June 28, 2017
Story provided by Linder Farm Network
It’s no secret that fewer and fewer people have a connection to farming. That disconnect can lead to questions about how farmers grow food and what that means for consumers. Farm groups are making a concerted effort to make stronger connections and help increase awareness of modern agriculture.
Telling the story of agriculture to consumers has been an important mission for most farm groups over the years. But an organization called CommonGround is trying to take it a step further. They’re inviting what many call “foodies” – writers, bloggers and others on social media that talk and write about food – to a dinner experience on a working farm.
“Events like this are just one way that consumers have an opportunity to come out to a farm, talk with farmers, see a farm, tour a farm and really just learn more about where their food comes from firsthand,” stated Meghan Doyle, CommonGround Staff Lead.
An event that is part of the Field to Fork dinner series was held recently near Dundas, Minnesota, at a dairy farm.
“We are at Wolf Creek Dairy, just outside of Dundas, and tonight guests are going to have the opportunity to take a tour of the dairy, see the milking parlor, see the calves, see the cows, and see some equipment – both modern and equipment from 40 years ago. So it’s an interesting comparison to see how the technology has changed over the years and the advancements that have been made in agriculture. But really the important part of tonight is seeing the farm and meeting and talking with farmers,” said Doyle.
The Minnesota Corn Growers has education as one of their major objectives.
“We’ve all seen the statistics of being third and fourth generation removed from the farm. So we’re trying to bridge that gap so people at least understand and have a forum to ask questions they have about some of the issues that are out there around food and create a nice environment to do so,” stated The Minnesota Corn Growers, Executive Director, Adam Birr.
An experience on the farm can yield excellent results for agriculture, because it can lead to greater understanding about what farmers do and how sustainable they really are. In a day and age of social media, bloggers and a renewed interest in food and local food, organizations like Common Ground and the Minnesota Corn Growers see a real opportunity to bring people from the cities who have never been on a farm and tell the story of agriculture.
You can learn more about the Common Ground Organization online by going to findourcommonground.com.