By Mary Jeanne Packer, Executive Director
NY Farms! for those of you who don't know, is an organization who's mission is to strengthen NY agriculture by creating public awareness of the importance of farming, promoting agriculture and food system literacy and fostering consumer loyalty to NY agricultural products.
As director of NY Farms! I believed one of the most important pieces of work was to unite the agricultural community and all of those that support our mission. One of the most effective way to do this, and given our minimal budget was to create an electronic newsletter. News-to-Share is not an agricultural publication as one expects. News to Share is a compilation of news, articles and current events in the farm and food industry looking at aspects from either the farmers or consumers perspective.
In most cases News to Share is heavy on the ag-news side as the majority of our readership are either farmers, agricultural organizations, outreach organizations or agricultural/extension educators but we are hopeful that there are enough stories, trends and happenings to enlighten our entire readership whom all support NY agriculture. News to Share is not just an agricultural news source which is why you'll find articles on farm to school, nutrition and other aspects of the food industry.
News to Share was intended to connect people across NY State- who's out there, what projects are they working on, what issues are they facing, where and when are meetings, and how can we link those with similar issues?
For many of us in agriculture we often are so immersed in production that we forget to think about consumption, the environment and government. It is important to know what others think, need and want, to have any hope building connections. News to Share became a tool to highlight some of those thoughts and to initiate discussions across the state regarding various farm and food issues. Articles included become "food for thought", pardon the pun. NY Farms! through News to Share is not advocating, promoting, propagandizing or lobbying.
Occasionally a particular sector of the industry, a group or an individual believes that an article in the News to Share is inappropriate or disturbing. Striking such nerves is not necessarily a bad thing as only then has one moved out of their paradigm and comfort zone. It is only then that one can appreciate another's point of view, no matter how radical it may seem.
Articles are submitted to NY Farms! for inclusion in News to Share by our membership. If this is what a member finds interesting or disturbing then how many others would as well? Therefore, on occasion I have included what might be termed by some as "controversial" articles, websites, and reading material. Why? It acknowledges disagreement, challenges thinking, initiates communication and opens discussions. The opportunity to post the opposing side is open and I encourage those who question an article or who have an opposing point of view to share it.
Agriculture faces pressure from all side. We can't burry our heads in the sand and ignore other people, their issues and their discussions. "Bad things happen, because good people do nothing". And one certainly can't decide if something is good or bad until they've heard all sides of a story. We are not trying to offend anyone nor are we taking positions. NY Farms! is simply providing an opportunity for many voices to be heard.
Farm Bureau several years ago had a 'be vigilant' campaign. From that I took stock in knowing not only what my allies were doing and saying about NY agriculture, but what other were saying as well. We all, must not forget this lessson! Each of us must know our friends from our enemies. NY Farms! News to Share is simply an information vessel and highlights the good, the bad and the ugly for the sake of getting the information out there. I hope that you will agree that information and communication in this light is valuable and you will continue to appreciate the role that NY Farms! plays in providing this for you.
