Mike Rowe delivered a speech at the FFAnational convention in Indianapolis on Oct.21, 2009. There were about 56,000 in atten-dance so he gave a similar speech three timesbecause the stadium would only accommodate20,000. What follows is about that speech andreprinted with permission.—Ed.

The last time I was in Indianapolis wasthe summer of 2003. I remember itpretty well because I was still sulking

about the Colts being moved there withoutmy permission and was not quite over theiringlorious departure from my hometown ofBaltimore 20 years earlier. My bitternessmelted away, however, in nearby Plainfield atthe National Chimney Sweep TrainingSchool, the site of my very first dirty job.

There, I was instructed in the fine art of “fluemaintenance,” and engulfed in flames whileattempting to extinguish a raging creosotefire from the top of a rickety demonstrationplatform. Things went downhill after thatand by the time I finally left town I wasunrecognizable, concealed under a thick layerof ash and soot, with no plans of ever return-ing to The Crossroads of America.

Of course, in those days I was unrecog-nizable on a daily basis. “Dirty Jobs” wouldnot debut for another six months, and I hadno reason to think that anyone would watchwhen it did. I was wrong about that, and I’vebeen wrong about a great many things eversince. A few months ago, in fact—proving

once again that my plans and my life have lit-tle in common—I returned to Indianapolis alot cleaner, and a lot less anonymous, todeliver the keynote address at the 82ndNational Convention of the Future Farmersof America.

For those of you who don’t know, the FFAis an organization of 500,000 teenagers, mostof whom look like they fell off the front of aWheaties’ box. Wholesome, polite, andimpossibly well mannered, these are the kidsyou wish you had, diligently pursuing an ado-lescence of agricultural acumen. Unfortu-nately, I arrived at their annual conventionwith the same level of planning and fore-thought I had brought on my last visit (i.e.,none), and found myself pacing in the wings20 minutes before my appearance, trying to

arrange my thoughts into an “inspirationaland G-rated message.” Luckily, I happened toglance down at the FFA Briefing Packetrecently handed to me by one of the organiz-ers, and found some inspiration on page four.

“The FFA currently faces an image andperception problem. The previous name ofthe organization, Future Farmers of America,lends itself to stereotyping by the public. TheFFA faces a continuing battle to redefine itselfagainst narrow perceptions of ‘agriculture,’‘vocational’ and ‘farmers.’ The name FFA isnow used instead of Future Farmers ofAmerica.”

Incredible. Have we really become so dis-connected from our food that farmers no

longer wish to be called farmers? Apparently,yes. The FFA has determined that mostAmericans think of farmers like those actorsin Colonial Williamsburg—smiling carica-tures from “Hee Haw” and “Green Acres,”laboring quaintly in flannel and denim. Fromwhat I’ve seen, they’re right. Over and over Ihear the same thing from farmers I’ve met on“Dirty Jobs.” Technical advances in modernagriculture now rival those of Silicon Valley,and today’s farms are more efficient thanever, but no one seems to have gotten thememo. No one seems to care.

The question is why? Fifteen minuteslater I was onstage, trying to provide a sensi-ble answer to an audience of 56,000 futurefarmers who preferred to be called some-thing else. I talked about the power of label-ing and the dangers of typecasting, fromHollywood to Iowa. I relied upon my ownmistakes and misperceptions to make mypoints (no shortage there), and told somestories about the education I’ve received inthe course of shooting “Dirty Jobs.” I don’tknow that I was “inspirational” per se, but atthe conclusion I was presented with somelovely parting gifts, and left the stage to thun-derous applause. In short, I had a blast, andthink the kids did as well.

Later that night though, I discovered thatthere had also been some grown-ups inattendance. Some very serious grown-upswho run the kinds of organizations that actu-ally put the food on our plates. People likeChad Gregory. Chad’s a big shot with TheUnited Egg Producers, and claimed to haveenjoyed my comments immensely. He is alsoconvinced that the PR challenges facinggroups like the FFA are not only real, but crit-ically relevant to anyone addicted to chewingand swallowing things.

