Note: This was originally published in the August 2013 edition of the Missouri Ruralist (with a few minor edits). This post is for the purpose of a communications contest.
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A few days ago, I sat in the buddy seat of Ronnie Flatt's combine out in a half-harvested wheat field south of Centralia, Mo. We stopped on the outer edge of the field to dump the grain into a truck, and I had to smile. Partially because of the peace that fills a person when they get out of the city limits for a while, but mostly because of the girl standing in the wheat stubble below. She had a camera pressed up against her face.
"She's going to get dusty," Ronnie chuckled next to me.
And he was right. Megan Donohue did get a little dusty, but I knew she didn't care. It was getting close to 8 p.m., and the lighting was perfect for taking photographs. Earlier, while she rode with Ronnie in the combine, she sent me a text that read, "This light is my favorite light EVER!"
Megan is a photojournalism student at the University of Missouri. We were both reporting for the Columbia Missourian—she through photos and I through words. We were paired to work together on several stories this summer.
When stories steered us toward agriculture and farmers, Megan hopped in my car and we headed to the countryside. For me, it was like a brief escape to places that felt like home. For my new photographer friend from the state of California, it was an adventure into uncharted territories.
On our first trip, down to a farm along the Missouri River after heavy rains in late May and early June, Megan told me she knew nothing about agriculture. I was thrilled because this was a chance to both write about agriculture for Columbia residents and personally show agriculture to someone removed from the farm.
But it turns out, I wasn't the one who made the impact. What made those adventures enjoyable and enlightening were the farmers like Ronnie who allowed us to tag along with them.
I think Megan found it interesting to listen to a farmer recite unusual weather seasons from years long gone. However, I'll never forget the excitement in her eyes as she rode along in the combine.
I'm thankful I found so many farmers who were willing to give us some of their time to share their thoughts for our stories. I know visiting with reporters can be intimidating—even I feel nervous talking to reporters. But the stories with farmers' voices were much more real and compelling for city readers. And I'm pretty sure Ronnie and his black cocker spaniel Mikie made Megan's day.
As we walked across the field and back to my car, Megan yelled, "Best assignment ever!"
She laughed about taking more than 300 photos, which she said would frustrate her editors. Especially when they discovered half of them were of the cows in a pasture behind the wheat field. But hey, at least she experienced agriculture!
By the time we pulled into the newsroom parking lot, it was almost dark. We were talking about other potential ag stories, and she seemed ready to take on anything.
"You're my ag hookup," she told me.
An ag hookup. What an interesting thought. We're all probably someone's only connection to agriculture, but I know I often don't realize it or do anything about it. If we want to ensure people see an accurate picture of agriculture, though, we probably should.
We may never know what kind of an impact we make on the people around us, but I know a few farmers who made a very positive impact on my life recently. And, because of their words and actions, I know one photojournalist who appreciated the small glimpse of agriculture she saw through her camera lens this summer.
