What is your role in agriculture?

I grew on my family farm in Southwest Michigan, where we raised fruits and vegetables for our own farmers market and grew corn and soybeans. Today, my family continues to grow over 2,000 acres of corn and soybeans. Although I’m a lawyer by day, I still enjoy helping on the farm in the evenings and weekends, especially during harvest!

What was your inspiration for becoming an agvocate?

I think once you are involved in agriculture it becomes part of you and stays with you. I was always so disappointed to see people spreading misinformation and attacking my family’s way of life. Instead of just getting mad about it, I decided to take my talents and skills and turn them into something positive.

What is your favorite part about being an agvocate?

When a consumer tells me that grocery shopping and approaching food issues is no longer confusing and scary because of my agvocacy.

What is the most challenging part of being an agvocate?

Keeping calm and remaining civil, especially when the other party in the conversation isn’t giving me the same courtesy! Attacks on family farms just feels personal and it can be so hard to realize that, for the other party, they’re just going based on the (mis)information they’ve been given. Likely, comments aren’t meant as a personal attack on our families, even if it feels that way.

What advice do you have for other farmers or ranchers who would like to become more involved in agvocacy?

Reach out and connect with other farmers that are online! Having a strong support system with other bloggers and social media users is absolutely essential to learning, growing your efforts, and staying sane.

What is your biggest takeaway or memory from an AgChat event or twitter chat? 

I enjoy participating when I have time and connecting with a different group of people.

What does the AgChat Foundation mean to you?

I think it is very important that we have agricultural organizations that support and promote farmers as they move into the realm of social media and learn to be their own agvocates.

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Amanda is from Southwest Michigan where her family farms 2,000 acres of corn and soybeans. For 26 years, Amanda and her family ran and supplied a roadside market selling their own fresh fruits and vegetables. After graduating college, Amanda attended law school at Michigan State University College of Law and is now a practicing lawyer.

Follow her blog, Facebook & Twitter.

What is your role in agriculture?

I am a farmer’s daughter turned farmer’s wife. I grew up baling hay and doing chores with my dad and grandpa.  We raised hogs, cattle and a variety of crops.  I joined my husband on his family’s farm 13 years ago.   The farm supports three families including the 8th generation to grow up in agriculture.  Today we raise corn, soybeans and seed corn for a regional family-owned seed company.  Much of my time is spent volunteering at the school, with 4-H and FFA, and in the community. I also serve as the county’s ag in the classroom coordinator and spend a lot of time sharing the farm/food story with students and teachers in grades K-12.

What was your inspiration for becoming an agvocate?

I’ve always been vocal about my personal passion for agriculture.  The fire was stoked in FFA when I had the opportunity to participate in the public speaking contest and talk about farmland preservation.  But, when my farm boy was born – and he was born farming – something clicked.  I agvocate for the future farming generations.  My kids (farm boy and farm princess) get the chance to live the charmed country childhood that I did. They get the opportunity that our parents afforded us. . . to come home and care for the land and the family legacy.  Claiming our spot in the food chain is vital to securing my wish for my kids.

What is your favorite part about being an agvocate?

Lightbulb moments happen all the time when agvocating.  And they don’t just happen for non-farmers.  I have thoroughly enjoyed going back to school, in a sense.  Agvocating has forced me to drill down on details of whys and hows of farming.  In the process, I learn something new almost every single day. Lightbulb moments.

What is the most challenging part of being an agvocate?

The most challenging part of agvocating – counting to 10, taking a step back, and letting go of the arguments that will never be won.  Everyone, breathe with me.

What advice for other farmer/ranchers who would like to become more involved in agvocacy?

Agvocacy does not have to happen online, involve a blog, a youtube channel, or a microphone.  It can happen in the grocery store, during a family dinner or a church supper.  People are asking questions about food and farms every single day.  Catch the question and offer an answer.  That is agvocacy.

What is your biggest takeaway or memory from an AgChat event or Twitter chat?

I attended the most recent Cultivate and Connect Conference in Nashville. Although this was billed as a social media conference, a running theme was prevalent in all the presentations and activities.  Agvocating is about relationships with people, not a computer.

What does the AgChat Foundation mean to you?

The AgChat Foundation is really the AgChat Family.  I have discovered a community of people willing to step in, step up and speak out for me and with me.  The passion and commitment to sharing the farm story is palatable with this group.

