Unsolicited Advice to Farmers

Unsolicited Advice to Farmers

I’m KayDee Gilkey with the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report.?
At the recent Tri-State Grain Growers Convention, one of the keynote speakers was Ken Cook, president and co-founder of the Environmental Working Group. His organization is an advocacy group that is often on the opposite side of the table from ag’s views. He didn’t necessary provide the same perspective that often grain growers hear from the usual line up of industry speakers.

Cook shared what he termed as unsolicited advice to the farmers in attendance challenging the way ag producers perceive, understand and re-act to environmentalists’ criticism.

Cook: “In every other walk of life and probably in other aspects of their lives, farmers would be the first to be critical of government and probably critical of big companies that are making products that aren’t up to snuff. And my advice was take that to heart when you try and understand the perspective of environmentalists or consumers come to agriculture with, which is, ‘We don’t want pesticides in our tap water -- not even a little bit basically.’ So rather than criticize those who make that point, why not turn to the pesticide companies and say, ‘You are making a lot of money. I’m using this stuff. Make it better so it doesn’t get in water or does not end up in food.’ Become a customer of these inputs. A customer of these policies rather than a defender of them.”