Chad believes we have started down aslippery path that will forever change ournation’s food supply. He talks passionatelyabout the need for people to get educatedabout the realities of feeding a growing pop-ulation, and foresees a time when our coun-try imports more food than it ships out.Chad says that without massive awarenessand sweeping change, egg production in Cal-ifornia will be all but eliminated by 2015, andthat thanks to recent ballot initiatives, theprocess has already begun. He points to theconfusion around the “free-range” issue, andthe power of groups like The Humane Soci-ety of the United States [HSUS], which hastaken its agenda to a whole new level.According to Chad, one of its intended goals

The Future Of FarmingThe champion of “Dirty Jobs” takes on the original dirty job. By Mike Rowe

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The challenges facinggroups like the FFA

are not only real, but critically relevant

to anyone addicted to chewing and

swallowing things.

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WINTER 2012 • RANGE MAGAZINE • 11

is now the elimination of all U.S. animal-based agriculture.

Chad wasn’t alone. Walking around Indi-anapolis, I had dozens of similar encounterswith a variety of people, all deeply concernedabout the future of food productionin this country, and frustrated thatthe relevant issues have beenframed by well-funded politicalorganizations with very specificagendas. I listened to stories fromagri-scientists about environmentalgroups fiercely opposed to biotech-nical and chemical breakthroughsthat would dramatically increasefood production worldwide. I sawliterature from PETA that likenedbeef production to “genocide.” Anda young farmer named Travis toldme about a $1,200 fine levied byOSHA, because the bottom rung onone of his ladders was bent.

As I spoke with various farmersthat evening, I realized that I had asked thewrong question. Why is too easy. Obviously,today’s farmers need a PR campaign becausethey are beset by an army of angry acronyms,each determined to change modern agricul-

ture in a way that better reflects its particularworldview. The better question is how. Howis it that 300 million Americans—all addictedto eating—have become disconnected fromthe people who grow our food? What new

priorities have captured our shared concern?The answer depends entirely upon whom

you ask. PETA has one response. The SierraClub has another. The Humane Societymight see it differently than the EPA. And

Greenpeace has a different reply than OSHA.Fair enough; it’s a free country. But how didthese organizations get so much power? Aretheir arguments really that compelling? Aretheir leaders really that charismatic? Are their

members really that enlightened? Orhas our prosperity created a toehold forideas that would have simply died onthe vine one or two generations ago?

Imagine the HSUS successfullyclosing down California egg productionback in...1960. Or, in the same year,imagine OSHA fining a family farm$1,200 for a bent ladder. Imagine tellinghungry Americans decades ago thatenvironmental policy would make itimpossible to maximize food produc-tion. I’m not looking for a fight—reallyI’m not. I understand that differentthings are important to different peo-ple, and I don’t begrudge anyone’s rightto champion the issues that mattermost to them. But what’s more impor-

tant than eating? What’s more importantthan feeding a hungry planet, and supportingthe people who grow our food?

On “Dirty Jobs,” I’m no expert, and I’meven less of one here. But I have a theory, and

All jobs rely on one of two industries—mining and agriculture. Every tangiblething our society needs is either pulledfrom the ground, or grown from the

ground. Without these fundamental indus-tries there would be no jobs of any kind.There would be no economy. Civilizationbegins with miners and farmers, and

polite society is only possible when skilledworkers transform those raw materials

into something useful or edible.

Rowe says the teenagers were “wholesome, polite, impossibly well mannered” and looked like they fell off the front of a Wheaties’ box.

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it goes like this: All jobs rely on one of twoindustries—mining and agriculture. Everytangible thing our society needs is eitherpulled from the ground, or grown from theground. Without these fundamental indus-tries there would be no jobs of any kind.There would be no economy. Civilizationbegins with miners and farmers, and politesociety is only possible when skilled workerstransform those raw materials into some-thing useful or edible.

I started mikeroweWORKS.com becauseI think we’ve become disconnected from thatbasic premise. I think we’ve simply forgottenabout the underlying industries upon whichall else depends, and as a result created forourselves a vocational identity crisis. Our col-lective definition of a “good job” has evolvedinto something that no longer resembleswork, and that has detached us from a greatmany things, including our food, and thepeople who provide it.

Could this be the root cause of the FFA’s“perception problem?” Could our warpedview of the modern farmer be just anothersymptom of our warped relationship withwork in general? It’s just a theory, but howelse can we explain a country that marginal-izes and stereotypes the very people wedepend on most? From what I’ve seen, mostpeople like farmers. Most people like food.The problem is work. We’ve spent decadestrying to distance ourselves from traditionalnotions of work. And who embodies workmore than the American farmer?

