Many of you are aware of the lawsuits affecting our hog farm families. The support from the community has been overwhelming. Often, the question, “what can I do” is posed. Here are a few suggestions on how you can make a difference:
- Stay informed—stay up to date on the facts and current developments. Perhaps the most important thing to stay informed about is how a hog farm operates. Knowing how your farmers run their farms allows you to pick out any misinformation you may hear.
- Share your story—one of the most powerful ways to help our farmers is to share your own experience with them. Is a farmer your child’s coach? Maybe you sit next to a farmer at church. Or perhaps you are a local business owner that knows the positive impacts these farms have on you and other business owners.
- Share their story—share facts, data and stories from reputable sources that tells the farmer’s story.
- Be polite—emotions are high. Folks are scared and even angry. We get it! However, it is so important to maintain the higher ground. We cannot claim to be good neighbors if we are telling people they are not welcome or should move. We are better than that. Let’s stick to the facts and share the positive stories. Not everyone will agree with you, and that’s okay. Learn to walk away from those situations.
- Pray—thoughts, support, and prayers go a long way in situations like these. Knowing that farmers are not alone gives those involved hope.
These steps may not seem like a lot, but they make a difference. We have gotten to this point because of a lack of dialogue. Let’s fix that. Take a moment and reflect why you support farm families. Now, share that. Most of all, stay respectful. Let’s be encouraging, not inflammatory when we stand for hog farmers.