I live in the Finger Lakes of New York and we have been blessed with the gift of some unique lakes created by a set of geological circumstances that not many people today get to enjoy. So last week I read an announcement about a public meeting to discuss the current status of a local watershed's issues. So, being in the business of agriculture, I was interested and determined to go. The day approached and my "to do" list was not too big so I was thinking I would be able to go. Then an unexpected plumbing problem occurred and I found myself with the very real possibility of not being able to go as I had decided that the plumbing repair job was more important than the watershed meeting. But, as God would have it, I found myself applying myself to the tasks at hand with a sense of determination, and I could tell that I was going to make that meeting. Sure enough, I made the public meeting. I was five minutes late, but I made it. Our area is a very agriculturally blessed area. It has been since colonial times. The climate is very conducive to corn, hay, apples, grapes, and many other crops. Water is abundant and we can grow grass hay like nobody's business. The area is almost a farmer's Eden, if it weren't for those pesky weeds and bugs. Dairy farming is very big in our county. We just recently had 21 dairy farmers invest over $100 million dollars in their own milk plant, which, interestingly enough, was on the neighboring property to were the meeting was held. The issues of the watershed were discussed and agriculture operations were identified as a primary contributor to the decline in the lake's health. Increased phosphate levels along with Total Dissolved Solids were helping contribute to some rather serious issues such as Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB) also called blue-green algae. It's the same thing that gave the city of Toledo, OH some really serious trouble by contaminating their city drinking water for several days. And Senator Rob Portman called the incident a "wake up call" about the serious nature of HAB. I admit, I was a late comer to this watershed group. For whatever reason, I had never gotten involved before so when I heard about the seriousness issue of blue-green algae I was immediately put on notice. Why? I had been given the opportunity to help draft guidelines for the newly created Nutrient Management Specialty Category for the tri-state area surrounding Lake Erie. The fertilizer industry around the Lake Erie watershed had now realized, after the major algal bloom developed, that it was time to take this issue seriously. And now here I was sitting at a local watershed meeting with the same issues at hand, and the same scenario unfolding before me. The room was a gracious meeting room that nicely held about 100 of us there. The current water quality plan and goals were well presented by a member of the committee. We then had an open time of question and comment and the issue of water pollution, Toledo, and demand to improve the lake conditions was immediately presented by a concerned citizen. Given what I know, I could easily identify with this man. His concerns resonated with me. We had a few more good comments, and ideas and were about to close the Q & A time. But, suddenly, someone asked if there were any farmers in the group who could tell everyone what they (farmers) thought.......awkward silence. That's actually typical for such a situation. Farmers tend to be introverts by nature as they tend to be folks use to dealing with things beyond their control. They tend to focus on what is at hand without doing a very good job at explaining what it is they are doing. But what was more discouraging was the lack of attendance to the meeting by farmers. However, we did have four or five in the group of 100 and one, who I consider to be a steward of the land, did speak about the topic of drastic weather and how it makes it hard to establish grass waterways to help control erosion. "Good point...but please....tell them more", is what I was thinking. After he was done we had, who I can only assume was to be a farm lobbyist, speak on behalf of the rest of the farmers who could not attend. She mentioned that she had been in Washington D.C. working on topics that she could not discuss relative to the subject at hand.....(sounds like a lobbyist to me), but wanted to assure everyone that the reason farmers could not be at the meeting was because rain was coming and they needed to get their hay harvested before the rain. And at that I shook my head and wondered, "what would the people of Toledo, OH think if they heard that?" If you read my articles you can tell that I am passionate about agriculture. I make no excuses for it. I want to eat, and I want all peoples to have the opportunity to do the same, as they so choose to do as they see fit. I will defend farming to the end, but it's get's harder to fight for an industry that does not stand up for itself and takes to heart what the rest of "farming's neighbors" consider important. My career has always been in retail, and the customer is who I need to pay attention to. I think the reduction of blue-green algae blooms in the water supply for the city of Auburn, NY is kind of serious, don't you? I just have to ask myself, "why does a lobbyist need to speak for the farmers of my local area in my local school?" If this is what farming is coming to in the United States, then we are all in big trouble. As farm numbers diminish here in the United States we hear farmers say it is harder and harder to farm. And yet without explaining what farming is all about, legislatures, and more importantly, the general public will form an opinion. And that opinion will most assuredly be negative. As farm numbers decrease the Food Security of our nation becomes more jeopardized. It is a downward spiral that must be stopped. I am not the only one who senses this. The laws of Free Enterprise have kicked in and we have CSA's, as well as local and urban food efforts springing up around all major metropolitan areas to help fill the void being created. These folks are v o r a c i o u s at telling their story. They tell their story with passion and have a goal. For what it's worth, the four or five farmers out of 100 attending the meeting is over doubled the concentration of farmers as a percentage of the Untied States population. That was a good thing. But, the story of agriculture and it's effects on the concerns of the public must be told by the farmer....and not a lobbyist. I think I need to give them a hand. http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/plants/algae/lakes/AlgaeInformation.htmlhttp://www.toledoblade.com/local/2014/08/02/City-of-Toledo-issues-do-no-drink-water-advisery.html