BY: G E N E H A L L R E T I R E D T E X A S FA R M B U R E A U C O M M U N I C AT I O N S D I R E C T O R A N D F O R M E R T E X A S F FA O F F I C E R
ADVOCACY TEXAS FFA’S CHANCE TO CHANGE THE WORLD
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dvocacy is defined as the act or process of supporting a cause. It sounds simple and, in fact, the best approach to advocacy is to keep it simple. The most effective advocates make it a part of their lives, as simple and natural as the other routines in daily life.
for agricultural advocacy, though, without question, there is more work to do. Ag advocacy matured to include a kinder and gentler message and the sharing of personal experiences and stories.
Most important, we learned to listen, addressing legitimate concerns. It has become very Agricultural advocacy was not effective. There are just not fully developed until the internet enough people doing it! came along and it has evolved over the last two decades. It has, Now, as the third decade of the however, lagged considerably 21st century dawns, ag advocacy behind the numbers and zeal of is poised to make a real difference. badly informed detractors who I believe the group that can make attack agriculture. the most difference are the FFA members in every state. It began with ag writers, including me, challenging the conventional I’ve worked with the young wisdom which was usually not at leaders of the Texas FFA for many all wise and mostly inaccurate. years. The core of my message Sometimes, this was done to them is the guiding principle forcefully. Farmers and ranchers of my career – you communicate with online savvy and media skills mostly by what you do. were an essential part of this. Those efforts moved the needle This is true more than ever today, and encouraged other farm with ever more sophisticated cell families to become more involved phone cameras and social media in telling those stories. connections that make every action only seconds away from There is no doubt we’ve made viral internet embarrassment. As progress. Take, for example, the in many things, careful work in once hot debate of biotechnology, building an image can be reduced more commonly known as GMOs. to rubble at blinding speed. Mainstream media reporters once accepted the negative conventional wisdom on this topic. Once reporters started looking into it, they now almost universally conclude that the weight of science falls in favor of biotech and the farmers who use it. This was a major victory
Advocacy begins with a choice to do right and serve as an example. The wholesome activities of FFA are generated by belief in a strong work ethic. Your projects, such as showing livestock and agriscience fair research, can show the world a
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“SHOWING RESPECT FOR ANOTHER PERSON’S POINT OF VIEW WILL PROVIDE OPENINGS TO EXPLAIN YOUR OWN POSITIONS. YOUR PERSONAL STORY IS THE FOUNDATION OF YOUR MESSAGE. ADVOCACY IS A LEARNED SKILL, BUT IT’S MORE THAN THAT. IT’S A LIFESTYLE CHOICE.”