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Katie and her husband, Andy, are seventh generation farmers raising farm kids, corn, soybeans, and seed corn with Andy’s family in north central Illinois.  Their farm serves as a platform to talk to people from all walks of life. In addition to hosting their adopt-a-classroom class from Chicago, the family has welcomed teachers, international implement dealers and bloggers to the farm. Katie serves as the county’s ag literacy coordinator and brings Ag in the Classroom lessons to more than 3,000 youth attending elementary, jr. high and high schools.

Follow her blog, Facebook & Twitter.

What is your role in agriculture?

My role in agriculture is producing delicious beef products. I’m a start to finish cow/calf farmer.

What was your inspiration for becoming an agvocate?

My inspiration for becoming an agvocate was my love for my cattle. I was so sick of rumors, lies, and incorrect videos surfacing and putting my passion into a bad ‘light’. Who were these people to tell our story? Who do they think they are? They’ve never stepped on the farm. They never experienced a day in the life of a farmer so how in the world could they tell our story. So I did what anyone would do and I started telling the REAL story. The good and bad sides of farming. Everyone has a right to their opinion, but at least after reading my blog they have been given correct information and can form their opinion then.

What is your favorite part about being an agvocate?

I absolutely LOVE sharing pictures of my cows and people telling me how pretty they are! I’m so proud of my herd and love that others love them too! I’m glad I can share my cow obsession with others. I love that people can see a different side on the farm. They can see into my life as a farmer.

What is the most challenging part of being an agvocate?

The most challenging part of being an agvocate, for me, is sharing about the hard days on the farm. It’s hard enough for me to accept that I couldn’t save a calf, but then have to write about it and possibly be ridiculed for it is very hard for me. Losing a calf on the farm is one of the hardest things for me to deal with and even harder to try to explain that I did everything I could. Some people won’t understand, but some will. Readers will respect you more for telling your story and telling them exactly what happened.

What advice for other farmer/ranchers who would like to become more involved in agvocacy?

Don’t be afraid to tell your story. Your farm matters. Your family matters. And people care. They want to know what you do on your farm. You don’t have to have a huge farm to have a story, I sure don’t.

What is your biggest takeaway or memory from an AgChat event or Twitter chat?

My biggest takeaway from AgCat in general is to let yourself open up. Don’t be afraid to answer questions. Don’t be afraid to tell your story. Don’t be afraid to add your ‘two cents’.

What does the AgChat Foundation mean to you?

AgChat Foundation means partnership to me. Partnership with consumers. Partnership with farmers. Partnership between farmers and consumers. AgChat helps take away blank space between consumers and farmers and fills that space with information, facts, tips, and real life situations.

Kellie for Ag is a young woman, Kellie Gregorich, from Iowa who is constantly learning about raising cattle and working alongside her father on their family farm. She is a 4^th generation farmer and proud of where she has come from. She raises Shorthorn, Hereford, and Miniature Hereford cattle on her farm. Kellie is cow obsessed and not ashamed to admit it. She is a graduate from Iowa State University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Agricultural Communications and has her Masters of Beef Advocacy. Kellie enjoys playing the clarinet, taking pictures, and driving her grandfather’s John Deere 3020 on beautiful days.

Follow her on her blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & Pinterest.

Farmers, from as far away as Hawaii, the state of Washington, and Vermont, learned how to share their stories with consumers about food, fuel, and fiber production, at the 2015 Cultivate & Connect Conference.

During the annual conference, hosted in Nashville, TN, November 9 and 10, agvocates had the chance to attend sessions on using new social media tools on the farm (like Periscope), learn more about agriculture crisis management, and discover new approaches to organizing farm tours or events. Keynote Christopher S. Penn challenged attendees with his "Build Bridges, Correct Misinformation, and Be Influential" talk. Additionally, attendees participated in panel discussions with consumers and chefs to better understand the various points of view people have about food and agriculture.

#ACFC15 Group Photo By Julie Walker [small][large]

"We want to empower farmers, ranchers, and agribusiness professionals to use all of the tools available – social media, in person connections, and legislative advocacy – to tell their stories," Jenny Schweigert, the executive director of the AgChat Foundation, said, "We're much more powerful when we work together."

The 2015 conference focused on the importance of developing proactive relationships with people outside of agriculture while celebrating five years of pioneering grassroots agvocacy.

