by : lacylit10 Life Lessons

Just a Beginner.

I don’t know if I heard this from Mel Robbins or Brendan Burchard. Actually, I might have heard it from both of them in their own ways, but essentially they said, “Never feel ashamed of being ‘Just a beginner.’ We all start somewhere.”

As I navigate through this transitional phase and consider what I truly want to do next, I keep coming back to how scary it is to put myself out there. Generally, I know what I need to do, but, in some ways, fear is holding me back from implementation. It’s not the fear of failure. It’s not even the fear of success. It’s a fear of being vulnerable. A fear of being my authentic self in a world that is alarmingly cruel.

But this statement, “Just a beginner” keeps popping back up in my head. I am just. a. beginner.

What I’m realizing, though, is that I also have an underlying fear of not being a beginner. Perhaps, to the point of self-destruction. I do not want to be seen as an expert. In life (and in farming), we have to be adaptable and flexible with all of the unexpected things that get thrown at us. It has to be acceptable to grow and change.

I got to a point in my food safety career, where people considered me an expert. And it kind of terrified me.

Expert is defined as someone having comprehensive and authoritative knowledge in a specific area. By that definition, I was an expert. But I felt like I couldn’t be wrong. I couldn’t change my mind. I put so much pressure on myself to know and be right. Always. I burned myself out and kind of resented that I was supposed to be this end-all-be-all decision-maker.

But the pressure wasn’t entirely just me putting it on myself. There was an expectation that I was supposed to take the fault for a team of people who all contributed to the decisions made. I could be held personally accountable for natural environmental conditions where causes were nearly impossible to identify. This mindset was/is entirely unfair.

And the expectation was industrywide. Since the food safety representative held the certifications that qualified them as the expert decision-maker, they were the responsible party. Seemingly, it didn’t matter that the guy signing my checks could override my recommendation. And really, that’s all it was, because I wasn’t the final decision-maker of the business.

In this regard, food safety burned me. It made me feel like having comprehensive and authoritative knowledge was a bad thing. We live in such a litigious society that people need to hold someone accountable. That most likely person was me. And as things in food safety became increasingly complex and regulated, the more scary it became to be the responsible person. So much so that it drove me to leave the field altogether.

This was my experience with being an expert. I doubt that being an expert in different areas comes with these expectations and responsibilities, but it has made me fearful of gaining too much knowledge that people don’t give me the grace to continue learning and growing and changing. Of course, I know that I cannot control other peoples perceptions and emotions, but when people are so quick to make judgments and assumptions, it’s hard to not feel fearful of being vulnerable, especially without context. And people do not consider context.

For now, I’m just going to replay the “Just a beginner” mantra and remind myself that we all start somewhere. But realistically, I’ve been expressing vulnerability in this blog for years. Apparently, it doesn’t get easier. So I will just continue to feel the fear, and do it anyway.

by : lacylit10 Farming

Semmelweis.

Have you ever heard of Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis? Neither have most people, so I included a link. No need to follow it though, cause I’m going to tell you about him anyway. 😊

Dr. Semmelweis was a doctor in the mid-1800s. The mortality rate in the maternity clinic where he practiced was 1 in 10.  At the time, conventional medicine called for separate treatment of each symptom.  So rather than treating a fever, a headache, and trouble breathing with one method, they would use three separate methods.  But still, nothing seemed to work.  The women who contracted the disease which came to be known as ‘childbed fever’ died within days.

Dr. Semmelweis became obsessed with discovering why the mortality rate in his clinic was so much higher than the other.  The only difference between the two clinics is that Dr. Semmelweis’ was attended by doctors, and the other was attended by midwives. So he standardized everything in the effort to minimize outstanding variables.

After Dr. Semmelweis took a 4-month leave to visit another hospital, upon his return, he discovered the death rate had dropped significantly in his absence.  At the time, Vienna General was a research hospital, so many of the doctors split their time between tending to patients and researching on cadavers.  Dr. Semmelweis himself spent far more time doing research on the cadavers than the other doctors, and he realized this was the only significant difference between himself and the doctors that worked for him in his absence.  From these observations, he developed a theory of childbed fever that became the precursor to germ theory.

Dr. Semmelweis concluded that ‘particles’ from the cadavers and other diseased patients were being transferred to healthy patients on the hands of the physicians.  He immediately instituted a policy of hand washing with a chlorine/lime solution before examining a patient.  The death rate fell to 1 in 100.

