Having Ms Michelle talk about the relation between social media and agriculture was a very informative and interesting topic. It’s clear today that there is a lot of misinformation in the media but I had no idea how much of it was affecting farmers. I feel like it was also interesting to hear about her path to her career today as it is a great example of how you never know where you may end up but to go into every job enthusiastically and working for the job you want as opposed to the job you have. As someone who will be finishing college soon, I like hearing about how many people bounced around between jobs and fields before landing on their particular
Ms. Michele WALFRED on Professional Leadership for Agriculture in the Social Media Era
On September 11, 2019 Ms. Michele Walfred spoke to us about managing social media. She began with a bit of history about herself and her educational background. She was also a UD alum who wanted to major in art but switched to creative writing because the writing classes were offered later in the day and she felt she would be able to sleep.
Through a series of events that occurred while she was pursuing her education, she ended up altering her plans once again, pursuing a ‘real job’ instead of the Bohemian-style artist life she had envisioned. She ended up at the UD Agricultural Extension office with no what the 4H program was, believing she might be working with children or seeing eye dogs. She managed to land a position and earned her Associates and Masters, but along the way she stated, she always tried to take jobs for, ‘what she wanted to do, not what she was good at.’
It was at this point she mentioned Professor Isaacs, a professor who recognized her strengths and directed or recommended her to tasks accordingly. Ms. Walfred also took the opportunity to go to weekend and evening events on her own volition, looking to increase her skills whenever possible.
After the brief bio, Ms. Walfred showed the class screenshots of the homepages of three of her own websites on different platforms. She noted that across all platforms, her image or headshot was the same. She recommend we all try something similar to ‘brand ourselves’, expressing creativity through banners, but keeping our message clear on our own ‘search-able’ public sites. She recommended any potentially controversial images or writings go on separate private accounts, but reminded us that the internet is forever and we must behave and conduct ourselves in a professional manner when putting information and images out into the great wide Web.
Ms. Walfred also stated that complete absence of any digital platform can hurt and then championed Twitter as the platform of choice. She told us that by sharing on our social media we can also champion causes and issues that we care about- an example she used was an article about the highest U.S. suicide rates occurring among veterinarians. She then showed us a YouTube clip from a movie called, ‘A Bronx Tale’to illustrate a point about how all the ‘little’ actions matter and first impressions count.
Ms. Walfredconcluded by telling us how important social media can be for us in agriculture and to agriculture in general. First, she stressed the importance of being an, ‘Ag-vocate’ helping the environment in different ways, such as participating in, ‘Meatless Mondays’. She also mentioned ‘Delaware Ag Week’ and the impressive salaries of Social Media Managers at around ≈$75, 000. She also touched on the controversy that farmers often face- citing back to Ms. Cartanza’s presentation, namely the damage farming causes to the environment. A crowd of young males with SmartPhones will not post to their social media about how they are actively learning how not to pollute, the very thing a consumer might accuse them of.
Ms. Walfred ended on a quote that essentially said, ‘“To tell someone they’re wrong, 1st tell them how they’re right” – Blaise Pacal (Paraphrase)’She encourage us to stand up to mis-information while combatting misinformation with facts.
Delaware: the Foodshed
Ed Kee described Delaware as the “foodshed” for the eastern United States, mostly due to the fact that 1/3 of the U.S. population is within an 8-hour drive, which I find fascinating. Delaware has about 2,500 farms covering 510,000 acres. About 41% of Delaware land is farm! This state has a long history of farming. Native Americans took advantage of the rich soil and grew corn, beans, and squash and Delaware has not been without farming since. Colonial settlers brought wheat, barley, and livestock to the fertile lands and from there, farming has only expanded. Canning factories were built and now fruits and vegetables could be preserved and eaten year round. Growing, shipping, canning, delivery, and selling of the produce was very labor intensive and required many many workers. Advances in science and technology allowed for greater yields per acre of land, but farmers still face challenges in remaining profitable. Farmers must comply with regulations to protect the environment and minimize their negative impact. The biggest challenge in the future is going to be feeding the growing population, which is up to our generation to find sustainable methods to feed a hungry planet.
Guest Lecture by Ms. Michelle
I really enjoyed Ms. Michele’s lecture on social media and how it can affect your future. She explained a lot of different aspects of social media and how you want to use it wisely so you do not screw up your future. Prior to this lecture I had never thought that just a couple posts can screw up a possible career path for you. She explained how when you apply for a job the person interviewing you will more than likely look you up on the internet just to see if anything pops up, and if something does pop up that they don’t like it can sway them from hiring you and make them want to hire the other person. Even if something you had posted about or did in college, it can still affect you in the future because whatever you put on the internet never actually goes away. Ms. Michele also explained some things you can do to your social media pages to make them look more professional and make you more marketable.