"While social media will always be impactful, we need to realize that in-person connections can move mountains and not overlook the opportunity to include decision makers in the conversation. We need to help build an overarching pro-farm dialogue around food, fuel, and fiber." Schweigert said.

Cultivate & Connect Media Resources:

• Conference Agenda [link]
• Hashtag: #ACFC15
• #ACFC15 Group Photo, By Julie Walker [small][large]
• Twitter List of #ACFC15 Attendees [list]
• #ACFC15 Tweets, Nov 9 [tweets]
• #ACFC15 Tweets, Nov 10 [tweets]
• Michele Payn-Knoper: Farm To Fork Conversations [audio]
• Brian Scott: Drive Tractors, Fly UAVs, Tweet: The Farmer’s Life [audio]
• Janice Person: How She Started Agvocating [audio]

The 2015 Cultivate & Connect conference is scheduled for November 9-10, in Nashville, TN. The AgChat Foundation strives to bring farmers, ranchers, agribusiness professionals and educators the best of the best in agvocacy training and presenters. This year’s conference will continue to offer expertise and relevant information pertaining to making meaningful connections in social media, in person and on the legislative level. In addition, the event will be celebratory, marking five years of pioneering grassroots agvocacy.

Attendees will be provided a selection of sessions for the beginner, intermediate and advanced agvocate including Beginning Blogging, How to Plan an Event at Your Farm or Ranch, Digital Storytelling, Vlogging, Crisis Management, Foodography and more. Another key offering at AgChat Foundation events includes our panel discussions. Agvocacy influencers will share insight, data and research pertaining to how consumers receive industry messaging. A second panel, Hashtag #NoFilter will reveal tactical strategies for being transparent while providing relevant information to consumers.

Beginning October 1st, we are offering $10 off registration plus, receive a free t-shirt. Just use discount code “AgVocate” when registering. Be sure to visit the event site at http://nashville.agchat.rocks for the complete agenda and register before October 10th when the #AgVocate Sale and registration closes.

Register now by clicking here!

The AgChat Foundation is pleased to announce the opening keynote speaker of the 2015 Cultivate & Connect conference, Christopher S. Penn. Penn has been featured as a recognized authority in many books, publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, New York Times, BusinessWeek and US News & World Report, and television networks such as PBS, CNN, CNBC, Fox News, and ABC News for his leadership in new media and marketing.

Its not a secret that agriculture faces constant misperceptions in the general media, compound by the democratic nature of digital media which lets anyone be an ‘expert’. In this environment, how can you determine who the most powerful influencers are in order to build bridges with them and correct misinformation? In this practical, actionable talk,  Christopher S. Penn will teach the READ framework for finding influencers, assessing their potential, and performing outreach in traditional and social media. You’ll be able to do effective outreach at local, state, regional, and even national levels, ensuring that your message reaches the right audiences at the right times in the places where they consume the most media.

“As messaging pertaining to food, fuel and fiber continues to be quickly cultivated utilizing the world wide web, its important that agriculture advocates are equipped with the tools which will allow them to efficiently and effectively navigate digital media. We are fortunate to have the ability to bring an expert such as Christopher Penn to the table.” noted AgChat Foundation Executive Director Jenny Schweigert.

In 2012, 2013, and 2014 Forbes Magazine recognized Penn as one of the top 50 most influential people in social media and digital marketing. MediaPost renewed this honor in 2015. Marketo Corporation named him a Marketing Illuminator, and PR News nominated him as both Social Media Person of the Year and Social Media Icon MVP in 2014. PR News also named him Agency Professional of the Year.

Mr. Penn is the Vice President of Marketing Technology at SHIFT Communications, a public relations firm, as well as co-founder of the groundbreaking PodCamp New Media Community Conference, and co-host of the Marketing Over Coffee marketing podcast. He is a Google Analytics Certified Professional and a Google AdWords Certified Professional. He’s the author of the best-selling books Marketing White Belt: Basics for the Digital Marketer, Marketing Red Belt: Connecting With Your Creative Mind, and Marketing Blue Belt: From Data Zero to Marketing Hero.

The 2015 Cultivate & Connect conference is scheduled for November9-10, in Nashville, TN. The event will provide AgChat Foundation’s trademarked training on connecting farmers, ranchers, agribusiness professionals and educators with consumers who are generations removed from the farm or ranch. Seating is limited. Register and gain additional information at http://nashville.agchat.rocks.

