Be An Eager Learner

In this episode of "The Growing Our Future" podcast hosted by Aaron Alejandro, Gary Joiner, the Director of Communications at the Texas Farm Bureau, shares insights into the vital role of communications in agriculture. Gary reflects on his journey, starting from his chance encounter covering a Farm Bureau event to becoming its communications director. He emphasizes the importance of storytelling in bridging the gap between farmers and the public, especially the youth. 

The conversation delves into the diverse career opportunities in agriculture communications, highlighting the need for skilled communicators to amplify the industry's message. They discuss the evolving landscape of agricultural communication, incorporating platforms like TikTok and addressing public expectations around sustainability. Throughout the episode, the trustworthiness of farmers and ranchers, coupled with their dedication to sustainability, emerges as a central theme, driving home the importance of effective communication in shaping public perception and advancing agricultural practices.

Story Notes:

•  Who is Gary Joiner
•  Communication and Agriculture
•  Career Journey
•  Opportunities in Agriculture
•  The Role of Trust
•  Utilizing Social Media
•  The Importance of Planting Seeds
•  Nurturing Growth
•  Fostering Community Trough Ariculture

Learn more at MyTexasFFA.org

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:02

Welcome to the Growing Our Future podcast. In this show, the Texas FFA Foundation will take on a journey of exploration into agricultural science, education, leadership development and insights from subject matter experts and sponsors who provide the fuel to make dreams come true. Here's your host, Erin Alejandro.

Speaker 2: 0:30

Well, good morning, good afternoon, good evening or whenever you may be tuning into the Growing Our Future podcast. We appreciate you stopping by and we just I tell you what we enjoy doing this podcast. It's so much fun to bring on guests that share their expertise, their insights, their passion for what they do. And the reason that's important is, like we always say, if you want to know what the future is, grow it. Well, to grow it, you've got to plant seeds, you've got to nurture them and you've got to take care of them and then harvest them and then feed yourself, feed your family, feed your community. Well, that's what we want to do with this podcast. And we have got a guest today. I guarantee y'all he's going to plant seeds of greatness Gary Joyner, the director of communications with the Texas Farm Bureau. Gary, thank you for joining us today.

Speaker 3: 1:22

Thank you, Erin. I'm honored by the invitation and I really look forward to the conversation.

Speaker 2: 1:27

Oh, it's going to be fun, it's going to be great. And you've been with the Farm Bureau for over 10 years and you've been the director of communications for the last four years. Congratulations, that's quite a career.

Speaker 3: 1:41

It was really a monumental event in the organization and that in 90 years, Erin, there's only been three directors of communications, believe it or not. Bill Hoover and then Gene Hall, who you knew very well, over 40 years of service to the Farm Bureau before he retired in 2000. So I'm just one of three over 90 years. So it's a big lift, but I'm honored and I've got a great team and we're all about telling the story of Texas agriculture.

Speaker 2: 2:07

We're going to come back to that, by the way. So sounds like you accepted a tenured position, is what I heard. So congratulations again, gary. Every guest that comes on, I like to start every episode with the same question, because I'm just a firm believer in core values, and who we are really determines the outcomes we create, and I love being grateful. And so I'm just curious today, gary, what are you grateful?

Speaker 3: 2:36

for today. I'm grateful for a free country. I'm grateful for the ability to feed our country with the food, fiber and fuel that we grow. I've been to countries that aren't so fortunate. Some of them maybe half of the food that they need can be grown in their own country, but we're we're well beyond that and I'm proud of that. Less than one and a half percent of America produces the food, fiber and fuel that the other 98 and a half need. It's remarkable, it's a miracle, and I'm proud to be part of that industry. That is a miracle.

Speaker 2: 3:12

I've never heard it called a miracle, but when you put it in perspective, it's pretty astonishing. I mean, it's very well said. I agree with you too, by the way. I just I wake up every day and I think about you know, february 6, 1966, this bouncing baby boy came into the world and God gave me such an incredible gift that day. He gave me a blanket of freedom, of liberty that I could pursue my dream that life wasn't necessarily going to be easy, but then also that he put me in a country full of abundance, and I love what you shared about the incredible work that our farmers and ranchers do, because we have abundance, and to me that's something to be grateful for. I kind of like having choices.

Speaker 3: 4:04

Exactly, and I think the abundance is because of just the culture, the history, the work ethic. We are a country of achievers and I think American agriculture from presidents to those that founded our country signed the declarations of independence. They were farmers and ranchers and they knew what was potential, and the potential in our country is still to be discovered. I think great days are ahead.

Speaker 2: 4:29

I agree with you, by the way. I love that. I see. I can already tell you all this can be a great interview. He's already saying all the right things, but absolutely correct, we're looking forward. I can tell you that all the leaders I deal with, all the corporate folks, some of the greatest minds across the country, I tell people all the time there's one word that every one of them having their vocabulary, and that word is next. It's what are we going to do next, where are we going to move the needle? Next, it's how are we going to overcome this obstacle? Next, it's never looking back, it's always next. So thank you for tying that up. I want to talk a little bit about what you do, because I got to tell you.

