Though Pipestone farmer Clayton Johnson has only been farming for three years, he’s been around agriculture long enough to recognize the influence of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association.
“They’re not just supporting soybeans, they’re supporting all aspects of what soybeans go into,” said Johnson, who was raised on the farm. “It’s a bigger, more unified voice.”
And that unified voice is important, especially if someone else starts creating their own version of agriculture’s story. Clickbait stories can spread like wildfire across social media platforms; sometimes, the engagement comes at the expense of the agriculture industry.
“If we’re not the ones telling our story, someone else is telling it for us,” Johnson said. “I just think that if agriculture can keep telling the same story, it will create a larger voice.”
It can be tough to explain to the non-farming public the importance of the agriculture community. Thankfully, MSGA works on behalf of Minnesota soybean farmers to bring their efforts to light by lobbying for favorable legislation.
“The agriculture population is shrinking every year,” Johnson said. “People are just getting so disconnected from the farm.”
Along with farming corn and soybeans and raising hogs, Johnson also sells seed for Bayer and serves as treasurer of the Pipestone County Corn and Soybean Growers board.