“I Love Farmers,” as it is affectionately known, is a national agricultural advocacy group of young people with headquarters in San Luis Obispo. J. Scott Vernon, an agricultural communications professor at the Cal Poly State University, help found the group. Together, they have launched an ambitious campaign to inform the young people, primarily in urban areas, about agricultural issues, and family farming in particular.

The group’s mission is “to celebrate the choices we have in the marketplace for our food supply.” Vernon says, “we have pitched a big tent and welcome all types of food production models to join the conversation. It is not an ‘either or’ proposition, but instead helping young people understand the importance of balance in American agriculture that will secure our domestic food supply.”

I Love Farmers…They Feed My Soul originated out of the frustration by the students who have a passion for agriculture, but realized most of their peers don’t know how food is really produced in America.

Using new media technology, the young people decided to take matters into their own hands and launched an aggressive social media movement to share information about family farmers and ranchers. “I Love Farmers…They Feed My Soul” has become one of the fastest-growing FaceBook groups on farm advocacy issues in the world. The group’s leaders have gone on numerous stump speeches across the country, and have inspired young people nationwide to action by forming local “catalysts for conversation” teams around college campuses. They bring their message to Lincoln High School in February at the 2012 Food and Farm Conference as keynote presenters.

The underlying theme of their message is that young people need to tackle the issues of food and farm security by being advocates in a format generally overlooked by the food producing community, that of the blossoming social media. While their target audience is youthful, they are gathering endorsements from organizations in all sectors of food production.

This theme is being carried out by PlacerGROWN in the form of the Master AGvocate Agricultural Leadership Program, which graduated its first class on December 2.

The Food and Farm Conference is being held February 4, 2012, at Lincoln High School, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Workshops, panel discussions, and a local food lunch will be provided. Details for admission and registration are available at the PlacerGROWN website at www.placergrown.org. More conference information is available at http://ucanr.org/sites/PGFFC/.

Roger Ingram

County Director, Placer & Nevada Counties

Livestock & Natural Resources Advisor