to find their passion as well.
- Think outside the box about how to connect with consumers and tell your dairy story. What unconventional advocacy opportunities can you think of?
- Enthusiasm is contagious. Don’t forget to have fun and be excited about what you are talking about when promoting dairy.
In April, I participated in a panel discussion about communications careers in the food industry at my alma mater, Washington State University (WSU). This was part of the 50th Murrow Symposium, which is an event that brings together alumni of the WSU Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, other communications professionals and students to discuss hot topics, careers, challenges, opportunities and more.
We often hear about the importance of telling our dairy stories and connecting with consumers. Popular advocacy activities include social media, farm tours, on-farm events, presentations at civic organization meetings and media interviews, to name a few. In addition to these ideas, I encourage you to think outside the box about other opportunities where you may encounter people unfamiliar with agriculture. For example, while the purpose of the panel was to discuss careers, not specifically to promote dairy, there were a few opportunities to talk about modern dairy farming and the health benefits of dairy products.
Consumer demand for protein and building consumer trust were two dairy-related topics that came up that led to great discussions. Students were engaged and asked great questions, and I could tell many of them had never considered agriculture as a career field. I hope students left inspired to think outside the box about the vast array of careers possible with a communications degree. I also hope that a few of them seriously consider the opportunities available in agriculture. At the very least, I hope they learned a little more about where their food comes from and how dedicated and passionate dairy farmers are about producing a wholesome, nutritious product.
Being excited about your topic and finding common ground can go a long way in building interest in agriculture. One of the things I love most about the dairy industry is how driven and passionate people are about what they do, whether that be on the farm or in the allied industry. There is an ingrained sense of purpose, and I am constantly inspired by so many people I meet. The older I get, the more I realize that this is not as common in every industry.
Several students talked to me in the hall after the breakout session, and one said something that stood out: “You can tell how passionate you are about your work and dairy in general, and it sounds like a lot of people in agriculture are equally passionate about their jobs. I want to feel like that about my career one day.” The enthusiasm for our work that is so common in the dairy industry can help the next generation become excited about dairy careers, as well as build connections with consumers.
As National Dairy Month and all the festivities get underway, I encourage you to think about new ways you can connect with people outside of agriculture to showcase all that is great about the dairy industry. Cheers to a fun month celebrating cows, amazing people and delicious dairy products!
