Farmer Wing Wednesday builds trust and agricultural knowledge
As I continue to make inroads into the agricultural community, you know you’ve made it when you get the invite for the first time to Farmer Wing Wednesday.
Southern Alberta farmers meet at The Pin with a cornucopia of wings, french fries, pizza, onion rings and dipping bread to go along with a few libations and topics of the day affecting their field.
From current international trade issues to optimum yields for a variety of crops and from regenerative agriculture to land prices and taxation, the topics were as vast as the laughter shared in side jokes and the afterglow of a successful harvest.
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Put farm jealousy aside and focus on your own operation
If you’re completely fixated on how many acres you farm, the size of your equipment and your net worth, life may be passing you by.
There are certain professions that people say you should remain arms length from, such as law enforcement officers and journalists, but I’ve never truly understood the concept, especially in community journalism or coverage of rural areas.
You are going to have a very lonely life if you do so, given how often you cross paths with your sources on a day-to-day basis in close proximity.
As long as you are buying the next round at times or buying the pizza at the next sports game, I think a few onion rings are not going to sway coverage on anything.
These are not private jets, multimillion-dollar campaign contributions or $50,000 swag bags. It’s small-town rural living at its best, where producers gather to exchange laughs and opinions that may always not align but can be expressed in a welcoming environment.
I have generated more story ideas from a pint at the watering hole, good food at a restaurant or bumping into someone at the local hockey game than I have through press releases.
There was s stark contrast at the table — one farmer had received an international award while another farming family had faced controversy in recent months from a debate over land stewardship versus high-value crop production/revenue for taxpayers.
It showcasedthe fact that while traveling in similar circles can generate story ideas, there is that comfort and respect to talk about issues even when it is not all rays of sunshine. Trust can be built while eating snacks and watching playoff baseball together.
It helps build sources of information (and friendships) from the bottom up instead of top down in the world of agriculture.
Source: producer.com