“Can I Pet Your Cow?”
If you have ever attended a livestock show or fair, you have probably heard the question, “Can I pet your cow?” more than once. If you’ve heard this question, you’ve also probably seen one or two negative responses from the owner of said “cow”. Now I’m not saying I’ve never done it, but recently, I’ve seen the effect of how “anti-advocacy” can have an extremely negative effect on the agriculture community.
We may not realize it, but one bad experience can shape how we see a group of people. This means when someone asks to “pet the cow”, a negative response from you, could end up shaping how that individual sees farmers and ranchers. While you may not have asked for it, people who choose to show livestock aren’t just representing themselves and their family’s livestock. They represent agriculture as a whole. When you choose to go to a fair or show, you are also choosing to put what you do in front of the public eye. A public eye that might not have anything to do with the agricultural community.
While it may seem intimidating, going to fairs and shows can open up an exciting opportunity to tell the public about agriculture. While it can be annoying when someone walks up to you and says, “Can I pet your cow?”, we can choose to look at it as an opportunity to share our story. So the next time your instincts tell you to be annoyed at the request, here are some alternative ideas to try!
Tell the truth.
I think it’s easy to resort to telling lies when we want to avoid letting someone pet our livestock. We don’t often realize that telling the truth can go a lot further in helping someone understand agriculture than telling a lie. When you’re getting ready to walk into the ring, tell the person who asks to go to the sidelines and watch your calf show! After you come out of the ring, you can take some time to answer any questions they may have. If your calf is wild, tell them that! Then, maybe you can help them find an exhibitor who has a calf that would love to get pet! We do not have to be known as an industry that lies to consumers because we don’t think they will understand. There are plenty of opportunities to avoid lying, and still open the door for them to learn more about the ag industry!
2. Give them your contact information.
Another option when you get the question, “Can I pet your cow?” is to give the person who asked your contact info. This is a great way of telling them that you may not have the time now, but you are more than willing to talk to them later. This can really help you to not come off as rude or unwilling to take the time to help them. It also is a great way to build a connection with someone you might not have otherwise had!
3. Be willing to talk.
It really seems like it’s been a trend in recent years to not put your money where your mouth is. In my ag classes in college, it was always a theme to talk about advocacy. But despite all the “big talk”, I rarely saw my classmates talking to people who weren’t in their ag circle. In other words, we all like the idea of advocating for agriculture, but when it comes right down to it, few of us are willing to step outside our comfort zones and talk to the consumers. Now, I know some of you will say, “You just don’t get it. Consumers hate us, why would we try to talk to them?” Well, despite what you may think, I do get it. Currently, I am getting a degree that is not in agriculture, and I spend a lot of time with people who “just don’t get it”. In fact, for one of my marketing classes, a group even did a presentation on marketing alternative meat on the grounds that it was “better for the environment”. (You can imagine the smoke coming out of the ears of us three girls with an agricultural background.) However, the presentation actually opened the door to some good conversations about the sustainability of livestock production! In fact, I had great conversations with multiple classmates who were eager to hear my perspective!
People ARE willing to listen, we just have to be willing to give them enough respect to be willing to answer their questions. It’s easy to think, “What a dumb question!” But imagine what you would think if you didn’t grow up in agriculture and you heard about some of the practices we have; I bet you would have some “dumb questions” too!
With that being said, I really hope the next time you get the question, “Can I pet your cow?” you are willing to look at it as an opportunity rather than an annoyance. People are curious, they’re sincere, and they want to talk to you! You can also help teach your kids, friends, and fellow producers that the public doesn’t have to be scary. It can be a great opportunity to build relationships, share your story, and make new friends! So, the next time someone asks, “Can I pet your cow?”, instead of being annoyed, I hope you will see it as an exciting opportunity!
