Farmers need to stand up and speak out as advocates for their industry.
The urban Australian population is removed both physically and emotionally from the farming sector. It is becoming trite to say there is a rural-urban divide - but the phrase accurately reflects what common knowledge and research know to be true. This is not for want of interest in, or empathy with, our farmers, but simply from lack of access to that environment. Our demographic has changed in the past couple of generations and now only about 33 per cent of city families have friends or relatives on farms.
So what are the consequences of this divide? The consumer becomes oblivious to the process that goes into producing our food and fibre. They forget that there was a time before supermarkets and widely abundant, affordable food. They are easily manipulated by negative claims about farming practices.
In political decision making, they see no need to support those that provide us with the vast majority of our daily food. Farmers must engage in conversation with the consumer and let them know that to continue to enjoy fresh local produce, and the economic income of rural exports, their support is vital.
Australian farmers are among the best producers in the world - from an economic, environmental and animal welfare position. However, they are poor advocates for their profession - they are quiet about what they do, how they do it, and how they are impacted by government and corporate policy. Quite simply, they are too busy farming! Their belief is that someone else will speak for them . . . won’t they?
Who advocates for farmers across Australia? Certainly national and state farming organisations aim to speak for farmers but sadly, they operate with minimal support from the farming community so their ability to campaign on the farmers’ behalf is severely restricted. There are industry groups, but they are quite fractured. There are various young farmers groups showing enormous enthusiasm and dedication to getting their message out - and are starting to see the shoots of success. New social media farming networks such as the dairy farmers’ ''Udderly Fantastic'' are starting to gain valuable momentum.
The agricultural shows have a role to play in helping farmers connect to the urban community. Some, such as the Melbourne Royal Show, originated as an agricultural show, but have felt the need to steer away from the farming focus. For instance, many of its agricultural competitions, such as the dairy competition are held before the show officially opening. They have enjoyable token ''farming'' pavilions such as the popular animal nursery, the horse events, alpacas, the spud farm and children can see a cow being milked. However, it is evident that communicating the message about farming and food production has been sidelined by the sideshows!
The Sydney Royal Easter show brings in about 900,000 visitors. Not all will visit the farming displays, but, in contrast to Melbourne, there is still a strong focus on food and food production. About 10,000 people a day look through the Dairy Australia venue and about 24,000 a day through the Food Farm, demonstrating that the interest in where our food comes from is very strong. Across the country, shows that are run by our dedicated agricultural show committees each do what they can to help bring an understanding of farming to the urban audience, and communicate on behalf of the farmers.
There are other programs that encourage people to become more aware of where and how their food is grown such as Stephanie Alexander’s Kitchen Garden Program, the Primary Education Foundation, and Food Connect. However, there is little other opportunity for city families to get a true understanding of how food and fibre are produced in this country.
That is why, in 2006, I started Farm Day - an annual event held on the last weekend of May in which a city family is ''matched'' to a farm family for a day of ''fun, friendship and understanding''. The city family gets a hands on day of working and talking with the farming family, taking part in their daily activities and enjoying the discovery of how food and fibre is produced . The farming family has the opportunity to contribute to the understanding of the ''hows and whys"''of farming that are often poorly communicated in the urban media. Farmers are able to be their own advocates in the comfort of their own farm. Through FarmDay the rural-urban divide becomes a little smaller!
Each of these organisations is an important link in communicating with our consumers across the rural-urban divide, but no voice is stronger than that of the farmers. Farmers themselves need to stand up and speak out with an informed, unified, and passionate voice that advocates for their industry, and develops a strong urban support base in order that agriculture can stand strong, ready to face the challenges that will inevitably come as farmers work to feed, clothe and house an ever growing global population.
Deborah Bain is a wool producer in western Victoria, and founder of Farm Day. She was named Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation’s 2007 Victorian Rural Woman of the Year for starting the event in 2006. It has since gone national.
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