I was talking with my friend Kyle the other day and pretty much convinced him that he too takes place in agriculture—he serves the food that farmers grow.
As a Georgia gal living in Texas, there is one debate I have constantly battled in over the past 18 months—Bar-B-Que. I am often asked “What’s your favorite kind?” or “Do y’all even have brisket in the South?” In addition to the type of meat (pork vs. beef), the sauce is discussed. Regardless of the type (pork vs. beef) or the cut (Boston butt vs. ribs vs. brisket), there is one thing I know—I love BBQ, and I can thank agriculture for this delicious meal.
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The power of words. One conversation is all it takes to connect emotionally through food with other foodies.
In the recent conversation with Kyle, who runs Lew’s BBQ Food Trailer in College Station, Texas, it hit me: One cool thing about agriculture is it touches and grabs everyone, even those who haven’t thought about the connection before. A lot of times (as we should) we typically focus on the producers, the farmers, of our food. Those that labor 24/7/365 to ensure that we have the safe and most affordable food supply in the world. However, we also need to recognize the individuals who help farmers get their product(s) to market.
Being raised in the beef industry, I appreciate those who create foodstuffs that showcase the flavors of our agriculture. When beef was on the menu at the Black house, when terms such as rib eye, top round, brisket, T-bone, and sirloin were mentioned, not only did I realize they were beef, I knew where they were located on the animal. Although this knowledge might seem strange to the average consumer, it helped me help Kyle connect with agriculture.
I know back home we do Georgia style cook-offs, so I just got excited to connect someone to agriculture that had never looked at it in that way before.
When this connection occurred, I realized again how easy it is to start conversations about agriculture and make connections. A classroom full of students does not have to be your only avenue to spread the news about an industry that drives our country’s (and others’) economy—you never know, an avenue might just be an afternoon smoking a few butts for a Saturday night cookout.
Food and fiber touch everyone’s soul. So thank a farmer, producer, processor, marketer, economist, veterinarian, salesman, and consumer.
For together we keep our industry strong.
Caro
Caroline Black is a graduate student studying agricultural leadership, education, and communications at Texas A&M University. She’ll steal your bbq brisket off your plate when you’re not looking, so eat up! Share your story with us. Send to anthony@ilovefarmers.org.
