U.S. farmers use social media to show support for NAFTA

Dec 08, 2017

Social media users sent more than 2,000 tweets with the hashtag #Farmers4NAFTA yesterday

By Diego Flammini
News Reporter
Farms.com

Members of the American farm community used social media on Wednesday to show their support for NAFTA and to urge national negotiators not to pull out of the tri-national deal with Canada and Mexico.

Farmers and agricultural groups posted about 2,200 messages to Twitter with the hashtag #Farmers4NAFTA, according to TrendsMap.com, a service that tracks social media hashtag popularity.

With the next round of NAFTA renegotiations scheduled for January and a lack of progress at the negotiating table, producers want President Trump to understand how good NAFTA has been for agriculture.

““Farmers and ranchers from all sectors are sending a powerful message to the President about the importance of remaining in NAFTA,” Kevin Skunes, president of the National Corn Growers Association, said in a statement yesterday. “America’s corn growers stand with the Administration as it negotiates an improved trade agreement, but it must ensure that these vital markets remain open to U.S. agricultural exports.”

Below is a collection of tweets from the ag community using the hashtag #Farmers4NAFTA.

My job and the jobs of countless others depend on a strong agriculture economy, @POTUS. Trade is paramount to the success of our farmers and the people who support them. #Farmers4NAFTA
— Jennifer Elwell (@FarmScholarJenn) December 6, 2017

One out of seven pounds of #milk is exported each year. Let's mend #NAFTA, not end it. #farmers4NAFTA @dfamilk #UndeniablyDairy
— Pauline DeVos (@foxdairy) December 7, 2017

We are a farming family from Montana and we depend on exports. @realDonaldTrump let's keep #NAFTA in place so we can maintain our farm for future generations. #Farmers4NAFTA @USTradeRep @CommerceGov pic.twitter.com/Vd0VV4AdXX
— Vince Mattson (@pgigrain) December 6, 2017

RT @farmbureau: Simply put, #NAFTA works. Since 1993, trade with Canada and Mexico has quadrupled and supported tens of thousands of jobs in all 50 states. #Farmers4NAFTA pic.twitter.com/Bxn5YEhPqU
— American Soybean (@ASA_Soybeans) December 6, 2017

I'm a 5th generation farmer in Nebraska. International trade is vital to me. @RepAdrianSmith @realDonaldTrump #farmers4NAFTA
— Mike Baker (@_Bakers_Acres) December 7, 2017

@realDonaldTrump I’m a farmer from #Ohio who needs #NAFTA! 33% of my income comes from exports, most of them to Mexico! Let’s keep it going, NAFTA will keep me in business!#Farmers4NAFTA
— Patty Mann (@Mannfarm4) December 6, 2017

In 2016, $20.3 billion in agricultural goods were exported to Canada and $17.8 billion to Mexico. #NAFTA works for America’s farmers and ranchers. #Farmers4NAFTA @NASDAnews
— SD Dept of Ag (@SDAgriculture) December 6, 2017

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.