Speaker 2: 5:12

I have a lot of respect for what you do. I have a lot of admiration for communication folks. I was very fortunate to have micro on this podcast and Mike and I were talking and he said something that I'd never even put in perspective, that I thought about you when you accepted. I thought about what Mike wrote, told me and this is what he said. We were talking about planting seeds and he said you know, aaron, that broadcasters that's a farm term, that's an ag term. And I said well, what are you talking about? He said well, back in the day farmers used a broadcaster to spread their seeds and that's where our voices became called broadcasters. So we're spreading these seeds. And so I was all excited when you accepted the invitation because I said I get to bring on the communication director, the chief broadcaster of the Texas Farm Bureau.

Speaker 3: 6:03

So I'm impressed that Mike knew that history and he connected then to now.

Speaker 3: 6:09

But it's so true.

Speaker 3: 6:11

We have a team here in Waco, 15 strong, that are missioned to tell the story of Texas agriculture.

Speaker 3: 6:19

And there are people that are graphic designers, there are radio broadcasters, video producers, writers, people that bring skills, maybe not even from an agriculture background, but they've accepted and they've adopted the mission that they have as communicators and as a team we just try to move the needle. We just try to press upon not the farm community per se, but the other members of the public that have a arms length relationship with the agriculture community. Maybe it was a grandfather, maybe it was somebody that they knew at church. That was an agriculture and we're trying to press upon them. That's a relationship that you should value, you should know, and here's why it's important. So every day here and we're looking at ways to show why farming and ranching, our food security, is important to a growing Texas, to a growing American public that I think is becoming more removed but still has interest, still wants to know, and our job is to try to make that engagement, connect, that conversation, so they can hear from farmers and ranchers about what's going on out there.

Speaker 2: 7:32

You're. This is exactly, gary, why I wanted you on the show You're going. I mean you're sharing exactly what I'm hoping young people will hear. Educators will hear, sponsors will hear. Even I mean people know me. They're like well Aaron's in his job which, by the way, is 24 years now.

Speaker 2: 7:50

The sponsors that were developing so many are outside of agriculture. Well, there's a reason why. I know what we do. I understand what farmers and ranchers do. I have great appreciate it. I have a great association for what they do. I just want other people to understand that and what a great bridge that we have in young people where they come on board to sponsor these young people but then, as a result, they learn more about agriculture. There's a COO of one of our major major sponsors who retired. He left Texas, moved to Tennessee and bought a farm and has told people the reason he bought a farm was because of his involvement with the Texas FFA and he wanted to get that experience for himself of growing food on his on a family farm, to have his kids and grandkids experience a family farm. So you never know what your efforts through communication, our efforts through FFA, can produce.

Speaker 3: 8:51

As I look at our team here, a great many of them wore the blue jacket came from an FFA background, learned skills, leadership, learned how to communicate. In many cases because of that FFA experience and that was attractive when we looked to hire talented people who have an interest in what we do. That FFA experience is a big part of that consideration. We as an organization that's Texas Farm Bureau have always had a huge investment in FFA and that next generation of leaders. Whether we have an opportunity to speak to them to a workshop, they come here for a lunch and we meet the leadership at a state or local level, it's always exciting to hear the voices, see the faces and, I think, learn the vision of these young people.

Speaker 3: 9:39

And they ask is there a future in agriculture? Is there an opportunity for me to do something to support agriculture? If I'm not a true farmer and rancher, what else is there? And I'm here to tell you there are opportunities, abundant opportunities to support agriculture and be part of this community, this industry that is agriculture, if you look and if you search and if you make yourself available. I think one of the things, aaron, that I like telling young leaders is make yourself available, say yes to opportunity internship, a shadowing experience at a workplace, just visiting with someone that you meet for the first time. Make yourself available and those doors will open more times than not.

Speaker 2: 10:22

You might have just gave us the title of this podcast, because I love just letting guests talk, because they'll always say something that I just smile and say that's the title of the podcast, and that just may be. Make yourself available, because I couldn't agree with you. More Couple of thoughts that come to mind here I think of Abraham Lincoln, and one of the quotes that I use when I make presentations is Lincoln said the philosophy of the schoolroom in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next. Now, if we let that sink in for a second, it should get our attention. And number two, wayne Gretzky. They used to ask Gretzky, you know what makes you such a great hockey player? And he said well, most players skate to where the puck is, I skate to where the puck's going. So when I combine those two quotes of Lincoln and Gretzky, let me tell you what I find.

Speaker 2: 11:18

I find that we're about to have a hungry world and I find that we've got over 270,000 young people sitting in ag science classrooms just in the state of Texas, that there's an opportunity there to challenge them, to make themselves available for what could possibly become the premier career, probably within the next 20 years. So I can't, I can't again I said I couldn't agree with you more on the path that you were taking us, on looking for those opportunities, make yourself available, be prepared and understand that when it comes to food I know I've seen the stats you throw the world agricultural out there. Not everybody gets it, but you put the word food out there and everybody gets it. Everybody understands hungry and when I think of young people that can solve food and hungry issues, that kind of gets me excited about the prospects of like us working together the Texas Farm Bureau and the Texas FFA.