Agriculture as a Food Shed
September 16th, 2019 Mr. Ed Kee talked to the class about why we should see our Agriculture Industry as a food shed. In Delaware there are 2,500 farms which covers 510,000 acres of land. All together it comes out to about 1.2 billion in Agriculture sales. That then multiplies 6-7 billion to economic activity. In total there is 41 percent farmland coupled with forest land! That’ leaves 76 percent FREE SPACE! The change in the economy from 1950 to 2007 decreased by 25 percent in farms and 24 percent in acres. In 1950 there were 8,300 farms and 904,000 acres. When 2007 came around there were only 2,546 farms and only 510,000 acres. Transportation was a big deal in agriculture and food production. Sail power and steam ships moved grain and produce to markets. Delaware’s first completed railroad was in Delmar in 1859 and stimulated a market driven to agricultural economy. When the railroad started to receive major competition, they then built the Dupont Highway in the 1920’s which is still used this very day!
Understanding the Poultry Industry
September 9th, 2019 Mrs. Georgie Cartanza spoke to my class about the poultry industry. Mrs. Georgie is a poultry extension agent. In her job they take egg laying chickens and make them meat chickens. This process began after the “Chicken of Tomorrow Contest.” As well as many others, Mrs. Georgie works in the Delmarva poultry industry. In Delmarva they produce 605 million birds, which is 9.6% of national production. Sussex county is #1 in broiler production and there are 825,000,000 birds in Delmarva a year. WOW! That comes out to be 3.2 billion in bird value. Only 1300 people are growers. Its amazing how they put so much effort and dedication into taking care of chickens and feeding the world. Learning about the poultry industry has been very fascinating to me. I never knew much about the poultry industry until I heard Mrs. Georgie’s story.
Guest Speaker Georgie on Evolving of the Poultry Industry
On Monday September 9th, Organic Poultry farmer, Georgie Cartanza, gave a presentation on the evolution of poultry farming in Delaware. Before she went into any specifics about poultry farming’s complex history, we were educated on the land grants and acts that were established in order to further the research that goes into the agriculture field. For example, land grant universities were established in 1862 under the Morell Act, which made educating individuals going into the agriculture field more feaseable. Another Act she mention was the 1914 Smith-lever act, which brought cooperative Extension into play. However, one of the main lessons taken away from the presentation is that the main purpose of agriculture is to transport the produce from one area to another in a certain amount of time and grow the most effective sources of livestock and produce.
As for the history of poultry in Delaware and along the east coast, it all started in 1923. In 1923 Steele Family market grew first young meat birds, which was a result of a shipment 500 chicks were mistakenly shipped to Cecilia Steele. From this she created the first functional poultry farm. Down the road, in 1948-49 there was a contest held to find the “Chicken of tomorrow”. This was held in order to find a chicken with DNA that would allow for producing the most meaty and most producible bird. In todays society Delmarva Poultry industry has 252 million birds produced in Delaware and more broilers per square mile than in other in the United states. For meat type chicken there are 40,000,000,000 worldwide and 9,000,000,000 United states. However, the poultry industry has an economic impact on Delmarva. It produces jobs for 14500 Poultry Company employees and the value of birds are 3.2 billion dollars.
Social media is the biggest influenced on the question: Where is my food coming from? Even though the most common opinion of agriculture by those who are not in the agriculture field, is that traditional farmers are bad for the environment. However, its is important to understand both sides before making a final judgement. For some individuals that protest non-organic farmers do due to a food choice because they prefer how it taste and makes them feel. Other important factor is sustainability and Perception vs. Reality. These are important because it is important to keep the economy afloat while also providing food for the billion and billions of people living around the world. As for perception vs. reality, if individuals don’t know the truth then it will be hard for them to make non-bias decisions. Balance between consumer demands. Balance between environmental regulations. Balance for economic viability.
Social Media with Michele Walfred
Michele Walfred spoke to our class about social media and the effects it has on professionalism, leadership, and agriculture. Social media is all about branding yourself. It is very important to brand yourself in a professional way. Business owners use social media to gauge if they think you would be a good fit at their company. If our brands do not represent us well and professionally, we most likely would not get the job. Michele not only taught us how to brand ourselves, she also gave us tips on how to be a leader on social media. Advocating for agriculture is another really important topic Michele talked about. The story of agriculture needs to be expanded to the general public so they can be educated about agriculture. When the public is not educated, they will make their own conclusions about what goes on in the agriculture industry and try to bash it on the internet. The stories of agriculture need to be spread on social media so people can begin to see what really goes on in our industry. Michele also showed us some great examples of fake news that showed us what to look out for on the internet since not everything we see on there is true.
Delaware: the small but mighty food shed – guest speaker Ed Kee
What most of the Nation doesn’t know about Delaware (if they even know we exist) is the state’s ability to grow and supply food for up and down the East Coast. Delaware can reach 1/3 of the population within 8 hours, making it the perfect place (and soil) for families to settle down to tackle the job of feeding a population. Before a highway system was established, Delaware farmers relied on waterways and railroads to export produce. The town of Felton became a popular railroad site of export while Wilmington became one of the larger ports for boat and railroad trade goods. The construction of the DuPont highway allowed for faster transportation of produce, ensuring the freshest product to the consumer. With the ability to provide so much for the population, the state had to make sure it would always be a contributor to the Delmarva area. Currently, 30% of Delaware’s farmland is protected under the Agricultural Land Preservation Program, meaning the land cannot be sold to be developed or commercialized; it is only for the use of farmland. This program helps to provide fresh local produce to Delaware and the surrounding population for years to come.
