What We Wish Consumers Knew

Caring for Animals & Creating Trust in Food

We want farmers, ranchers and veterinarians to share their stories. We’re releasing our third series of Caring for Animals and Creating Trust videos this month that shines a light on their backstories, what motivates them, what they care about and how they do what they do. Producers need to bridge a communication gap as consumers become further removed from the farm than ever before. The average American is three generations removed from the farm and they have questions about how their food is grown and raised. At the same time, shifting demographics contribute to a lack of trust in the food we eat, and questions arise about farmers and sustainability, animal welfare and production practices. While there’s plenty of research trying to get to the bottom of what consumers want to know, what do we, in the food value chain wish consumers knew? And how do we help farmers, ranchers and veterinarians share their stories?

“I am a busy veterinarian. I serve dairy and feedlot clients in southwest Kansas, and I wish consumers knew that at the end of the day, I'm feeding the same food that we're producing every day to my family. And it comes with that level of confidence in the safety and nutritious value of the food that we're producing, that I'm willing to put it on my table.” - Dr. Tera Barnhardt

In this episode, Jane Dukes, Associate Director of Value Chain & Consumers Affairs, speaks with Dr. Tera Barnhardt a cattle veterinarian and owner of Animal Welfare Consulting & Research, a large animal consulting veterinary practice and a devoted advocate for agriculture. Also joining us is social influencer Natalie Kovarik, a social entrepreneur, storyteller, ranch wife, mom and co-creator of Elevate Ag, an online course that helps farmers and ranchers share their stories.

“I definitely started out with an agriculture based community in the beginning. I just think, you kind of draw in like-minded people. But as I've grown and had success, I've definitely started reaching non-consumers. And I do have a lot of people who follow me that are outside of the industry. And I think that's one of the really rewarding things is to be able to kind of have one on one interaction with them….Like I said, being in control of being able to advocate for the industry and, and say things that I want to, that I know are going to reach people.” - Natalie Kovarik

We know we need to tell our stories, but for many farmers and ranchers, there is perceived risk and a lack of time which might make them feel the benefits may not outweigh the risk. ElevateAg, co-founded by Natalie, is a resource producers can turn to to help them navigate sharing their story.

This Week’s Podcast:

• Meet Dr. Tera Barnhardt a cattle veterinarian and owner of Animal Welfare Consulting & Research and Natalie Kovarik, a social entrepreneur, storyteller, ranch wife, mom and co-creator of Elevate Ag.
• Hear directly from producers on about what they want consumers to hear and explore the means in which they can share that story with them