Ontario Grain Farmer June/July 2021

farmers, the media, and policymakers with insight into the day-to-day life of a farmer. She helps break down U.S. farm and trade policy, and acts as a reliable source of insight into the world of agriculture. She particularly enjoys engaging with farmers on policy. “I think in a lot of ways farmers don’t really understand all of the policy obligations, whether it be all of the programs that are available to them, but also the impact of some of the policies that different administrations have via trade or environment,” Jones says. “Some of these things should be considered when we’re looking at how we’re going to vote.” When she first started advocating online, Jones used Facebook, Instagram, and a personal blog. In 2017, she decided to jump on Twitter, despite hearing stories about the terrible comments some farmers received. First, she used the platform to connect with other farmers, but eventually realized it was a good place to connect with mainstream media. “It’s not unusual for people in agriculture to shy away from media interviews, especially if it’s mainstream media,” she says. “But I think that we’re really missing an opportunity there when we do that.” “We have an opportunity to control the narrative and make sure that our voices are heard to a far wider audience than we could ever reach,” she adds. ADVOCACY To those farmers who want to advocate on behalf of their industry, Jones offers these tips: ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER 15 JUNE/JULY 2021 Build coalitions, even unlikely ones. continued on page 17 Facebook: bigskyfarmher Instagram:@bigskyfarmher Twitter: @bigskyfarmher