News Update
Aug. 20, 2009

Food-Chain Communications Hosts Online Forum

Today’s debate over food production is marked by shrill rhetoric, defensive bickering and downright silliness. One Missouri communications firm specializing in food hopes to bring some perspective back to the discussion through its new “Truth in Food” Internet forum.

“Our food system today produces the safest, most abundant food in the world,” says Food-Chain Communications founder Kevin Murphy. “But you wouldn’t know that by reading the daily news. So we looked into the system and asked, ‘Why is that disconnect between reality and public perception occurring over issues like animal welfare, labor, agroterrorism, hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, obesity, organics, sustainability, and others?’ We came to the conclusion that much, maybe most, of the miscommunication arises because the opposing sides aren’t speaking the same language. We started Truth in Food to help explain each side to the other, and hopefully bring some needed perspective and context back to the debate over food.

The goal of the new Internet-forward publishing venture, at www.TruthinFood.com, will be to traverse the entire food chain, traveling the long and winding road from conception to consumption, armed with the farmer’s natural skepticism and the scholar’s thirst for knowledge, explaining the issues with insight, scholarship, thought and good old fashioned humor.

Truth In Food’s premiere issue takes on the increasingly frequent contention by activist vegetarians and animal rightists that the good Christian must abstain from killing in the name of food.

“People who advocate for an end to eating animals have found their message that animals have inherent rights is falling on deaf ears,” Murphy says. “So they are shifting their argument to one based on human morality, compassion and religious ethic. One result we’ve seen in that shift is an increasing reliance on scripture to argue that God condemns the taking of animal life in the name of food.

“Our first issue takes on the question, examining the scripture in its context — historical, sacred and literary — to consider whether this argument holds up. We believe it’s the first time anyone has really taken a critical look at it.”

Coming in the next issues of Truth in Food, you’ll read:

• The 10 Reasons they Hate you So: Exploring the philosophy underlying the often bitter criticism activists and academics heap upon large farmers and agribusiness.
• Losing the War of the Words: When it comes to explaining what it does and how it does it, the industry of agriculture often turns out to be its own worst enemy.
  

Founded in 2007, Food-Chain Communications is a total communications firm specifically geared toward clients in food and agribusiness. It offer an integrated approach to communications, including strategic marketing, creative, sales and promotion, custom media, crisis planning, involvement marketing, public speaking and communication products like Truth in Food.

— Adapted from a Food-Chain Communications release.

Cattleman Receives Award

Frank Schiefelbein, a well-known Kimball, Minn., cattleman, received the “Building Hope and Health” award from AgriWellness Inc. at it’s fourth biannual conference, “The Clock is Ticking for Rural America,” held in Sioux Falls, S.D., Aug. 3-5.

This national award honors a volunteer who has contributed to improved access to culturally appropriate behavioral health services for the nation’s farmers, ranchers and agricultural laborers and their families.

AgriWellness, a nonprofit organization that works to improve behavioral health care for farm people and their rural communities, selected Schiefelbein because he has served on various Minnesota mental health committees, including as chair of the state advisory committee on mental health. 

As Schiefelbein accepted the award, he told a story of his practice of replacing his cowboy hat with a Minnesota Psychiatric Society cap when he attends cattle sales. Farmers and ranchers approach him when he is wearing that cap to ask where they and their families can obtain counseling services from professionals familiar with agricultural stress.

— Adapted from an AgriWellness release.

American Agri-Women Scholarships Available

American Agri-Women (AAW) is offering scholarships for women to attend their 2009 AAW Annual Convention in Salem, Ore., Nov. 11-14. The $400 scholarships are provided by the Helen WhitmoreMemorial Fund to encourage an awareness of AAW among young women, to increase their active involvement and to challenge them to have a positive influence on their peers.

Applications must be postmarked by Aug. 31. Winners and their affiliate president will be notified by Sept. 15.

Applications and further information may be obtained from Peggy Clark, Daughters of American Agriculture, 2274 East Lytle Five Points Rd., Dayton, OH 45458. For information contact AAW president Marcie Williams at president@americanagriwomen.org, or visit the American Agri-Women web site at www.americanagriwomen.org.

— Adapted from an American Agri-Women release.