Texas A&M Farmers Fight Advocacy Day.

Most Americans have a limited appreciation and understanding of agriculture’s role in our economy, culture, and use of natural resources. They can be easily misguided by those with a superficial knowledge of agriculture. This can result in public policy that endangers the stability and safety of our nation’s food supply. Farmer’s Fight Advocacy Day (FFAD) is an initiative led by students of the Texas A&M University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (COALS) to promote agricultural awareness within the campus community. The goals of the movement are to debunk misconceptions of agriculture and inform students, faculty, and staff about the importance of agriculture in their personal lives. The Texas A&M University Agronomy Society provided specific information about the role and impact of the soil and crop sciences on our food, fuel, and fiber production systems. Our club’s charge was to enlighten the campus community as to how agronomist help to deliver the world’s safest and most abundant food supply to Americans.  In April 2012, we stationed a booth to engage Aggies with informative posters, soil sample demonstrations, and handouts with statistics about food and farming.  We also used social media to promote FFAD and its mission. By planting seeds of agricultural awareness in the minds of students, we hope to ensure Aggies know the facts about farming. The program will become an annual event with the Texas A&M Agronomy Society playing a pivotal role. We also will use this format in other outreach programs targeting K-12 students and the general public about the role of agriculture and agronomy in our society.