Justin and Liz farm in NE Iowa. Liz says the goal of her “blog is to let you, the consumer, see where your f ood comes fro m and h
ow it gets raised on our farm.”
1. What made you want to start your blog?
Well, the humorous answer is that Oprah made me do it! As many farmers know, she’s a little biased and a lot uneducated about agriculture. About 5 years ago, when my son was just a baby, I happened to be watching a show where Oprah featured Wayne Pacelle of HSUS fame, and a forum on Prop B in California. (Which did end up passing and has outlawed the used of battery cages in poultry and gestation crates for hogs, among other things.) Wayne appealed to Oprah’s and the audience’s emotions and made a compelling argument in support of this measure. It didn’t matter that he was twisting the facts. There was a farmer in the audience who was very well spoken, and he wasn’t given much time to present his side. Anyway…that episode of Oprah really fired me up. I realized that I had to do SOMETHING to correct the misleading info that is put out by animal rights groups, celebrities, and the media in general. So I started writing. First just in Myspace and Facebook postings, and then I was introduced to the world of blogging and fell in love.
2. What has been the biggest surprise since you started? or something you didn’t expect:
The number of followers and responses I’ve gotten. There are a lot of people out there who have a sincere interest in how the livestock and crops are cared for in this country. I have learned as much, if not more, than my followers, and the dialogue that my blog has created has expanded my knowledge immensely.
3. What is your favorite post on your blog and why?
Hmmm…
I went on a “rant” awhile back about the term “factory” farm, and how I cannot stand such generalizations. It’s titled,
“Factory Farmed Animals Live in Horrible Conditions and GMOs Will Kill You!” It obviously struck a nerve and brought a lot of attention to my blog. I was really nervous about posting it, and hesitated for a couple weeks before putting it out there. But I’m glad I did, even though I took some heat for it. It sparked an incredible dialogue, and I learned that writing from the heart and about issues that I am deeply passionate about is the key to my blogging success.
4. Why should other farmers be online?
Because
we all have an audience that wants to know more. Think about distant relatives, and fringe acquaintances… they are some of my best fans. Social media is an important business tool as well, blogs can help to promote and share your business with bankers, sales reps, marketers, and other contacts. The connections made through social media can really be pretty amazing. Every farmer has a unique point of view to share, and can gain a lot by learning from others’ points-of-view.
5. I notice some farmers just have a twitter account. Should they also have a blog (why)?
I think each individual should do whatever they are comfortable with. I personally have tried several times to get “into” twitter, but just can’t. I have a presence on there simply as a convenience to blog followers who prefer to get my blog updates through twitter, but that’s it. Every person has different preferences.
I believe the best posts are the ones you hesitate to click the publish button. And when you get 262 comments, it just proves my point. Liz is accomplishing her goal of showing consumers how food is raised on her family farm. Please, visit her and Justin at Life As An Iowa Farm Wife. If you would like notices of when new posts are added to this site, sign up for the updates in the sidebar. Leave a comment of your thoughts on the Featured Farmer.
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ow it gets raised on our farm.” 
Hello, I'm FARMnWIFE: A wife that farms in the middle of the mid-west. I created this site to help anyone involved in ag to raise their voice and tell their farm story online by creating or improving their blogs.
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