Recently I saw a blog post featuring a new animated video from US based restaurant, Chipotle (NYSE:CMG). Watch the video on the blog I found it on here.
JS West's egg laying chickens in an enriched colony barn
Bottom line is modern agriculture is doing everything it can possibly do to keep up with and plan for the demand for food, not only in the US but in the world at large. It’s been well documented that the world population is growing at an alarming rate – there are plenty of facts and figures out there – none of which I will bore you with here. But, if we go back to the start a lot of people will go hungry.
Les Kahl, senior AdFarm partner, in a modern hog barn.
Through my work at AdFarm, I’ve been fortunate enough to meet many family farmers and producers who utilize modern farming practices. I can tell you they all care about the land they work and deeply care for the animals they raise. I’ve been in modern hog barns where the producers interact with the animals like they are a part of their family. The operations are family farms that have been in the family for generations. Their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents farmed the land they farm today. They know the stories of what it was like back at the start. Even with that first hand knowledge these farmers and producers know the way they produce food now is both safe and humane. They also know it’s absolutely necessary to feed a growing population.
You don’t have to look very far to find someone trying to tell us that modern agricultural practices are less than what they should be. Some of that is because agriculture has been standing back letting someone else tell it’s story. If more people knew both sides of the story I’m sure they’d still be moved emotionally by the Chipotle video but the emotion might be based more in fear.
Maybe modern agriculture needs a better sound track. What song would you use to help tell the story of today’s agriculture?
Les Kahl is a senior partner and creative director at AdFarm who works with clients and brands across North America, residing in Kansas City with his wife and two young children. Follow him on Twitter @les14 .
Neiman Ranches supplied meat to Chipotle when it was a start-up CA chain a few years ago – it may still do so? Michael McConnell was the CEO/President at the time. He did a presentation on the whole slow/local food movement for the RBC Agricultural Speaking Series in Ontario. It was well-received because of his vision, but also his realism that this approach would not ‘feed the world’. We are forunate in North America to have the benefits of excellent food safety in both approaches.
“Rain is a Good Thing” – because it will make you smile everytime you hear it and think about how much farming really does for you, even if it means you are thinking about your frisky girlfriend.
A better sound track! That’s a great thought. My answer is the song, “It’s A Good Life.” And not just because it was written by AdFarm and produced by our friends at Six Degrees for our Nexera Canola client. It’s worth a watch and listen because it’s all in here — http://www.youtube.com/user/adfarmchannel?blend=1&ob=5#p/c/0F0067D6087AEEBB/1/VsvbZUkQ2oM