What Are The Concerns With Antibiotics In Agriculture? Consumers hear media stories about deadly methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or watch TED talks on “What do we do when antibiotics don’t work any more?” and wonder how agriculture does this to people.

In this #AgChat we learn more about the views of antibiotics from both farmers and consumers. One can sense a need to develop a common language, terminology, and metrics so as to help develop long lived solutions to managing antibiotic resistance.

Complete Twitter conversation for AgChat on Antibiotics and Resistance.

• What do you think ‘antibiotic free’ means to consumers? (whether you believe it is true or not)
• Farmers: Why do you/why don’t you use #antibiotics on your farming operation?
• What #antibiotic metrics matter most? Judicious use? Reduction? Something else?
• Consumers: Why should farmers care what people think about antibiotic use on the farm?
• What are the potential effects (positive & negative) of reducing #antibiotics in animal agriculture?
• What can be done to strengthen veterinarians’ & producers’ relationships related to #antibiotic use?
• There are #antibiotics used in animal feed to improve feed efficiency. What will happen when it stops?
• What antibiotic resistance issues are veterinarians seeing in animal health?
• There is lots of science around #antibiotic use. There is also lots of noise. What are resources to help consumers & farmers?
• What data sources can researchers use to estimate #antibiotic use in agriculture, if any?
• What is the one thing you will do, based on this #antibiotic #AgChat? Take aways?

This chat was sponsored by the National Institute for Animal Agriculture to help raise awareness of their 2015 Antibiotics Symposium, November 3 – 5, 2015, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA [registration].

The AgChat Foundation is celebrating five years of pioneering grassroots agvocacy during the 2015 Cultivate & Connect conference scheduled for November 9-10, 2015 in Nashville, TN. One lucky sweepstakes winner will receive a complimentary registration to the event by completing our entry form which asks, “What is your favorite AgChat Foundation memory?”

How do I enter? 

Your favorite memory can be from an online connection made through #AgChat or #FoodChat, an in person event, during a conference or anything ACF related. Just complete our entry form by clicking here, submit a photo to accompany your memory via email to execdir@agchat.org (the entry form must be complete and photo received in order to qualify).

We can not wait to hear all about your favorite memories!

Don’t forget to register to make more ACF memories at this year’s Cultivate & Connect conference! Register today at http://nashville.agchat.rocks!

No purchase is necessary to enter or win. A purchase does not increase the chances of winning.

1) Eligibility: Sweepstakes (the “Sweepstakes”) is open only to those who sign up by completing the Google sweepstakes entry form, and submitting a photo which represents your favorite memory to execdir@agchat.org and who are 18 years of age as of the date of entry. The sweepstakes is only open to legal residents of the U.S. and Canada and is void where prohibited by law. Employees of AgChat Foundation (the “Sponsor”) their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies and their immediate family members and/or those living in the same household of each are eligible to participate in the Sweepstakes. The Sweepstakes is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. Void where prohibited.

2) Agreement to rules: By participating, you agree to be fully unconditionally bound by these Rules, and you represent and warrant that you meet the eligibility requirements set forth herein. In addition, you agree to accept the decisions of AgChat Foundation, Inc., as final and binding as it relates to the content. The Sweepstakes is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws.

3) Sweepstakes Period: Entries will be accepted online starting on or about September 8, 2015 and ending September 30, 2015. All online entries must be received by September 30, 2015 at 11:59pmET.

4) How to enter: The Sweepstakes must be entered by submitting an entry using the online form provided in the link provided. The entry must fulfill all sweepstakes requirements, as specified, to be eligible to win a prize. Entries that are not complete with a submission of the Google form and image via email (execdir@agchat.org) or do not adhere to the rules or specifications may be disqualified at the sole discretion of AgChat Foundation. You may enter only once and you must fill in the information requested. You may not enter more times than indicated by using multiple email addresses, identities or devices in an attempt to circumvent the rules. If you use fraudulent methods or otherwise attempt to circumvent the rules, your submission may be removed from eligibility at the sole discretion of AgChat Foundation.

