It came from WHERE?!

Q: Where does your milk come from?

A: The grocery store.

Too often, I have found myself or friends quickly victimizing or undermining the individual who would answer a question like this. We are so quick to say...

NO. It came from a farm!

...and make the person who we asked this trapping-question, feel like an idiot.

As agriculturalists, we definitely have passion:

1. Passion for what we do.
2. Passion for our lifestyle.
3. Passion for every aspect of the products/services we provide.

When people do not exactly understand or know it, it can be frustrating or disrupt a normal conversation. Nonetheless, we need to make sure that we are honest with ourselves in the questions we ask and the motivation behind it.

If we are asking questions like this to:

• Share a laugh with our friends, or create a mockery about it at a conference (You know exactly what I'm talking about).
• Prove individuals wrong.
• Create a scene or make a visible statement.

Think about what you are doing...

Is this the "PASSION" and attitude you wanted to be labeled with?

Friends,
In everything we do, it is great to have passion -with out a doubt.

However it is important to show COMPASSION when we share it, voice it or talk about it.  

Having a passion for something is so unique to each of us as individuals, so its incredibly unfair for us to assume that everyone else will understand it like you do.

Passion is great, but you can't share it unless you are compassionate towards those you share it with.

Now back to the beginning question about milk and the grocery store. Let's be honest with ourselves... 

Honestly, how many of you get it right from the farm?

I bet few.

**Prove me wrong, and take a picture of you getting your milk for a bowl of cereal from a bulk tank...everyday.

Its great to be having conversations like this with consumers of all differing levels of background, education and age. But please, do not be that person who will write off someone as "ignorant" or an "idiot" for not knowing what are you passionate about.

Put yourself in the situation of talking with some one that is incredibly passionate about a topic that you are neither passionate nor knowledgeable about.

Don't create traps or ask questions- it makes you look like a complete...let's just say not compassionate. 

What will you say?