Speaker 3: 12:24

We are all connected by our food. That's a very true statement, more so now that it was last week, but it'll be even more critical going forward. And if communications is your passion, if that's kind of your strength, you love to write, you love to produce graphics, you're very active on social media and you love communicating stories in small packages and with visuals and so forth, there is a place for you in the workplace for agriculture Organizations such as Texas Farm Bureau, commodity groups, agencies, educational outreach. There are entities out there looking for talent, looking for people to share the story. So I'm an outlier, really.

Speaker 3: 13:04

I do not come from a farm and ranch background. I grew up in a suburb of Dallas called Farmers Branch. Erin knows the area well. My high school had an active FFA chapter, rl Turner High School but I wasn't a member of it. I chose to spend my time at the student newspaper, at the yearbook, doing other things, kind of touched FFA through the coverage that those outlets provided but was never part of it, had some friends but it wasn't me. So I came to FFA kind of later in life as I learned about the mission and the work and the success of FFA and I am engaged in making sure that I do what I can to make that even greater. So communications is where I think I can add to the mix, is where I think I can as a journalism graduate from Texas Tech University. What am I doing in agriculture? It's sharing the story. It's writing information and making sure the public can understand it. That's my passion. If you have that passion, there's a place for you.

Speaker 2: 14:07

Wow. That, right there, ladies and gentlemen, is exactly why these platforms are so important. I love Gary's not only Gary. You've got this little knack, this demeanor about you. That's very contagious, by the way. I just want you to know that. And because it's so sincere, it's so authentic, and what I mean by that is this how many people out there didn't come from the ranks of agriculture or FFA? But when they find it, they believe in it. They never said the creative I believe in high school, but once they've experienced it, they believe, and then they share that, and that's what you just shared with us.

Speaker 3: 14:49

I learned more in my meetings with FFA members and their leadership than I think I impart on them, because they give me a sense of what their vision is, what they think their future might be, and it inspires me. It gives me a chance to say all right, what can I do to help that door swing open even further? Texas Farm Bureau has some tools to do that, but individually in the communications division. Every story we produce about the success of FFA or the stories of those young people as they go forward and make contributions, every time we tell that story, maybe we're inspiring somebody else. Maybe somebody else says I can do that, I want to do that. So there are endless opportunities to make sure we continue to add to that story and FFA is one of those sources we go to time and time again because it is so plentiful.

Speaker 2: 15:41

Well, that's great. You know we got to talking here, which is a good thing. But I want to backtrack a little bit. You told us a little bit about your career and now you've shed a little bit more light in there, and I like to tell people that the guests that come on these shows, they didn't just fall into that chair. There's something that tells me, there's a story there that led them to that role that they play. Gary, could you kind of walk us through that, and you kind of again, you shed some light at Farmers Branch, Texas Tech, but maybe walk us through how did you ultimately become the director of communications for the Texas Farm Happy?

Speaker 3: 16:19

to do so. It really is fate. Whether you believe in fate or not, I think it happens and sometimes it's just where you are and the opportunity that comes. Sunday afternoon in Lubbock I'm a reporter, aaron. I'm one of those people carrying a microphone trying to tell a story for the six and ten o'clock news in Lubbock, texas, my first job out of college and some farm groups in town. I'm not even supposed to work that day but the news director says Gary, can you go to the convention center, some farm bureau groups in town, I need a story for six o'clock. See what they're doing and I'll give you time back sometime this week. So I go and meet the Texas Farm Bureau.

Speaker 3: 16:58

This is in December of 1987. Sm True of Plainview is the president. Several thousand people in town in Lubbock. It's big news and they needed a story. So I covered that, did even a live shot with Mr True that night at six o'clock talking about some of the policy debate and some of the policy decisions the group was making.

Speaker 3: 17:19

And as I'm breaking down, aaron Gene Hall approaches me and says hey, our board of directors has just invested in equipment and we have a new goal of being even a stronger voice of agriculture by doing radio, television and more videos to tell the public about agriculture. Would you be interested? I said I know nothing about farming and ranching. I know nothing about agriculture. He said that's not why we need you. We know others can help our farmers and ranchers be better growers. We need someone to tell the story. Three months later, aaron, I'm working for them. I walk in these doors of February 1988, and Gene says you're still telling stories, you're still packaging information, just as you were for that station in Lubbock, but you're doing it for us and that's what we're here and that's what we're all about. So that started my career path and Gene allowed me to grow into other areas of communications. And then I got to go into some legislative roles, worked in the Austin community in Washington DC on a policy side. Communication still helps you be effective as an advocate because you can write, you can package information, you can learn and compile information from sources that you learn, and I became a lobbyist for the Texas Farm Bureau because of that communications background.

