Let's talk about farming without all the buzzwords

I grew up on a dairy farm south of Milwaukee, where my mom had a knack for inviting city people to see our farm.

Back then, visitors seemed open-minded and appreciative, amazed at what we did as a family. They were in awe of our cows, too, and maybe even envious that we got to be with them every day. They didn't think about farms as diversified, conventional, sustainable, factory or family.

Today, I farm with my family and our herd of Jersey cows, and these new descriptions break my heart because none of them accurately describe our farms today. They are marketing labels, not an indicator of quality or animal care.

I don't think agriculture is as broken as the "food thinkers" would have you believe. At the base of it, we all want the same things - healthy people, healthy communities, healthy animals and healthy soil and water.

Today I fear some visitors would come to our farm thinking they already knew more than we do about caring for our soil and our cows. Would they come to tell us how to farm? I fear that a real conversation with the already-righteous would be impossible.

Please don't get me wrong. I don't know everything about this very complex natural business. While I have been in dairy farming my entire life and have a degree in dairy science, I still have much to learn. I am open-minded because I must be able to do what is right for my land and animals. My business depends on it.

But the ideological assertions of people who have never delivered a calf in a sub-zero barn, or who think corn is not a grass and therefore evil, are not helpful to me. Their simple solutions will not help me provide them with reasonably priced milk or my children with a college education.

It is so important to include farmers in conversations about the future of our food. Not just the farmers whose ideas you agree with, but some you might think to be too conventional or status quo.

You might not know we have been making progress for years by seeking sustainable practices that will help us feed many people efficiently over the long-term. There is a collective wisdom in agriculture that could help answer our most pressing questions.

I look back fondly on the days when city folks came to visit our farm with open minds. If you are willing to visit with an open mind, even if you are critical of what you think I do, I would love to have a conversation with you.

I have nothing to hide, I am proud of how I care for my cows, my land and my family. Tell me what's bothering you and give me the chance to at least explain why I do what I do.

If afterwards you are still critical, at least we will part as friends.

That's what conversations are all about.

Guest Column as printed in Wisconsin State Journal on Friday, May 7, 2010