From Seed to Table: Bridging the Gap – Exploring Our Disconnect from Farming Across Generations and Cultivating a Genuine Connection with Agriculture

Get to know your farmer. Ask a farmer. Know where your food comes from. Don’t believe a simple Google search. Celebrities and sports figures don’t know anything about farming. Et al. These are common things you will hear from people in agricultural circles.

I’m not pointing fingers. I’m just as guilty of saying these things as the next person. But we need to think about how effective or helpful this is. With the average person being 2-3 generations removed from a firsthand knowledge of farming, does saying these things actually help connect people with agriculture? Not really and they aren’t entirely accurate either.

Let’s go back to that statement: The average person is 2-3 generations removed from a firsthand knowledge of farming. I want to dig into what this means with a story representation.

At one point everyone farmed, at least a little. Everyone was responsible for growing or raising the food that would be on their dinner table. As farming modernized more food was able to be grown (produced) per acre and per animal. These larger yields allowed more people to be fed from the same amount of land; sometimes from less land. With food being more abundant, people began to give the responsibility of growing their food to the farmers. And with the extra time they now had, people started specializing in different studies and industries.

These people held firsthand knowledge of farming as they once had done it, but their children likely held secondhand knowledge and were first generation removed from the farm. Their parents would probably tell of how they used to farm when they were younger. The stories were real and meaningful and included other members of the community who also used to farm. Maybe a few chickens were still raised in the backyard, or a small garden was kept to grow tomatoes and squash, but nothing substantial.

Then there came the grandkids. They would make short visits over the summer and on holidays. The grandparents would talk about the days long gone when they used to ride the tractor to harvest the crops, but to the grandkids it is more like a fairy tale than history. The grandkids might pick up a few farming ideologies, but mostly not. These grandkids are the second generation removed from the farm.

After the grandkids we reach the third generation removed from the farm. By this point there is no farming connection. The grandparents have passed away and have taken with them the stories and memories of life on the farm. The third generation is interested in knowing where and how their food is grown or raised, but they don’t know how to find that information. Just like when any of us are curious about something, they go to the internet, they listen to figures they know, and they follow advertisements and marketing campaigns.

This is the generation that needs people with firsthand knowledge the most. These people are asking: How do I build a better understanding of farming? Who can I trust to teach me about agriculture? How can I build a relationship with my food? Which farmers are farming the right way? How do I know who is a farmer?
If you are asking yourself these questions, or if you know the answers and are trying to help connect people back to agriculture, then this blog series will be for you. I hope I can be a thought provoker, a resource, and maybe even a teacher, just as I look to learn from others.

Hello. My name is David, and I am a big fan of farming, ranching, and agribusiness. I grew up in Southeast Florida on my family’s 800-acre ranch where we raised, trained, and boarded horses, held a summer camp, and taught lessons and gave trail rides. Right around the time I turned 30 years old I branched off to start a farm of my own. Since then, I have tried raising cattle, swine, poultry, goats, and sheep. It’s been a crazy adventure, and I am still trying to figure out which direction is the best fit for my small farm. Where I do have a clear direction is my position as a 4-H Youth Development Agent. I am proud to now be the agent where I once was a 4-H member. I also have a clear direction on my goal to advocate for farmers and ranchers and bridge the gap between producers and consumers. That role has me not only educating the general public about farming, but also educating farmers about how to best share their story with the general public. I lean on my experiences from being involved in statewide and national agriculture leadership programs to fuel my efforts.