Speaker 3: 18:40

Then I went away for a few years to try other organizations, learned some new skills, came back in 2014, and Gene said I think you might have an opportunity to be our director in about five years. If you work hard and you continue to do the good work, you may have an opportunity, and that's what happened. So it was kind of a winding road, some even outside of the state of Texas and Washington state, where I worked for a period of time for the Farm Bureau. There came back and then Gene gave me an opportunity to return to this organization.

Speaker 3: 19:10

The mission had not changed, erin, some of the tools had, but the mission had not changed in my time away and I stepped right in and so fortunate to be where I'm at today. So it's an interesting path. But I think the constant is I made myself available, I kept my eyes up, I kept my ears open and I continue to pursue things that interested me, that I had passion about, and it's always been about landowners, advocacy and helping those that produce our food and fiber through all those different jobs. That's the one constant.

Speaker 2: 19:44

Well, you know we're doing an interview, right, and I'm trying to take notes on, and I'm not kidding when I tell you I had just written down. I just wrote down pay attention, listening involves your ears and your eyes. And what did you just share? You just shared exactly that. If I'm an FFA member right now, if I'm a student in Ag Science let's translate what that looks like. What that means is you may go to a district meeting or an area FFA contest or the State Convention or the National Convention, and if you'll just listen and look around, you may find a Gary Joyner, you may find somebody that you have an interest in, their vocation, and you may say I think I'm going to go up and walk up and just be brave enough to ask them how did you do that, how can I do that? What steps do I need to take to get there? And you've shared some of that. We're going to dive a little bit deeper, but you've shared some of that.

Speaker 2: 20:52

I don't know if you know the background on the movie Deep in the Heart that we did with Mr Walrath or not, but Dick's the largest individual donor in FFA history in Texas. But when we were filming the movie Deep in the Heart. I'll never forget the executive producer, and he's from California. I'm not saying that they don't know agriculture, I'm just saying he just didn't come from an ag background. But he said, Aaron, you guys keep talking about these jobs and he goes. I just don't see it, I just don't understand it, I don't get it. And I said, OK, well, you meet me at the Houston Livestock Show in Rodeo. And so we did so. We met at the Houston Livestock Show in Rodeo. We went to the Reliance Center and we started on one end of that building. Now, you've been there, you know how big that building is. It is a huge building. So we started on one end of the building and we slowly made our way, shaking hands, talking to people all the way to the other side. We get to the other side and I said, Jay, the executive producer, I said how many species of animals did you see? And he said, well, Aaron, I don't know. I said, well, yeah, you do. You saw beef and pork and lamb and goat and chickens and rabbits and llamas. And we start going through everything. He said, OK, yeah, I guess I saw quite a few species.

Speaker 2: 22:07

I said now, Jay, how many different breeds within those species, did you see?

Speaker 2: 22:13

And he said, well, Aaron, I have no idea. I said, well, you saw Angus and Red Angus and Brangus and Holsteins and Jerseys and Yorkshire and Berkshires and Suffolks and Rambeleys. And I just lay, I'm just laying this all out. And I said now, Jay, every one of them have their own trade publication, their own marketing group, their own state, national and international footprint. And he just looked at me and he looked at me and he goes oh my God, Aaron, there's so many jobs in agriculture. And I said, Jay, we didn't even get into the fact that somebody's got to grow the food that those animals eat. We didn't even get into the fact that somebody's got to have the oversight of the natural resources that protect so that other animals can follow in their footsteps. And it was amazing to watch his eyes and his mind begin to embrace the scope of food production. And when you let that go, then all of a sudden, as a communication director and an advocate for agriculture, you start finding that there are so many ways that you can be involved.

Speaker 3: 23:23

It is true. You know, I've been told that our colleges of agriculture across this state continue to have high enrollment and they are because of interest in these associated and allied fields that support agriculture. Agriculture communications is one of those tracks and there are some great departments of agriculture communications in our state. For those looking for that opportunity, those graduates come to us. We see their resumes, we see them at workshops and opportunities and they are people that have a specific interest in agriculture. They knew that's where they wanted to be in terms of an area of work to practice their craft.

Speaker 3: 24:02

But if you just like journalism, if you just like writing, maybe you're an English major, maybe you're someone that just is fascinated by literature and the written word, the spoken word, those skills still, I think, help you in an agricultural context, help you as part of representing farmers and ranchers. And I think, erin, there will always be organizations representing farmers and ranchers. They need that voice, they need that collective opportunity to speak as one because they're such a small group less than 2% in our country. The grow food, fiber and fuel. So they'll always need those to speak for them and to help them communicate. So, those that are interested in communications, I think our pathway is strong and our runway is very clear, that we have more need for communicators. It's changed some of the digital nature of our work.

Speaker 3: 24:55

Some of the packaging is so unique, erin? We've got a TikTok account at Farm Bureau. This is not our grandfather's Farm Bureau, I promise you. Why do we have that? We've got 7,000 followers. We've got young people that are saying I want to connect to Texas Farm Bureau, but this is the platform that I think I most enjoy, that I think I can help contribute. So our young farmers and ranchers, some of our young leaders in our organization, are saying all right, we'll help you with that, we'll be authentic, we'll be credible, we'll share our stories.

