Speaker tells stockgrowers to educate, stop misinformation

Editor’s note: The Havre Daily News has been told that this story misrepresents what happened with an invitation to Merissa Underwood to tour some Montana farms and ranches. This version adds information about the invitation and a response from Underwood about Nordlund saying her positions are not based on scientific facts..

Rancher, farm broadcaster and Nordlund Communications owner Lane Nordlund was the keynote speaker at the sixth annual Montana State University-Northern Collegiate Stockgrowers meeting Saturday at Northern's Student Union Building, held in conjunction with the North Central Stockgrowers Association annual meeting.

Nordlund said that although many agricultural producers are facing issues in the market, they are also experiencing a lot of good, and the most important thing producers should remember is to educate people on the industry and who they are as farmers and ranchers.

"Farmers and ranchers are a minority," Nordlund said. "We're a misunderstood minority because we feed the people here in the United States and across the world and people are skeptical about their food, they are scared about their food."

He said that less than 2 percent of the United States population is involved in agriculture, and some projections even indicate possibly lower numbers, and one of the biggest threats to agriculture is misinformation and poor representation.

An example of this issue was an Instagram post made by Miss Montana USA Merissa Underwood last month, stating incorrect facts about the agricultural industry such as the greenhouse gas produced by the cattle industry and cattle's effect on grassland. He said that he spoke to Underwood shortly after she made this post and spoke to her further about the issue. He added that what she had posted, although popularly shared, is not based in any scientific facts. 

Underwood, a vegan, animal rights activist and environmental activist, told the Havre Daily News Dec. 3 that her comments are based on scientific evidence including from the 2006 United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s “Livestock’s Long Shadow” report that said livestock are a significant cause of greenhouse gases that can lead to global warming and damages the earth’s water resources.

The report said raising livestock is the single largest cause of greenhouse gas emissions, although that has been disputed and representatives of the UN have said some questions have arisen about the methodology of the 2006 report. UN has continued to issue reports including this year saying food production must change dramatically to reduce climate change.

The 2006 UN report recommended changing livestock’s usual dietary intake to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other remedies “including soil conservation methods together with controlled livestock exclusion from sensitive areas; setting up biogas plant initiatives to recycle manure; improving efficiency of irrigation systems; and introducing full-cost pricing for water together with taxes to discourage large-scale livestock concentration close to cities.”

Underwood, who primarily has campaigned against factory farming as a major cause of greenhouse gases and environmental problems, said she can back up her claims.

“Everything I shared is unbiased, scientific factual studies from the United Nations, the USDA, and the EPA,” Underwood said, adding that claims they are not is defamation of character.

At the Stockgrowers’ meeting, Nordlund said Underwood received a lot of backlash about her post but he was proud of how Montana Stockgrowers responded. Nordlund said that the Stockgrowers did not attack Underwood, but shared information arguing the points she made in her post.

Social media breeds a lot of ignorance on both sides, he said. Underwood did receive a number of personal attacks over Facebook because of her post, but by doing this, Nordlund said, it only hurt the agricultural industry as a whole.

"That put a black eye on every single one of us in the farm and ranch community because it demonized more of what we do," he said. 

He added that since Underwood made the post, she has expressed a desire to have an open dialogue with producers and tour a Montana ranch, but the the Miss USA Foundation told her she was not allowed to go on a ranch tour and she has since refused to come out to the ranches.

Annabel Morgan, a Gallatin Valley rancher, said Dec. 3 that that is not actually what happened.

Morgan said she is the person who extended an invitation to Underwood to tour some Montana farms and ranches, and she was the one who decided the tour should not happen.

“After a lengthy discussion with the Miss USA Foundation, I came to the conclusion that this was not the right time or circumstances for her to tour,” Morgan said.

She added that Underwood has been very professional and kind about the matter, and the ag producers are still in contact with her and a tour still could happen at some time.

But, Nordlund said during his speech at the stockgrowers meeting, the most admirable thing that came out of the issue was the Montana Stockgrowers' eagerness to educate people and educate consumers about what producers actually do.

"This is the sustainability behind our product, the longevity of our ranches due to that sustainability," Nordlund said.

He said that popular information is not always accurate information and it is increasingly important that producers focus on countering misinformation through education rather than fighting over social media. Producers in general do not mistreat their livestock and much of the footage in anti-cattle documentaries is not from the U.S., but rather filmed in foreign countries. 

They are effective at persuading people, he said, but not based on facts and misrepresent industry.

Earlier this year, a vegan rally was held in Bozeman, he said, where a panel discussion was held to talk about the negatives of the proposed processing facility in Great Falls. Many producers wanted to be part of the conversation, but because the group felt threatened on Facebook by the agricultural community, they were not permitted.

"Mudslinging on Facebook doesn't do anything," he said. "... The more that our friends in town or out in the bigger cities are removed from the farm the less they know and the more they fear the people who feed them."

Producers have been good with supplying the country and the world with food, he said, but over that time people have also become more insecure and ignorant about their food.

Nordlund said that producers need to focus on improving their engagement with customers.

He said another example of misinformation is the numerous campaigns for alternative proteins, such as vegan patties or lab grown proteins, with people trying to imitate what they already do naturally and sustainably.

"It's natural, it's what's for dinner," Nordlund said.

Alternative products have a large number of ingredients, with many genetically modified ingredients used to make the products and these products tend to have more sugars and more sodium, but beef has one ingredient - beef, he said. But even people opposed to genetically modified products and high sugar and sodium products buy the alternative proteins.

He added that cattle is also genetically modified, but it is genetically modified through breeding.

Large anti-ranching groups have the money to pour millions of dollars in advertisements demonizing the industry, he said, but producers have a powerful tool of being able to educate people with the facts.

"We do it sustainably, we do it every single day and guess what, it's natural," he said.

He said he is not opposed to technology - technology plays a large role on modern farms and ranches.

It is becoming increasingly more important for producers to share their own stories as well, he said. Many people don't know about the lives of farming and ranching communities and the generational producers who have worked to produce food for communities. He added that people should be proud to continue their traditions and work to secure their legacies for the future.

Nordlund said people should also think about the future before selling their properties and operations. He said people may consider selling their properties for a variety of reasons, but they should look to the future of the industry as a whole. People still want to become producers, or continue their family traditions, and people, if they do sell, should sell to people who will not hurt the industry as a whole.

"We need to have a positive message to tell our story about what goes on with our family businesses," Nordlund said in an interview.

North-Central Stockgrowers Association Former President Dana Darlington said that it was great to have Nordlund at the event. He added that it was an important message to tell people. 

He said the whole day went well and they had a number of great speakers at the event, including Montana Stockgrowers Association president and a speaker from the Save the Cowboy Group. He added that a lot of information was covered during the day, but he was happy people were able to get so much out of the event.

The banquet is a great fundraiser for Northern's Collegiate Stockgrowers, Darlington said, adding that it is a great way for the younger generation to get involved and learn how to become leaders in their communities. He said that he hopes that people leave with useful information and hope for the future generation of agriculture.

He added that he would also encourage people to get involved with the Collegiate Stockgrowers, and he thanked past and present members.