By Mike Barnett

Social media in agriculture for third generation farmer and rancher Jeff Fowle boils down to a few simple words: “That is what I am. That is what I share. This is my story.”

Fowle, who didn’t know Twitter from Facebook two years ago, is now regarded as an expert in agricultural social media. He spoke those words at Texas Farm Bureau‘s summer commodity conference recently. They stuck with me. I hope they stick with you as well.

Agriculture is very good at telling consumers what is good for them. We’re not so good at listening; or talking; or changing the way we operate to meet their expectations. We must engage consumers in meaningful dialogue. We must build trust.

By Nathan Smith

It’s 3 a.m. The air is hot, the wind is rising. Smoke is heavy in the sky.

A wall of fire rages through a pasture and only minutes before an entire herd perished in the flames. The only thing between other frightened cattle and impending death is a rancher.

This is not a fictional scenario. It’s one that has played across Texas for the last six months. And with little rain falling, it will continue.

By Mike Barnett

I hope 2010 was a year to suit you. Here are my fearless ag predictions for 2011.

January 2011: In late 2010, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) lauded Bill Clinton as Person for the Year in honor of his newfound vegan diet. PETA revokes title as the former president is discovered in a compromising position with a cheeseburger.

February 2011: Global warming officially declared dead after mini-Ice Age continues to grip East Coast.

March 2011: Mass defection to meat markets as vegans discover there’s a little bit of bovine in most everything.

By Mike Barnett
I have a double-dose of fed up. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), as well as other animal rights groups, continue to mislead the public on animal abuse and food safety with today’s release of an undercover video of an egg production facility in Texas.

On one hand I’m sick of those bad players in the livestock industry who mistreat their animals.  On the other, I’m sick of the animal rights activist groups who promote these isolated incidents as an indictment of the entire meat and egg industry.

By Mike Barnett

You might be a redneck if your dinner ever mooed, oinked or clucked. That’s a new twist as animal activists continue to use cruelty in animals in Texas and other states as a reason for you to quit eating meat.

I never heard Jeff Foxworthy use that line. But it’s a sentiment expressed by Bryan Monell, an activist who has frequently obtained illicit employment at farms and research facilities in order to obtain undercover video footage. He mocked the work of both farmers and researchers, as reported by the Animal Agriculture Alliance, a non-profit group who communicates the important role livestock agriculture plays in our nation’s economy.