Speaker 3: 25:26

Even in a TikTok type environment, there are core messages that can be communicated about agriculture. So some new tools, some new ways of doing things, but the basic premise and the basic mission remains Agriculture is an industry that is respected and trusted. Did you know, erin, that right now, agriculture, farmers and ranchers are the most trusted group in our country? They pull at an 88% level higher than any other area of professionals, clergy, politicians, all those walks of life. Farmers and ranchers continue to have the highest level of trust of anyone that's out there. So we've got an advantage as a community to tell the story because our teller, the storyteller, is already trusted, is already believable, is credible, is authentic. So what other great tool that we have is just let them tell the story and we, as communicators, help them do that.

Speaker 2: 26:31

I want to echo once again what Gary just said. How much I appreciate what Gary just said. One of the things I've learned working with y'all Gary and I know, you know I worked with Jean and then I knew Joe Maley and I mean I've known a lot of you Farm Bureau folks over the years and so I even worked together long before he was ever the executive head of the Farm Bureau. But one of the things that I picked up on early on was and I was I would use the term ag industry a lot. I think I myself sometimes in debates that I didn't intend to because I was using a term called ag industry and I didn't realize that for some that means big agriculture. You're part of the corporate evil empire and I'm like no, it's not what I'm talking about. And, to your point, when you know what the stats show, they're very clear. By the way, the stats are crystal clear, I think, and I needed to retool the way I say things because I don't know ag industry but I know a lot of farmers and ranchers. I know a lot of farmers and ranchers and guess what? I trust them to put the food on my family's table. I trust them to be people of character that practice best practices and animal husbandry and crop management and conservation strategies. I meant I trust them to do that To your point that I think that's what comes out in those polls is, if you dig a little deeper, past the word industry, really what you get down to are the farmers and ranchers.

Speaker 2: 28:05

And I agree with you. We, we, we do trust them and we should trust them doesn't mean there's not bad actors. I mean there's bad actors in every business, every industry, everything that we touch, but that one, because it's all about margins. Their margins are so thin. I tell people they're some of the smartest business people I know because they've got to create methods to create margins against weather, International disruption, COVID it to your point, it. I agree with you. I mean we should be trusting them and we should tell them. Thank you.

Speaker 3: 28:47

There's another expectation, aaron, that we're now very focused on and it may be a concept in a word that our FFA leaders in our classrooms are talking about, and that sustainability. There's an expectation that farmers and ranchers need to be productive, profitable, but they need to also be sustainable. So what does that mean? What does it mean to different public's out there? And then, as a communications team, to better message that package that explain these climate smart practices that farmers and ranchers are already using, have been using, but really have not told their story well about what it is and how it works and the benefits of.

Speaker 3: 29:25

So we're really focused and this year is to make sure we do a better job, that we make those voices known that can speak on behalf of sustainability and through testimony and through real practice demonstration. So this is what American agriculture is doing. This is why we're ahead of the curve and doing things that are making a difference, because the public expects that there's a new expectation that they grow sustainably. So agriculture is embracing that Farm Bureau, as a communications team, knows. We need to do better of explaining it and I think once the public sees it, hears it, understands it, that will even rise that level of trust even further because you'll realize those are awfully good practices being performed out there on farms and ranches that meet my expectation in a new climate.

Speaker 2: 30:14

I won't disclose the company, but I had a very, very dear friend that worked for a major, major corporation and they did some social listening and they hired some different companies to do some social listening and then they compiled those independent feedbacks, reports into an overall strategy and some of the things that came back from that were very surprising. By the way, one was that social media was the number one source of food information. That's kind of interesting because then you started talking about Tick Tock and I was going to tell you I'm not going to say which Farm Bureau it was, but I was actually watching one the other day was hilarious, and they had put a Tick Tock video up about have you paid your dues. Lately, and it was very cleverly done, by the way, it was just pretty funny and I thought that's pretty clever because hey, mom, dad, we're members of Farm Bureau, aren't we? Have we paid our dues? You never know how to do is get paid, so just thought that was pretty clever. But somebody said something one time and I think there's a lot of value and a lot of wisdom and what you just shared pay attention. We talked about that Listen with your eyes and ears.

Speaker 2: 31:23

Social media is no doubt a tool. There's no question that social and mobile combined have changed the landscape of our society. And I do a lot of presentations to fairs and expo state associations nationwide and I've got a whole spill about what we're talking about and this is what I tell them. I said, listen, you don't have to go on there and tell me who you're dating or what food you're eating. You don't even have to engage in debates. Get matter of fact, I wouldn't discourage you from doing that. I said, but let me tell you this If you are not there, you are noticeably absent. So, gary, you're from Texas, we're from Texas, right? I always ask people have you ever been to a Friday night football game? And everybody laughs and they say yeah. I said yeah, I went to one. I said seven coaches on the sideline. At at halftime three came out of the press box and I found out there were three more out that were out scouting teams for future games.

