TELL YOUR STORY AND END UP A SUCCESS STORY

Lindsay Mitchell

Mar 24, 2014  |  Today's News

Porter Gale, a marketing consultant and author, on a cruise.Credit Rylee Blum I’m certain you get as tired hearing as I get tired saying it, but here we go again.

Telling your story – the story of your farm, your family, your community service, and your passion – is important.  It’s vitally important.  And it’s one very big thing that no one can do for you.

Here’s why.

This woman flies a considerable amount for business.  She happened to be seated next to a farmer from North Dakota who talked to her.

There are many reasons for us to admire this unnamed farmer – the one you might meet at a farm meeting this coming winter or hear about in a farm journal.  We can admire his family’s dedication and service to our country.  We can admire his commitment to his family and maybe even his love for classic cars.  But I definitely admire his willingness to spend a couple of hours talking about his farm with an unknown woman from the Midwest.

She explains, “He pulled out his iPad again and showed me his crops, his rescue dogs and his cars. I also learned how farming changed. I was astounded. He uses a GPS unit to help plant rows of crops. Apparently, when he puts down lines of fertilizer, all the data is stored on a jump drive, and then, when he goes to plant seeds, he simply pulls the data and gets very specific calculations and directions for his seeds. He likened it to Google Maps.

“This was one of the best business flights I’ve ever taken. I learned so much from him, and to be honest, I’ve never looked at a loaf of bread the same way again. I know the work that goes into it. Some people might get excited about sitting next to a celebrity. As far as I’m concerned, this gentleman was a celebrity. The kind that really matters.”

This woman’s view of agriculture and farming is completely changed.  And anyone who reads her article in the NY Times might think twice about agriculture, farmers, and farming as well.

The farm is described as a large farm of 5,000 acres.  The farmer is described as a honest, giving man … an everyday celebrity.  This isn’t likely to be the normal sort of publicity large farms are getting in New York audiences.

Please take the time to talk about your farm with others.  You never know when your investment might make a small dent in the future of your industry.  Thank you to the unnamed farmer from North Dakota for giving us such a tremendous example of success.