By Betty Haynes, owner of Midwest Lens Freelance
“Switzerland aims to be a global leader in sustainable food production.” The statement was echoed time and time again by Swiss farmers and CEOs alike.
Although externally I continued the signature journalist smile and nod of approval, internally I had my doubts. Switzerland’s small-scale, highly subsided farms seemed like a game to me – a game vastly different from the high-risk, high-dollar, grow-or-die mentality I was accustomed to in the American Midwest.
After all, I’m an American farmer and ag journalist. We’re a global leader in food production, right? What could a country a fraction of the size of Illinois possibly teach me about agriculture?
After years of reporting on and decades of living in the corn belt, I believed that American ag was the gold standard. Boy, was I wrong. Thank goodness for opportunities like the 2024 IFAJ World Congress, which gently guided me out of ignorance.
Comfort zones
I know what you may be thinking, “Betty, that’s great for you, but not all of us went to Switzerland.”
I hear you but trust me; there’s a lesson for all of us in my ignorance.
I had stayed in my Illinois farmer comfort zone for too long, and the result was a closed to different ways of thinking. This not only impacted my own farming practices, but also my reporting as an ag journalist.
What do I mean by this? During Young Leader Bootcamp at the 2023 IFAJ World Congress in Canada, some of my colleagues were discussing the role of ag journalism. The room was split:
- One side believed the role of ag journalism was to amplify farmer voices, and to educate consumers about the good stories, good practices, and benefits of agriculture.
- The other side believed that by only shining light on the positive, we’re doing farmers a disservice. Meaning, the role of ag journalism was to look at agriculture through a critical lens and evaluate what could be done better.
At the time, I felt I landed in the first camp. I’m not necessarily saying one side is right or wrong. Depending on what segment of the industry you work in, you may have to report in a certain way. But the conversation planted a seed in my brain – was I looking at American ag with rose-colored glasses?
Fast forward a year, and I’m standing on a Swiss farm, once again confronting my own biases. After opening my mind to Swiss ways of thinking and farming, I’m here to tell you that American agriculture can do better. If you’d like to read how I arrived at this conclusion, I put my thoughts into a column after arriving home. Read it here. In summary, Switzerland prioritizes diversification and conservation in its farming practices, resulting in a healthy and self-sufficient food supply. Can you say the same thing about American ag?
Tell the hard stories
In the last six months, I’ve read and written stories about the hard things. Stories that are real and raw and sometimes don’t paint the prettiest picture of American ag. Stories about topics that some readers may not want to hear but other readers need to hear. Stories like:
- The vegetable farmer who lost everything from dicamba drift, Read it here.
- The young farmer who felt breaking away from conventional ag was necessary for his family and his mental health. (coming soon)
- The farmer wondering why she’s still farming when she’s losing money in an economic downturn, Read it here.
- The family reeling from loss, after losing their son in a farming accident, Read it here.
- The reality that despite years of efforts to decrease nutrient loss, Nitrogen and Phosphorous loads in Illinois waterways are higher than ever, Read it here.
I’m here to say, I think the second camp of my Young Leader class may be on to something. By only focusing on the positive of American ag, are we doing farmers a disservice? By staying in my comfort zone with a mind closed to both opportunities and difficulties, was I alienating a part of my readership who felt like agriculture had failed them?
If you feel stuck in your own journalism comfort zone, I’d strongly encourage you to consider attending the 2025 IFAJ World Congress in Kenya. It’s a haul and plane tickets aren’t cheap, but I know you’ll come home a more critical-thinking journalist. – Haynes is a member of the ACN Board of Directors.
This trip was made possible thanks to a stipend PIF provided to select applicants.