Celebrity Experts: Qualifications Optional

Archive for the ‘Celebrities’ Category

Celebrity Experts: Qualifications Optional

Monday, January 31st, 2011

~Guest Post by MRS

Celebrity experts seem to be everywhere these days. They don’t just give interviews on their lives and latest projects; instead they seem to have some kind of agenda they’re trying to advance as they go on talk shows.

I first started wondering about this phenomenon during the 2008 presidential campaign. Several celebrities were very vocal in supporting certain candidates and even went on the media circuit and campaign trail proclaiming why their candidate was more qualified than the other candidate. As I watched and heard the interviews I wondered what made these celebrities more informed and more qualified to influence public opinion than me or any other average citizen.

And now that I am paying more attention to food and farming, I’ve noticed the same thing happening with the agriculture industry. Are celebrities just privy to more information than I am and therefore more educated about what we should and shouldn’t be eating or do they just have a better platform than I do to spread their (potentially misguided) beliefs?

Are there "experts" influencing your thinking?

The most recent celebrity to tell us what we should and shouldn’t eat has been Suzanne Somers. Her logic seems faulty at best, but that doesn’t seem to stop people from believing her. Why is that? Is it just because she’s a celebrity? Does being a celebrity automatically mean she is more informed, more educated than the rest of the population? I think not. It just seems that many of us have lost our critical thinking skills. For example, one of the things Ms. Somers has said is that the antibiotics in corn-fed beef kill the good bacteria in our “gut” leaving only the bad bacteria, which causes “leaky gut syndrome.” I am not a doctor, but in my experience with antibiotics I have learned that I usually take them when I am sick to kill bad bacteria, so if the antibiotics in meat are killing good bacteria wouldn’t they also be killing the bad bacteria that supposedly causes this “leaky gut syndrome?”

Then this week, Michael Pollan (of Food, Inc. fame) is going to be on Oprah – again. Of course, Mr. Pollan is an advocate for eating local foods and knowing where our food comes from and has very strong opinions about what is good for all of us to eat. But what are his credentials? Sure, Pollan was a part of Food, Inc. and has written books, but to my knowledge, that doesn’t make him an expert. I even “googled” him just to make sure he didn’t have some credentials that I was unaware of, but he doesn’t. He is an author, activist, journalist and professor, but Pollan is not a nutritionist, a dietitian, a doctor, a scientist or a farmer. Yet so many people believe him!

What makes Pollan more qualified than you or I to make an informed decision about the kinds of foods that are best for us? Again, I think people just aren’t using their critical thinking skills, they just watch Food, Inc. or watch Mr. Pollan on TV and make a decision based on fear. If you’ve ever watched Food, Inc., it is scary. I watched it and my first reaction was horror at what I was feeding my family and that I should change our diet and the kinds of foods I buy. Then I talked with HandyMan and we thought critically about what we had seen and suddenly it wasn’t so scary.

But I have an advantage over a lot of people. I am part of a farming family. Currently HandyMan’s family only farms corn and soybeans, but they also raised hogs while HandyMan was growing up. I also grew up around farming – my best friends from high school raised beef cattle. I have the opportunity to ask my questions to people who know how our food is really produced –the chemicals, hormones and medicines that are actually involved the process. It certainly makes it easier to make an educated decision versus a decision based on fear or celebrity misinformation when I know actual farmers to talk to.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of people in this country do not have that luxury. Not only do they not know a farmer to talk to about how their food is produced, but the only message they’re hearing on the news or in the media in general is that food produced via conventional farming methods is unhealthy and potentially unsafe. I encourage you, if you are a farmer talk to people about what you do and why you do it. If you’re not a farmer and have questions about your food, find a farmer to talk to. Michele has a great list of farm & ranch blogs – use them to find out how modern farmers are taking care to produce high-quality safe foods.

Hungry for more? Related posts:
Antibiotics in Food?
Dr. Oz, Food and Urban Legends
Local Food, Locavores & Hungry People

Tags: Agriculture, antibiotics in food, consumer, consumers, farm, Farmer, Farming, Food, Food Inc., food production, food safety, Michael Pollan, mom, Mom Blogger, Oprah, Suzanne Somers
Posted in Agriculture, Celebrities, Consumer Trust, Farmer, Moms | 8 Comments »

Grandin: A Different Perspective

Friday, October 1st, 2010

Dr. Temple Grandin uses autism to understand animal behavior

I recently had the opportunity to listen to one of agriculture’s favorite scientists, Temple Grandin. While I knew the basics about who she is (a smart woman who found ways to save farmers money while getting her life turned into a movie), I have to admit I really didn’t know too much about why she is so influential. When I learned she would be speaking at Oklahoma State, I jumped at the opportunity to hear more about her. After rounding up a couple of friends, we headed over and found a lesson we didn’t see coming.

