The Farmer's Daughter USA

Hi, I'm Amanda! My family farms corn and soybeans in Southwest Michigan. I'm also a practicing attorney.

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I’ll Be Honest: Sometimes I Feel Defeated, Too

February 4, 2019

It usually happens when I least expect it. A television commercial. A magazine advertisement. A casual comment. A new food label. Something tips me off that the bent against modern agriculture is just getting worse.

It makes my heart sink.

Because it feels like all the work I’ve done is for nothing. It feels like all the hours were wasted. It feels like all the effort was fruitless. And “ag-vocating” isn’t making one bit of difference.

After all, what can I possibly accomplish against well-funded organizations? How can I compete against the powerful food companies? How many people can I reach as opposed to celebrities?

Yet here I am. And so are you.

Why?

This is too important to quit. You’ve heard you can take the girl off the farm, but not the farm out of the girl? I suppose that’s true. I’m passionate about agriculture. I care too much to quit.

And I know it’s making a difference. I’ve chatted with people who confirm it. They’ve changed their minds. They’ve learned something new. They’re now having conversations, too.

Quite literally, this entire conversation about food production exists, where it really didn’t a few years ago. We’ve seen people push back against misleading advertising. We’ve seen companies reject fear-based marketing tactics. We’ve reached all new people.

That’s how change happens: one person at a time.

But yes, sometimes I feel a little defeated. Supporting one another and lifting each other up is so important to keep us going. We’re all in this together. And together we make a difference.

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Comments

  1. Craig Williams says

    February 4, 2019 at 10:54 am

    Keep at it, young lady. You do make a difference. The opposition is still a very small part of the population. They are just quite loud. There are many who count on you to help make their voices heard.

  2. Rick Mercier says

    February 10, 2019 at 1:04 pm

    You go girl. Remember it is better to die on your feet than to
    live on your knees!

  3. Amber says

    February 13, 2019 at 3:35 pm

    I am actually so happy to have found your blog!! I have been wanting to find a way to help educate others as well. Its the only way, agriculture as a whole must educate the consumer! I am inspired by your willingness to heed the call.

Hi, I'm Amanda. My family farms corn and soybeans in Southwest Michigan. I'm an attorney and I'm passionate about agriculture!

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thefarmersdaughterusa

I'm Amanda. My family farms corn and soybeans in Southwest Michigan. I'm an attorney by day, and "agvocate" at night.

Amanda Zaluckyj
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#agriculture #hardtimes #plant23 #plant2023 #sustainableag #economicsustainabilty #usagriculture #usfarms #usfarmers
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Food labeling matters. Here's why. #food #foodlab Food labeling matters. Here's why.

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#farming #agriculture #healthysoil #soilhealth #sustainableag #sustainableagriculture #modernagriculture #modernag
Modern planting is a lot more sophisticated than j Modern planting is a lot more sophisticated than just placing seeds in the ground. Our equipment actually allows us to control how many plants we want per acre, precisely spaces each corn seed in the rows, and controls how deep the seed is planted. It's all part of precision agriculture that employs high-tech sensors and data to improve efficiency and yields.

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