It seems like there’s a new video put out everyday. Thankfully, this video entitled, Shall We Gather at the River which was produced in 2008, went pretty much under the radar. I was sent this from a friend in Washington D.C. the other day, and I thought I would share it with all of you. I think it’s increasingly important that we understand and comprehend what the media and the consumers think about the agriculture industry, and this movie definitely points fingers with us as the bad guys. Here is a brief summary on the video…
A hundred years ago one man wrote a book that changed America. The man was Upton Sinclair. The book was “The Jungle.” It exposed the scandalous rancid health conditions inside the country’s meat processing plants and led to the passage of landmark federal legislation that regulated health and sanitation in meat processing for the first time in our history.
A heart stopping new documentary, “Shall We Gather at the River” has just been released which exposes a huge health and environmental scandal in our modern industrial system of meat and poultry production. The health and environmental damage documented in today’s factory farms far exceeds the damage that Sinclair could have imagined a century ago. Some scientists have condemned current factory farm practices, calling them “mini Chernobyls.”
I don’t think this calls for action as the movie has come and gone; however, let this be an educational moment on the increasing number of individuals who don’t like the way their food is raised in this country. What can we do to earn the trust of the consumers again? Where do we start. I’ll tell you one thing…it starts with me. It starts with one letter to the editor, one positive photo, one great blog post, one conversation in the coffee shop. I’m not going to let dramatic video productions stand in my way and tell my story. It starts with me…
Chuck,
Thanks for sharing “Shall we gather at the river” video. I often wonder how many of these as you call it professionally done video’s hit the waves without us even knowing it.
I have been one of the ones who didn’t understand agriculture as I grew up in the city. I learned about agriculture and food production from literally the ground up and am still constantly amazed at the stamina and determination of farmers to survive no matter what the circumstances. Farmers have been forced to create larger and larger operations many times due to economics and are usually very good at thinking about the impact their decisions have upon their lives and the environment.
Blogging and the social media revolution give a huge opportunity for farmers to tell their story along with the activists, the only difference is many of the farmers are out there doing their job, with very little time to set in front of a computer or phone to send posts. That’s why it is so important for you, I and others who are proponents of agriculture to speak for them.
As always, appreciate your hard work in all that you do ….to tell the story.
Pam