Entering a crowded Gallagher-Iba basketball arena, my friends and I took a seat just in time to hear an amazing list of credentials and see the celebrity of the day Temple Grandin walk on stage. While we were expecting a speech about animal behavior we quickly learned that was not the theme. In fact, the Colorado State professor actually taught us more about human behavior than animal. Explaining how autism works, Dr. Grandin made a point of giving a descriptive lesson on the differences between the thoughts of people with autism and those of the majority of the population. “I didn’t know that people with autism see just a piece of a picture where most people see the big things” said Lauren Ragsdale, a sophomore in Ag Education at OSU, who was amazed to learn how easily most people overlook the small details. “That’s what helps her because that’s how animals think. In a way, having autism is an advantage.”

During Grandin’s presentation, it became obvious that her words don’t only impact those involved in agriculture; they’re also an avenue to connect non-agriculturists to the agrifood business. “People really look up to her; she can reach out to people who aren’t involved in the industry.” As Ragsdale thought back to the speech she couldn’t help but remember two girls in the audience seated just a few rows in front of us, thoroughly excited to have the chance to hear Dr. Grandin speak. “Those two girls were in love with her and were fascinated by her. I liked seeing that she had that big of an impact on people who are and aren’t involved in agriculture.”

The impacts of her speech didn’t stop there. I thought it was impressive that Dr. Grandin learned her strengths at an early age and found ways to utilize those strengths to make a difference. Though she admitted she had weaknesses, discovering the qualities she could contribute made her not only helpful to the bottom-line of the farms she worked with, they show that work done in agriculture can be very diverse. Dalton Shryock, an Animal Science sophomore thought this was a great message to be sending to college students preparing to enter the agriculture industry. “Ag doesn’t have to be the typical grow up on a farm and work with animals your whole life, it can be done by anybody.” At a time in our education when finding a career is becoming important, it is comforting to know that the agriculture industry has a place for all of us.

After listening to Temple Grandin speak, I have to wonder how I can capitalize on the strengths I have to help the industry. What ways can we use each other’s perspectives to make positive changes to the industry?

~ Guest post by Laura Padgett, college student

Hungry for more? Related posts:
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Role Models in Agriculture: A College Student Speaks

Tags: Agriculture, agvocacy, animal behavior, autism, Oklahoma State University, Temple Grandin
Posted in Advocacy, Agriculture, Celebrities, Farming, Motivation | 1 Comment »

What Shape Is Your Food Plate?

Wednesday, September 15th, 2010

Food is served on a variety of plates today; plastic, china, big, small, and even fast food wrappers. So you might be wondering why I’m asking about the shape of your food plate. As a cook and a bit of a “foodie”, I love a beautiful presentation on the cool square plates and the look of the ovals.

Check out the food & farm bloggers at http://www.causematters.com/ag-resources/, too.

However, as an agriculturist, I’m firmly convinced our food plate needs to remain round so that we can have all sides connected equally, whether it’s the farmer, scientist, nutrition expert or consumer. The circle gives people the opportunity to reach across, shake hands, and find common interests. For example, science, accuracy and credibility are hot buttons with food producers, dietitians and scientists. The frustration with food trends, misinformed celebrity “experts” and inability to connect facts are other common needs. However, I rarely see the connection across our proverbial food plate happening.

This is increasingly important in today’s era of distrust. According to How Risky Is It, Really?, people are more afraid of business & industry, politicians and a process that’s closed. They are less afraid – more likely to trust - consumer groups, a neutral expert and a process that’s open. So, I have to ask, how open are we to sharing information from all sides of the food plate? Are we clear about the roles of scientists in monitoring and improving food? Do we effectively explain the technology used to improve food and nutrition? I think not.

Author Davied Ropeik also points to “The less we know, the more afraid we are likely to be.” We have fewer people involved with farming, more generations removed – and many, many food activists trying to sway opinions. It all adds up to people being afraid – and I believe ALL sides of the food plate have a responsibility to work together to provide open, accurate information. That means farmers can’t hide behind our technical jargon, scientists have to get out of the lab and dietitians must find ways to explain what they do. I had the opportunity to be with those types of experts yesterday at the International Food Information Council – and am convinced the answer to food literacy is in our ability to more closely connect the people around the plate.

Food is an intensely personal choice. It’s not our job to tell people their choice is wrong. It’s our job to speak from our side of the food plate AND reach across to understand other sides. How are you going to do that?