Speaker 2: 32:26

That's true, think about that, gary 13 coaches for one night of one week, of one season, of one year of a kid's life. That kid's got his, her, entire future ahead of him. What are we doing to compete for their minds in agriculture? What are we doing to compete for the consumer's attention? If we'll support putting that kind of effort into a sport, why wouldn't the Farm Bureau's and the FFAs and the 4-H's and the colleges of agriculture and the commodity groups of this world not say, hey, how do we come together here and start competing for the minds of consumers? And then it goes back to what I said If you want to know what the future is, grow it. So let's start cultivating the mind let's get.

Speaker 2: 33:24

I wanted to brag on y'all. By the way, I've got it in my notes. I want to brag on the Texas Farm Bureau. They do an ag in the classroom. They do a deal where they train teachers to help them understand food sources and best practices. I can't say enough good things about what the Texas Farm Bureau's doing, not only to build leadership skills but to build agricultural literacy. I just want to share that because I think it's worth commending you for the job that y'all are doing.

Speaker 3: 33:58

I think one of the more novel approaches we've discovered, and it was because of COVID, because we couldn't be in classrooms. We had to find a way to communicate to classrooms from the field of agriculture. We're actually each month going out with our iPhone and some equipment and some lights and some microphones and we're streaming live a presentation from a farmer and rancher to classrooms across the state. We were in the valley with a sugarcane farmer, aaron, not long ago, and he was able to show the process of sugarcane a very unique crop, very unique practices to grow it, to produce it and then students across the state were able, through their teacher, to type in questions and he was able to respond live over that live streaming episode right there from the field next to a sugarcane harvest. It was fascinating and I love seeing that engagement. And that's how we measure success, aaron. It's not the analytics of how many of total views, how many likes. We want to know about engagement how many people engaged on that topic and that issue, submitted a comment, asked a question, followed up with an email, maybe called us.

Speaker 3: 35:05

Engagement is where we think our true success lies. The American public has so much to think about that's totally removed from their everyday walk of life and farming and ranching and food productions one of those things we can't let them forget. We can't let them become so removed that they take it for granted and they lose interest as to the why of if it's importance. So we're going to continue to step towards them and find ways to communicate with them, and some of the modern tools that you're describing are the way to do it. I think 10 years from now, there'll be some additional tools that you and I will be talking about. While this is a new way to reach an audience out there that we didn't have before, it's a very competitive marketplace for communicators, for messages and for information. We've got to find a way to get there and get in front of folks and then, hopefully, they step towards us after we've stepped towards them.

Speaker 2: 35:56

Well, and something else that you said there that I want to piggyback on is everybody that knows me across social media knows that I'm a I like to believe that I'm an advocate for agriculture. But they also know that I'm always stressing the importance of live your brand, live your brand, live your brand. So I don't necessarily always tune in, gary, to see what the Texas Farm Bureau is doing Sorry, I know that sounds terrible, probably no more so than to just tune in just see what the Texas FFA is doing. But what I do do is I go on there to see what is what is this guy named Gary doing that I know. What is Si doing that I know. What is Julie doing that I know. What is McKenna doing that I know. And what is Witt doing. In other words, my mind.

Speaker 2: 36:40

That's why it's called social media. It's not called corporate media, it's called social. So when we personally live our brands and we're willing to share those things that are important to us our love for agriculture, our appreciation for our food that we in essence become micro influencers. Because by virtue of living our brand, we are spreading the brand of the Texas Farm Bureau, we are spreading the brand of Texas Ag Science Education in the FFA. So I appreciate the fact that y'all are embracing those platforms and aggregating information to those platforms that can be reshared.

Speaker 3: 37:21

Aaron, I think one of the qualities of an effective leader is to be mission focused, mission oriented. What is it that's most important to you, what is it you are most passionate about and care most about? And you can display that in your everyday walk, whether it be professional, personal, social. If they know those are your values and that is the mission that you are so entrusted with, I think people will see it and they'll respond to it and hopefully react to it and be favorable in what they see from you. Leaders need to walk the walk. Leaders need to be able to support what they believe in, and I see that time and time again an effective leader has those qualities.

Speaker 2: 38:05

I agree with you. I believe a fountain can only rise as high as its head. I believe that an organization is the same way. I believe that those who govern, those who serve on boards, I believe everything that you just said is what drives the culture of that organization. And when we start having us all living our brands and competing for minds and competing for the attention and sharing incredible best practices and sustainability and value, think of all the incredibly positive messages that we have to share in so many different ways. And sometimes we don't take the time. We do when we want to argue. We do when we want to take some distractor on and say well, I'm going to debate you over this and I'm like wait a second, you've got 15 more positive things here you could share. Instead of entering into a debate with them that's going to spur on their analytics, leave them alone. Let's stay focused on, like you said, our mission of what we believe.

Speaker 3: 39:16

Every day is unique. Every day is different. When I stop learning, I think I stop being an effective communicator. One of the traits of a leader that I think is critical is not just being a willing learner, but an eager learner, seeking information, asking questions, finding out more, maybe from a contrary point of view. Some of the news feeds that I subscribe to Erin every morning offer various points of view of the same world event, of the same news item that crossed the headlines the previous day. I get some news feeds that show me what all perspectives talk about it, think about it, how they view it, interpret it. I want to learn the perspectives of so many that are out there because that'll help me better communicate to those based on their perceptions and what they think is real and what they think is true and accurate. So be an eager learner. Ask questions. There are no bad questions out there. Continue to ask and continue to seek those that can help you with some of those answers, and you'll be better off because of it.