Georgie Cartanza Guest Lecture
Our class had the privilege of having guest speaker Georgie Cartanza talk to us about the poultry industry and extension. Her presentation included interesting facts about the poultry industry within the U.S, Globally, and even in the Delmarva area. I was surprised to learn how the industry has evolved over the years and just how crucial operations here are due to the fact that we are able to reach ⅓ of the U.S population within 8 hours. Furthermore, as time has gone on chicken houses and the way the poultry industry operates has changed tremendously. I think one of the most interesting facts was learning how big of a role DuPont Highway played and still plays in the way farming especially poultry farming was able to rapidly advance and take off. I think the guest lecture was very informative and I am glad I was able to participate and gain knowledge on a subject I had no previously knowledge on, I was never aware if the impact poultry had on agriculture as a whole and the state of Delaware.
Guest Speaker: Georgie Cartanza
After the amazing and very informative field trip to Georgie Cartanza’s organic poultry farm, our class was able to further understand the past and present aspects of the chicken industry the following Monday. Miss Georgie gave us a historical timeline of the chicken industry and explained Delmarva’s immense contribution to the nationwide industry. She also went in depth on the economic impact that the poultry industry has on Delmarva’s society. For every 1 job in the poultry industry, 7 are made in the community. Advances in technology have exponentially increased efficiency and productivity over the years and have proven to be a great success for those in the industry. Of course, with success comes people that question the source of it. Miss Georgie explained the difficulties many people in the poultry business face and how that affects their jobs. There are people that make up stories of animal abuse and neglect out of ignorance that directly impact those in the food industry. Miss Georgie explained and proved how all of those claims were untrue and biased.
Branded for life- professional leadership for agriculture in the social media era
Michele Walfred, a communications specialist, talked to the class about the importance of growing social media and how it can affect us in future job searches. One of the main take-home messages I got (which has stuck with me long after the lecture) was all about personal branding and how we needed to project a clean and professional brand. As a senior taking the class, it was refreshing to be reminded of how companies choose their employees and the tactics they use to do so. Growing up in the social media age, it has always been reinforced to being mindful of what gets posted to social media. Michele’s presentation was spot on reminding the class social media sticks to us and can never fully go away. It is important for us as young adults to watch what we post on public accounts since many companies turn to social media when scouting information on potential new hires. On the flip side, public social media accounts are a great way to form a network with graduate schools, potential employers, and volunteer opportunities. We should start working on our public profiles now, showing interests in future endeavors, and have professionalism in our social media usage to help create a bright career.
Guest Lecture Georgie Cartanza on the Evolution of the Poultry Industry
On September 9, Ms. Georgie Cartanza visited our classroom to teach us about the Evolution of the Poultry Industry. In teaching us about the Poultry Industry, she elaborated more about the field trip we took to her farm. One thing that I found to be the most important thing about her lecture, was when she showed us a picture of what meat chickens used to look like from 1957 to 2005. In seeing this picture, I understood why others would think that farmers were pumping the chickens up with steroids because of how big they seemed in year 2005. In 1957, chickens were only 905 grams, but as time progressed the average chicken was 4,202 grams. The reason why we have bigger and better chickens today is all due to better genetics. The better the genetics, the better the bird will look. She also mentioned that the number one challenge in the Agriculture Industry was image. Being able to shed a positive light on the Ag Industry is highly important because people always have misconceptions about what happens within the Ag community. In stating this, I learned from Ms. Georgie that we have to understand where the miseducated person is coming from, and then try to inform them on what actually happens. As a whole, I really liked Ms. Cartanza’s lecture because it gave me more insight and knowledge about the Industry, and this is something that I’ll always remember.
Mrs. Georgie’s Poultry Farm
September 7th, 2019 was the first agriculture field trip of the semester. As a class we attended Mrs. Georgie Cartanza’s beautiful poultry farm. Mrs. Georgie has four chicken houses, all of them are 65” wide by 600” long. Each house contained 37,000 chicken which equals out to be 148,000 chickens on her farm. Each chicken is raised to be seven weeks old and six and a half pounds at total. Of all the chicken she has on her farm, she makes up to 913,900 pounds a flock times five and a half flocks a year, equaling 5,000,000 pounds a year, feeding 59,808 people a year! All of Mrs. Georgie’s chickens are conventionally grown, antibiotic free, and some being organic. She never uses steroids or hormones on her chickens and takes the best care of them. It’s amazing seeing how chickens are truly treated in person, instead of how they portray them to be treated on the internet. Learning all about Mrs. Georgie’s farm and holding the baby chicks made my day.
Gergie Cartanza Guest Lecture
Georgie Cartanza is a Delaware poultry farmer. She locally feeds thousands of families among Delmarva. One of the largest challenges she faces day to day are the common misconceptions in the poultry industry. One of the most common beliefs is the belief that chickens are injected with hormones, antibiotics, and are forced to live in confined cages. This is not at all the case. Her lecture taught us the importance of spreading awareness of American agriculture and leading the public to make educated decisions. The more you know before buying a product, the better off you will be.