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Virtual farmalityEditor's note: This week Kelli Loos, Trent's wife, takes over for her husband. "I'm so much cooler online I'm so much cooler online" If you listen to much country music, you have probably heard Brad Paisley's latest hit about his reinvented, and far better than the real thing, self on MySpace. In real life he is five foot three and overweight but, if you check his online stats, he is six foot five with six-pack abs. Although he lives in his parents' basement and has never been to second base, chicks online think he lives in Malibu and poses for Calvin Klein in GQ. The first couple of times I heard this song, I laughed out loud. It really was hilarious. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized just how sad it was and how sad our society has become when we would rather "be" somebody online where we never really have face to face human interaction, than to take our chances in the real world. Yes, there is always that possibility that we will be rejected or people we meet will not be on the same side of an issue that we are. But is the real solution to hide from that opportunity for dialogue and interaction? How far into virtual reality will we have to go before we lose real world reality? Maybe not much farther. We already believe way too much of what we read on the Internet. Thankfully, there are websites that can verify or nullify most of what we get in our "Inbox" that spreads faster than leaves in a Nebraska October wind. Once those leaves are off of the tree, or that story has been forwarded and forwarded, it is pretty hard to back it up and undo what has been done. As the old saying goes, it is easier to let the cat out of the bag than to get it back into the bag again. And what about the Internet? Can it be a useful tool? Of course it can. And it can also be an escape from the daily grind. But when is too much too much? My horse crazy daughter has to be reminded sometimes that she has horses standing in the yard waiting to be ridden and she needs to quit playing computer games about girls riding horses and get out there and do it. I, too, am guilty of searching the web for the next great quilt pattern, instead of getting into my sewing room and finishing the ones I have started. So, it's nice to step into the virtual world now and then and see things from a different perspective, as long as we keep in mind that reality must still be dealt with. The same is true for our farms and ranches. People go online to learn about everything and our profession is no different. The only problem is that what they learn online is put there by people who would like to see us out of business, because people have become vegans and no longer need livestock production. So how do we bring them to our reality? Our farms, ranches and agri-businesses need to be available for these curious information-seekers to check out, both online and in reality! Yes, it is nice to have everything in its exact right place and looking top notch, but that day may never come. So let's tidy up a bit and throw open the barn doors. Invite some elementary students from an area school, host a Rotary or Chamber club meeting or just invite the public to an open house. Fire up the grill or just offer some easy refreshments. Your local 4-H club or FFA chapter would probably help with just about anything you could need, from bus parking to table clean up. Whatever you do, show your operation and what it means to your family. Be sure it reflects the pride you have for the job you do. And if the computer bug in your house wants to post a video of your operation online, that's even better yet. Then the folks who aren't able to make the trip can visit your "virtual farmality" without leaving the comfort of their own home. If we are going to educate our consumers and set the record straight, we have to start at home. Aren't you proud of what you do and why you do it? Then tell your story to the world. Start blogging, post something to your website or send out e-mails with links to your favorite ag destination. The opportunity for something good to come of this virtual world we are obsessed with is just a click away. Editor's note: Trent Loos is a sixth generation United States farmer, host of the daily radio show, Loos Tales, and founder of Faces of Agriculture, a non-profit organization putting the human element back into the production of food. Get more information at www.FacesOfAg.com, or e-mail Trent at trent@loostales.com. 10/22/07 Date: 10/18/07
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