About this Talk
There's an increasing sense that hard work is not valuable. There's a tendency towards delegation, algorithms, and AI funnels. The idea is that if you're doing hard manual labor, you're not being smart.
As mikeroweWORKS says, "We've got a PR problem."
The ugly, beautiful truth is that hard work is at the foundation of our society. And because of our increasing disconnection from the food and the objects in our everyday lives, people have begun to take it for granted- or not even realize it exists.
This mindset has led to a massive influx of imported food and a huge decrease in the number of farmers in America. What can we do to change this trajectory?
How can we make farming appealing to young people?
How can we inspire our culture to elevate farmers?
Mike Rowe has dedicated his career to lifting up people who are the most vital to our society. His hit show, Dirty Jobs, shined a light on those doing the most thankless and yet most important jobs in our culture. His non-profit, mikeroweWORKS provides real-life incentives for people to get into agriculture and blue-collar jobs through the Work Ethic Scholarship Program.
Joel Salatin has inspired more people to farm than any other person in America. His landmark book- You Can Farm- is cited by countless farmers as the catalyst to pushing people to get started farming. His farm- Polyface Farms- in Swoope, Virginia is an epicenter of young agricultural talent and has dozens of hard-working apprentices and stewards working there each year.
Listen to this truly remarkable duo as they share thoughts on how we can elevate farmers in American culture.