Hungry for more? Related posts:
Food Choices
Dr. Oz, Food and Urban Legends
Local Food, Locavores & Hungry People

Tags: Agriculture, consumer understanding, farm, Food, food literacy, Nutrition, plate, science, Technology
Posted in Advocacy, Agriculture, Celebrities, Dietitians, Farmer, Food, Nutrition | 4 Comments »

Role Models in Agriculture: A College Student Speaks

Saturday, September 4th, 2010

Laura Beth Padgett, blogging on behalf of college agvocates.

We have another regular contributor to the Gate to Plate blog, Laura Beth Padgett, a sophomore at Oklahoma State University. She’ll be posting a couple times each month to add thoughts from a student in agriculture; I hope you’ll give her some positive feedback.

Growing up on a small farm in rural Indiana, I developed a deep passion for agriculture at any early age, nourished through my involvement in FFA and 4-H. In high school I had the opportunity to compete on numerous state and national judging teams that furthered my devotion to agriculture and opened doors for me to meet amazing people working to promote the industry. I met Michele six years ago at my very first dairy judging practice in eigtht grade and I have been working with her ever since. I’m excited that Michele is giving me the opportunity to blog about agriculture from a college student’s perspective.

What do you want to be when you grow up? It seems as though every five year old can come up with an exciting and ambitious answer to this question. Ranging anywhere from veterinarian to astronaut, their dreams are sky-high and inevitably different from what their ultimate professions will be. Nonetheless, we encourage youngsters all across the country to set their sights on a difficult goal that they may someday achieve.

Entering my sophomore year in college, I’ve outgrown my dreams of being a veterinarian that saves thousands of sick animals or being the first human on another planet. However, the question of what I want to do after graduation continues to be the question that requires the most imaginative thinking on my part. With so many opportunities offered to graduates of ag departments, it is all one can do to not set overly ambitious goals. Though I believe what all my previous teachers and supporters said when they told me I can do whatever I set my mind to, I became concerned that my professional goals were either unrealistic or too picky. Thus, I began doing research on past agriculturists and found phenomenal people that were not afraid to set seemingly impractical goals in order to succeed. Here are some of the role models I found:

George Washington Carver- Growing up in the time period immediately following the Civil War, Carver overcame a great amount of adversity to capture his dreams. Forcing himself to triumph over obstacles from poverty to stereotypes, Carver was enabled to help innumerable Southern farmers as he introduced and developed peanuts all across the South. Through his efforts, farmers (and peanut fans alike) will continue to benefit for years to come.

Dr. Temple Grandin- Overcoming numerous obstacles in her life, Dr. Grandin is one of the leading animal behavior scientists. Her research has served to help modernization agricultural techniques while her determination to inform the public has lead to appearances on numerous television shows. Proving to be a true advocate, Dr. Grandin has paved the way for other agriculturists to combine their knowledge and outgoing nature to not only help but also inform the public.

Dr. Norman Borlaug- Amazingly enough, Dr. Borlaug began the Green Revolution in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s as he traveled to foreign countries developing new strains of crops that could function more efficiently in each region. Scientists estimate Dr. Borlaug managed to bring millions of dollars of extra revenue to those countries while saving approximately one BILLION lives! The deserving humanitarian was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.

Whether you’re still working on your education or are already out in the workforce, creating and evaluating personal and professional goals is essential to achieving your legacy. What were your original goals when you set out to work in the agricultural busienss? Who were you hoping to help while working toward your dreams? How have you been working to turn those goals into a reality and serve as a role model for young people in agriculture.

~Guest Post by Laura Padgett

Tags: 4-H, Agriculture, farm, FFA, George Washington Carver, goals, Norman Borlaug, Temple Grandin
Posted in Agriculture, Celebrities, Farm Life, Motivation | 1 Comment »

Cute Kittens, Playful Puppies & HSUS Lies

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

Like many pet lovers, it’s hard for me to resist a fuzzy little kitten or puppy dog playing. I was the official kitten rescuer on our farm and saved the lives of several by bottle feeding them. Many of my childhood memories center around animals – trying to persuade the Saint Bernard to pull me on a sled, hours in the hay mow with cats and fun with calves. I also remember going to local animal shelters and feeling terrible for the animals who had no home. So I “get” the attraction to campaigns run by the Humane Society of the United States – after all, who wants to see these cute little creatures suffer? Read More »

Tags: animal shelter, animal welfare, campaign, Farmer, Food, fundraising, HSUS, Humane Society, Mike Rowe, rights, Yellow Tail
Posted in Animal Rights, Celebrities, Consumer Trust, Farmer | 16 Comments »