...Here
we sit 45 years later and not much has changed. Today less than 1.3% of
the American population, (and 7% in Canada), is involved in production
agriculture. We, who are left with the responsibility of feeding the
ever-growing population that now stands at 331 million people. We do it.
It is lots of work. We have an enormous amount of scientific,
technical, medical, and mechanical research and dedication looking over
our shoulder as we break the ground, plant the wheat, brand the calf or
drive the truck.
Imagine
a ‘Nóngmín’ bent over in a rice field a thousand years before Christ
came, not much different than a farmer bent over a furrow, feeling the
soil today. What is our motive…inspiration? Do we say, “We’re feeding
the world”? “I’ll get famous!” “The big money”?
No. It is as simple as “It’s what I do.”
There
are people who have a deep heart, have a conscience, are dedicated to
those we work for, are close to God, maybe have guilt, or just kindness
and care. They don’t think ‘money first’. Occasionally, the consumer has
a chance to make farmers’ lives easier, nicer, more satisfying.
Let me suggest…their own television channels...
...RFDTV Channel is the only exception;
RFDTV contents are exclusively rural and agriculture, 24 hours a day.
They are leading the effort to have Congress vote on HR 2682 that would
ensure at least one percent, 0.1…1%, is devoted exclusively to the ag
rural market.
Like ag publications and
ag radio, ag television is part of what holds all of our ag community
together. To those of us in ag media, it’s not just a job. I think it
has something to do with our souls.
If you want to help, contact your Representative or Senator about passing HR 2682.
HR 2682:
Agricultural News and Rural Content Act of 2020
This
bill requires certain video programming distributors, such as cable
providers, to use at least 1% of their channel capacity to transmit
channels of programming that serve the needs and interests of rural
areas.
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