If Chad’s right, U.S. animal agriculture isunder siege, and we’re well on our way to get-ting our eggs from China and our beef fromBrazil. Perhaps this would please TheHumane Society. Perhaps PETA would like tosee those items removed from menus alto-gether, and that’s fine. People often disagreeabout important matters, but without con-text, the bigger issue gets lost. This is our foodsupply we’re talking about—not the size of achicken’s cage, or the resistance to chemicallyenhanced soil. We already rely on the worldfor our energy. Do we really want to rely onthe world for our food as well?

I auditioned the other day for thevoiceover on a TV commercial about theAmerican farmer. (Yeah, I still audition.) Idon’t recall the whole thing, but it startedout like this: “Every year we demand moreand more from our farmers. More foodfrom less land. More food from less energy.More food from less labor. And every yearour farmers deliver.”

I believe that to be a true statement. I alsobelieve that as a country, we haven’t made iteasy for them. Two percent of our populationprovides the rest of us with all the food weneed, and we behave as though it’s ourbirthright. Like nothing we do can threatenthe abundance. It seems to me that as a coun-try, we could do a better job of supportingthe people who feed us. And we could startby acknowledging the incredible challengesfacing the American farmer.

But I digress.All I really wanted to do was congratulate

the FFA for its good work, and thank themfor inviting me back to Indianapolis. I spenda lot of time these days talking about theimportance of getting dirty—mostly withwhite-collar workers who don’t really knowwhat I’m getting at, which is fine. Preachingto the choir doesn’t do much but bore thechoir, so I rarely take the opportunity to talkto groups who already get it.

However, there is something to be saidfor occasionally finding yourself in the com-pany of like-minded people. And every sooften, if you can get your thoughts organizedin time, it’s fun to address the rafters anddeliver a message that gets 56,000 enthusias-tic future farmers to stand up and holler backwith unbridled gusto.

Such were my last three days in Indi-anapolis. Good for the spirit, good for theego, and far superior to crawling down aflaming chimney.

Not that there’s anything wrong withthat. ■

Mike Rowe stars in “Dirty Jobs” on the Discov-ery Channel. The show profiles the unsungAmerican laborers who make their living in themost unthinkable—yet vital—ways. He says,“The hardworking group of men and womenovercome fear, danger and sometimes stenchand overall ickiness to accomplish their dailytasks.” The purpose of his website,www.mikeroweWORKS.com and “PR cam-paign for hard work and skilled labor,” is tocall attention to the growing skills gap in thetrades, provide comprehensive resources foranyone looking to explore those vocations, aswell as focus the country on the very real issuesfacing our trade workers, miners and farmers.In addition to the trade resource center, Mikehas established The mikeroweWORKS Foun-dation to help fund scholarship programs andother initiatives that reinvigorate trade schoolenrollments and industrial arts programsaround the country. The website also includesMike’s blog, videos and photos.

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We need you now more than ever.BOB INNES, GILLETTE, WYOMING

We’ve cut back in many ways in this econo-my, but can’t do without RANGE. You’reright, and more people need to read the truthas you tell it.PHYLLIS JORDAN, REDDING, CALIFORNIAWRONG DIRECTIONThe U.S. has gone from a creditor nation to adebtor nation during the latter part of my life.The revenues of the U.S. Forest Service andthe BLM in Oregon used to exceed expenses(in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s), and they paid thecounties part of those revenues. Now bothagencies operate at a loss and the countiesreceive funds from the general treasury(kind’a like welfare), and our forests are goingto hell for lack of management. A sad com-mentary. Something needs to be done, folks.EDGAR KUPILLAS, KLAMATH FALLS, OREGON

RANGE & PAUL REVEREI was hooked on RANGE the first time I readit after I stumbled upon it in a western store.What is most appreciated is to find a maga-zine that factually, scientifically, and objective-ly is telling our story that the enviros areanti-capitalists attempting to set aside all ournatural resources, prohibiting multiple use,and shutting up our working forests andranges. Thank you for your patriotic effort;you deserve the Paul Revere Award.With your Fall 2011 issue, I have first-per-son knowledge of the veracity of your articles.“Wild Wild Wet” by Dave Skinner accuratelyrelates how the enviros are attempting to takeeven more of our working Olympic forest-lands. As the chief executive for Grays Harbor

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