Beyond the Barn: Values – The Foundation of Farming

As a farmer or agriculturist, every conversation you have about your values and how they affect your actions is a step forward in earning consumer trust and continuing to produce a wholesome and abundant food supply for a growing population.  Over the past few years at Vita Plus, we’ve received numerous requests for videos and other educational resources that can be used to lead discussions about modern agriculture.  Thus, we are proud to present you with the “Values: The foundation of farming” project.

Each of the following four videos focuses on a different value and how it affects everyday life and decisions on the farm.

• Commitment to wholesome food
• Responsibility to care for animals
• Stewardship of natural resources
• Love of family 

To further support your efforts, we have built educational materials to accompany each of these videos for three different age groups:

• Upper elementary (grades 4-8):  Worksheets to build upon video content
• Secondary (grades 9-12):  Worksheets to build upon video content
• Adult (ages 18+):  PowerPoint presentations to use in conjunction with videos

These materials, combined with tips for working with each audience, answer keys and a list of resources for more information are all available in the “Values: The foundation of farming” Resource Kit.

The Resource Kit is designed to help you have these valuable conversations with consumers and share your values.  The kit is meant to support you, not replace you. The videos and educational materials are a good starting point; your personal experiences and stories complete the picture.  A copy of the Resource Kit is available upon request.

Finally, a special thank you to the following farm families for their participation in this project:

• Joel & Linnea Kooistra, Kooistra Dairy, Woodstock, Illinois
• Tim & Sandy Keller and Mark & Kareen Keller, Kellercrest Registered Holsteins, Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin
• Dr. Don Niles, Dairy Dreams, Casco, Wisconsin
• Lyle & Becky Schefers, Schefers Dairy Farm, Rice, Minnesota

For future updates on this projects as well as tips and examples you can use in your presentation, subscribe to the Vita Plus Thank Farmers! Blog.