5) Prize: The winner of the Sweepstakes will receive a complimentary registration to the 2015 Cultivate & Connect conference, valued at $370 for farmers, ranchers, growers; valued at $450 for agribusiness professionals and all others. Actual/appraised value may differ at time of prize award. The specifics of the prize shall be solely determined by the Sponsor. No cash or other prize substitution permitted except at Sponsor’s discretion. The prize is nontransferable. Any and all prize related expenses, including without limitation any and all federal, state and/or local taxes shall be the sole responsibility of the winner. No substitution of prize or transfer/assignment of prize to others or request for the cash equivalent by winners is permitted. Acceptance of prize constitutes permission for AgChat Foundation to use winner’s name, likeness, and entry for purposes of advertising and trade without further compensation, unless prohibited by law.

6) Odds: The odds of winning depend upon the number of eligible entries received.

7) Winner selection and notification: Winners of the Sweepstakes will be selected in a random drawing under the supervision of the Sponsor. Winners will be notified via email to the email address they entered the Sweepstakes within seven (7) days following the winner selection. AgChat Foundation shall have no liability for a winner’s failure to receive notices due to winners’ spam, junk e-mail or other security settings or for winners’ provision of incorrect or otherwise non-functioning contact information. If the selected winner cannot be contacted, is ineligible, fails to claim the prize within 15 days from the time award notification was sent, or fails to timely return a completed and executed declaration and releases as required, prize may be forfeited and an alternate winner selected.

The receipt by winner of the prize offered in this Sweepstakes is conditioned upon compliance with any and all federal and state laws and regulations. ANY VIOLATION OF THESE OFFICIAL RULES BY ANY WINNER (AT SPONSOR’S SOLE DISCRETION) WILL RESULT IN SUCH WINNER’S DISQUALIFICATION AS WINNER OF THE SWEEPSTAKES AND ALL PRIVILEGES AS WINNER WILL BE IMMEDIATELY TERMINATED.

8) Rights Granted by you: By entering this content and image, you understand that AgChat Foundation, anyone acting on behalf of AgChat Foundation, or its respective licensees, successors and assigns will have the right, where permitted by law, without any further notice, review or consent to print, publish, broadcast, distribute, and use, worldwide in any media now known or hereafter in perpetuity and throughout the World, your entry, including without limitation, the entry and winner’s name, portrait, picture, voice, likeness, image or statements about the Sweepstakes, and biographical information as news, publicity or information and for trade, advertising, public relations and promotional purposes without further compensation.

9) Terms: AgChat Foundation reserves the right, in its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Sweepstakes should (in its sole discretion) a virus, bugs, non-authorized human intervention, fraud or other causes beyond its control corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness or proper conduct of the Sweepstakes. In such case, AgChat Foundation may select the recipients from all eligible entries received prior to and/or after (if appropriate) the action taken by AgChat Foundation. AgChat Foundation reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual who tampers or attempts to tamper with the entry process or the operation of the Sweepstakes or website or violates these Terms & Conditions.

Any attempt by an entrant to deliberately damage any web site or undermine the legitimate operation of the sweepstakes may be a violation of criminal and civil laws and should such an attempt be made, AgChat Foundation reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law.

By entering the Sweepstakes you agree to receive email newsletters periodically from AgChat Foundation. You may opt-out of receiving this communication at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the newsletter.

10) By entering you agree to release and hold harmless AgChat Foundation, and its subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies, partners, representatives, agents, successors, assigns, employees, officers and directors from any liability, illness, injury, death, loss, litigation, claim or damage that may occur, directly or indirectly, whether caused by negligence or not, from (i) such entrant’s participation in the sweepstakes and/or his/her acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of any prize or any portion thereof, (ii) technical failures of any kind, including but not limited to the malfunctioning of any computer, cable, network, hardware or software; (iii) the unavailability or inaccessibility of any transmissions or telephone or Internet service; (iv) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or the Promotion; (v) electronic or human error which may occur in the administration of the Promotion or the processing of entries.

11) Disputes: THIS SWEEPSTAKES IS GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF the United States AND the state of Illinois, WITHOUT RESPECT TO CONFLICT OF LAW DOCTRINES. As a condition of participating in this Sweepstakes, participant agrees that any and all disputes which cannot be resolved between the parties, and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Sweepstakes, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, exclusively before a court located in Illinois having jurisdiction. Further, in any such dispute, under no circumstances will participant be permitted to obtain awards for, and hereby waives all rights to claim punitive, incidental, or consequential damages, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, other than participant’s actual out-of-pocket expenses (i.e. costs associated with entering this Sweepstakes), and participant further waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased.