Speaker 2: 40:19

Erin, I know you've had a chance, I think, to visit with some of our teachers that come on our lead experience and Texas Foreign Bureau is one of our favorite stops.

Speaker 2: 40:28

But I don't know if you know this or not, but when they get on the bus everybody's they get a resource manual. Okay, and the first thing you see when you open up that resource manual is the word question. And I ask all the teachers on the bus what is the root word of the word question? It's quest, go on an adventure. And I said, wherever we stop this week, whoever you meet, I want you to go on an adventure. I want you asking questions and pursuing and being an eager learner. By the way, I love that, but that's what we really want you to do, because you can't give away something you don't possess. So by the Texas Foreign Bureau pouring into our teachers, by the foundation and the FFA and the teachers all pouring into our stakeholders, hopefully we're moving that needle in a positive direction for the future of our country, our sustainability, our food security, all the things that we've talked about today.

Speaker 3: 41:30

It's real easy to kind of surround yourself with people of kind of comparable attitudes, backgrounds, experiences. That's the comfort zone, that's where you feel safe. But if you can put yourself among areas and small groups that have divergent points of view, they kind of have backgrounds that are not familiar to you. Boy, do your eyes and your world of experience open up and I think you become more well-rounded. You become a better spokesperson, a better communicator, a better writer, because you now have a larger view of some of the days Happenings. So you can do that either directly or indirectly by reading.

Speaker 3: 42:07

I encourage folks to read, whether it's a newspaper, a magazine, an online Resource, a newsletter from the FFA foundation. Read material, see what's being published, what's being produced, and become familiar. You don't need to know it all or know the depths of all these fairly complex issues, sometimes just know enough to kind of be divergent and to be a conversational About it and know that if it's something that comes up you have some background in that area. Just make yourself Hungry for that type of information. It'll serve you well If you're completely out of agriculture in a new walk of life. But you reflect back on your FFA experience and your ag science courses. Those things because of those habits and because of those pursuits, will serve you well in those walks of life. I think everybody's going to be benefited from being a consumer of information and trying to learn as much as you can.

Speaker 2: 43:02

You. You might know another guest that I've interviewed for this show, a guy by the name of Roger Rickard out of Arizona who does voices of in advocacy. It's a company and it's his broadcast but he said something the other day in an interview and he said it was organic. He said, aaron I've never said it before, but we both wrote it down and it's very similar to what you just shared. He said he was talking about volunteering and he said go be a volunteer. And he said Volunteering puts you in the greatest classroom.

Speaker 2: 43:41

Well said and I thought, wow, that was a great quote because, exactly what you said if we will Volunteer ourselves, make ourselves available outside of our comfort zone, just like I have. I took my staff one summer. I took them to the opera and They'd never been to an opera before. Everybody that knows me knows I love sushi. I love taking young interns to go eat sushi for the first time.

Speaker 2: 44:11

Because I want them to know that there's something fun about experiencing new things and New ideas, and it doesn't mean you have to embrace them all or assimilate them all or like them all, but just enjoy that moment to experience them.

Speaker 3: 44:30

Experience. I love that word. I'll put on my old reporters hat and do media training, sometimes with FFA leaders and other young leaders. Turn on a light, put a microphone under the nose and start asking questions and the fear of the unknown is very real. They don't feel prepared. They don't feel like that they're up to the challenge because it's not something they had been given a chance to prepare and expect. And then, once they get into that first or second question, you can see Erin, their shoulders relax, their pace of their Spoken word becomes a slowdown and the confidence starts to build.

Speaker 3: 45:07

It doesn't take long to gain confidence and to feel your footing, that you can do something for the first time. Media is an experience that I can provide. That, I think, helps them grow and helps break down some barriers in the future. But there are more things like that out there that will give you that same adrenaline rush. And then you begin to gain Confidence and you feel like, okay, I can handle this, I'm prepared for this, I'm good at this in some cases. So experience, that's a great word and I think it's something we all strive to have more of if we make ourselves available.

Speaker 2: 45:43

There you go. Well, you can't put a better bow on that, but I still have one. Two more questions for you. Just out of curiosity, I'm gonna throw you a little bit of a trick question here Do you happen to know how many high schools are in the state of Texas?

Speaker 3: 45:57

Boy off the top of my head. I'm gonna tell you 2200.

Speaker 2: 46:01

Not bad, not bad. There are actually over 3,000 high schools in the state of Texas. Now think about that. 3,000 high schools. Guess how many of them all have a graduating class.