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13) Winners List: To obtain a copy of the winner’s name or a copy of these Official Rules, mail your request along with a stamped, self-addressed envelope to: AgChat Foundation, PO Box 213, Hopedale, IL 61747. Requests must be received no later than October 31st.

14) Sponsor:  The Sponsor of the Sweepstakes is AgChat Foundation, PO Box 213, Hopedale, IL, 61747.

What is your role in agriculture?

I like to say that I wear lots of hats in agriculture. I am a meat scientist and I conduct research on meat quality on many types of meat, including beef, pork, and goat. Part of my job is to teach classes on livestock and meat evaluation to undergraduate students and in advanced meat science to graduate students. I also mentor students on their research projects in meat science. I am the advisor for the Block and Bridle Club, the Meats Quiz Bowl Team, and the Animal Science Academic Quadrathlon team. I love working with students and showing them new aspects of agriculture.
I grew up on a sheep farm in Texas and we raised lambs and pigs as FFA projects, but I married into the cattle business. My husband and his parents have a herd of Simmental and SimAngus cattle in North Central Arkansas. So, I am also a cattlewoman.
I write a blog called Mom at the Meat Counter about meat and the meat industry from the perspective of a mom meat scientist.
I’m a consumer and a mom. I buy agriculture products to feed my family.

What was your inspiration for becoming an agvocate?

I like to call it ‘The Mom Club.’ When you become a mom, you join this special club. Moms love to help each other out. It may be advice from the mom behind you in the grocery line. It may be from someone in church. New moms are quick to learn that the best source of knowledge in this crazy adventure of raising kids is other moms.
In my conversations with all these other moms, I realized that I had a knowledge base about meat and food production that they don’t have. Even before I started the blog, I found myself telling other moms about food and answering their questions about meat production. I loved it when I could see those worry lines soften on their face after I visited with them.
Taysha Reitzel, of Dirt Road Charm, blogged last week about how desperate she was to find some relief for her fussy baby and that she was willing to believe anything she read on Google. As a mom, I totally get that. There are millions of moms out there desperately seeking information about the food they feed their families. These are smart women who just want what’s best for their kids and they are getting bombarded with lots of scary information.
Those moms are my inspiration. I want to give them good information that is easy to understand and help them feel better about their food.

What is your favorite part of being an agvocate?

That sigh of relief you hear when you assure someone that something in their food is not as scary as they thought it was.

What is the most challenging part of being an agvocate?

I have a hard time figuring out what people want to know. I think sometimes people are embarrassed to ask questions because they don’t want to seem dumb, but it’s hard to know what answers to give if you don’t know the question.
I also find it challenging to make sure my message reaches “beyond the choir.” The really successful bloggers are the ones who are consistently interacting with people from outside of agriculture.

What advice do you have for other farmers or ranchers who would like to become more involved in agvocacy?

Join a network. Obviously, I think AgChat is a great choice, but when you start down this path of agvocacy, you really need a posse. A network of people are the best to bounce ideas off of, learn about new technology from, laugh and cry with, and these are the people who will have your back if you are attacked by negative groups. I’m involved with AgChat and the Arkansas Women Bloggers group.

What does the AgChat Foundation mean to you?

Agchat is really special to me. My friend, Chris Raines, was a founding member. He was a meat scientist. We went to grad school together and it was Chris that encouraged me to start the blog. He helped me come up with the name, Mom at the Meat Counter.
I attended my first Ag Chat conference not long after I started my blog. Although Chris had passed away, it was like he was there. In my mind, his memory and his legacy live on through AgChat.

What’s the next step?

I want to encourage other scientists to agvocate. There are lots of great farm blogs, but not many people with PhDs are out there sharing about agriculture. It has taken a while, but I learned that this form of communication is really hard for people trained as scientists. It’s almost like learning a new language and a new way of thinking. As agricultural scientists, we have to get out of our comfort zones and reach out to everyday consumers.

Janeal Yancey has a Ph.D. in meat science, but is also a mom trying to raise two crazy little girls. Janeal hopes that she can help other moms feel more knowledgeable about the meat they feed their families. You can catch up with Janeal on her blog Mom at the Meat Counter, on Facebook, and on Twitter @MeatCounterMom.