Speaker 2: 46:12

All of them every one of them. So there you go. So everybody's got a graduating class. Think about that. They're all gonna be out looking for a job, scholarship or an opportunity. And so I always ask the kids, teachers, what your competitive edge? Hmm, what, what, what are you doing that separates you from your peers? What it could be a yes or no, sir, yes, ma'am, no ma'am, could be a firm handshake. It could be a hey. I listened to a podcast with Gary Joyner of the Texas Farm Bureau the day. Think about it. It could be the littlest thing that creates the competitive edge. So, gary, if you had an opportunity to speak into Classrooms across this country right now and tell kids, here are three tips to build your leadership, to build your competitive edge, what would you tell them? I?

Speaker 3: 47:02

Think, put yourself in positions that you don't expect. Say yes to opportunity. It is that volunteer role it's serving on a committee, it's helping with a special project, it's staying a little late with the teacher who needs to have some extra help, or perhaps on a project or something at the stock show, at the local event. Do things like that. Put yourself out there a little further than those around you, and then also look introspectively, do a self evaluation. What do I do? Well, what am I really good at? What do I wake up in the morning thinking about that I'm excited about doing and then one of my most fearful of what are those things that I'm not as confident in? And then Then set some goals, find some ways that I'm going to improve that skill. I'm going to get better at this by doing these things.

Speaker 3: 47:51

If you kind of introspectively look at your strengths and weaknesses and focus more on those weaknesses and it may be very slight, it may not be a glaring weakness, but you know it's something you can do better Focus on that, set some goals and then you will overcome that and begin to flourish. You will find that all those things that you're attempting to accomplish become more achievable and then put yourself in a role of having, maybe a mentor, find someone you like, you trust, you look up to. It could be an adult, it could be a peer, somebody that you go to school with, that you value and you feel like represent some of those core Values that you have, and learn from them, share with them and see if there's a way in which that learning experience that both of you are seeking Can maybe be a shared experience. And that's always how sometimes, friendships for life are created.

Speaker 2: 48:43

Wow, that's really good, gary, I listen. I don't know if you realize it, but we ate up all of our time. They've actually done more, which is good, because there's so much good here, we might have to come back and do a part two to this. This was really good. As we wrap up here, I like to ask all of our guests just one fun question, so you get a fun question at the end. The question is what is the best concert you've ever been to?

Speaker 3: 49:14

Oh gosh, off top my head. I enjoyed a concert one time in Dallas at an outdoor amphitheater I think it was called the Starplex amphitheater and you kind of set, kind of a park setting, maybe not even in a chair, you may be on a blanket on a grassy slope Looking into this venue and I thought it would be a concert. I went because my wife wanted to go. I never thought it was really my kind of music. Who's heard of Harry Conning Jr? Remember Harry Conning Jr? Yeah, he had a full brass band. He played the piano, he touched every brass instrument in that band himself and played it and I just thought, wow, this is somebody that has talent off the charts, that's kind of regulated to this kind of style of music and this kind of Performance. And it just blew me away and I thought that was one of the neater surprises that I had in a concert setting that I didn't expect. I put myself there and didn't know what, how great it would be, and I'm thankful that I was there.

Speaker 2: 50:15

That's awesome, gary, I didn't see, that's why I like doing. I'm a big fan of Harry, I'm a big fan of Michael Bubelay, and so the there's no question, I think both those guys have two of the best Christmas albums ever, by the way.

Speaker 1: 50:29

So thank you for sharing that I love that.

Speaker 2: 50:31

So now we have a new kinship Because we both have an appreciation for the old big band style music. So that's right. That's right great question. Thank you for joining us today, gary. We appreciate what you do with the Texas Farm Bureau. We appreciate the Texas Farm Bureau and I know that you will extend our gratitude back to your, your colleagues, because y'all helping us gives us the fuel to do a lot of the things that we're talking about on this show today. So thank you so much for y'all's generosity and your willingness to support the Texas FFA.

Speaker 3: 51:09

My pleasure Aaron, our pleasure Aaron. We value the partnership. We're on the same team going forward and it's a great team to be on.

Speaker 2: 51:16

Yeah, we've done a lot of good work in the last few years, for sure. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for stopping by the growing our future podcast. I hope that you've taken as much for him, today's guest, as I have. We have so much to be grateful for and we we have so much that we should be eager to go out there and be a learner, to be eager to learn, and I think Gary has challenged us today to do that. Like we always say, if you want to know what the future is, grow it. Grow it, take what you've learned today planet, plant it in your life, take care of it, find that mentor that helps you nurture it and the heart, and then harvest it and share it with others.

Speaker 2: 51:57

And what do we like to say around here? We say the essence of leadership is to plant trees under whose shade you may never sit. Hopefully, today we planted some mighty oaks. Gary, thank you all for thank you all for joining us. Gary, thank you for joining us until we meet again. Everybody, go out and do something great for somebody else. You'll feel good about it. Who knows, you just might change the world. We'll see you next time.

Speaker 1: 52:25

We hope you've enjoyed this episode of the growing, our future podcast. This show is sponsored by the Texas FFA foundation, whose mission is to strengthen agricultural science education so students can develop their potential for personal growth, career success and leadership in a global marketplace. Learn more at mytexasffaorg.