Upon his discovery, Dr. Semmelweis told the rest of the medical community about his science. But his hypothesis that cleanliness is what mattered most was considered extreme, and he was ridiculed by the medical community. He was so outraged by the indifference to his discovery that he sent angry letters to prominent European doctors calling them irresponsible murderers.

Here’s the thing though:

The doctors were doing the best of what they knew with the science they had at the time.  They weren’t acting with malicious intent. And Dr. Semmelweis’ science wasn’t proven to the extent that these doctors had been educated and trained.

So, why am I telling you this story?

Because, surprisingly, it has a lot to do with farming leafy greens. 🥬

Leafy greens farmers are highly regulated under both FSMA (the Food Safety Modernization Act) and the CA/AZ LGMAs (Leafy Greens Marketing Agreements). Additionally, most farms are GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) certified. All of these regulatory compliance agencies base their standards on the best science available, at this time.

Leafy greens farmers aren’t acting with malicious intent. They are not adulterating your food. Most are just following guidance laid out by science and academic experts. But there are some farmers who go above and beyond the regulation. They take regulation comprised by science and academia and cater it to their specific farms. They are the Dr. Semmelweis’ of farming.

And who is to say who is wrong? Dr. Semmelweis and the doctors of the medical community were all doing what they believed was best based on their education, their beliefs, their experience, and all sorts of other things. Just as farmers today are all doing what they believe is best based on their education, their beliefs, their experience, and all sorts of other things, including the best available science at this time.

Dr. Semmelweis made his discovery in 1847, but it wasn’t until the 1980s when (coincidentally) a string of foodborne outbreaks and healthcare-associated infections led the U.S. CDC to identify handwashing as an important step to stop the spread of infection.  

Leafy greens production in California (especially) is probably the most highly regulated crop in the world. We’ve been actively improving our regulation to make leafy greens safer since 2006. Additionally, the CDC didn’t start using whole genome sequencing for foodborne pathogen detection until 2013. So before you make assumptions that industry is not responding to these outbreaks fast enough, I urge you to consider that it took over 100 years for Dr. Semmelweis’ handwashing theory to make it into mainstream medicine.

Lack of science or insufficient regulation is not an excuse for these outbreaks. I’m just simply trying to point out that scientific discoveries take time and so does improving regulation.

But like Dr. Semmelweis trying to convince the medical community, know that there are many farmers out there doing all that they can to prevent contamination from happening. They are going above and beyond the regulation. They are catering the best available science to their specific farms. And they are trying to get the rest of the industry on board.

by : lacylit10 Farming

Where Food Grows.

I was talking to a friend awhile back about educating consumers on where their food comes from. Based on what we see online, it seems that consumers have an interest in learning about it. They are vocal about non-GMO, organic, antibiotic-free, free-range, fresh, and local produce. They get up-in-arms any time there is a recall or outbreak. They like farmer’s markets where they can see and meet the farmer. They like U-Pick stands where they can set foot on the farms themselves. It seems there is opportunity to bridge the gap between producers and consumers.

But then my friend asked, “But do they really care?”

This question has been swirling around in my brain for almost a year. I can’t shake it, because I think his implication is right. I think people want to want to learn about where their food comes from, but they don’t want to put in the work to do it. They seek out easy online resources, listen to non-credible people, and jump to their own misinformed conclusions. They find sources that align with their preconceived bias, closing them in an echo chamber of inaccuracy.

I experience this from my own friends and social network who ask me questions about what I do. Let’s take the ever popular organic argument as an example:

I tell them organic uses pesticides and chemicals that are of naturally-derived materials. Their food is fertilized with chicken shit and ground up fish turned into liquid. They look at me in disgust, then continue to swear that organic is healthier, even though there is no scientific evidence to prove organic produce holds more nutritional value than conventional produce. They continue to believe the carefully curated marketing campaigns of companies who are making loads of money off their naivety. They believe all of this over the knowledge and experience of someone they know and trust who manages crop inputs and oversees the safe production of their food.

Theoretically, people want to know where their food comes from, but they don’t want to know the nitty-gritty.

They don’t want to know that sometimes you have to spray organic twice as much, because the natural chemicals don’t work as well at controlling pests and diseases. They don’t want to know about the multitude of competing regulations that we are navigating between. They don’t want to understand nitrogen uptake and pH levels. They don’t want to learn about crop rotations and organic matter. They don’t want to hear that markets can drive decisions, because they simply see themselves as the end-user.

A.G. Kawamura is a third generation farmer and former secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. He wrote an op-ed for Agri-Pulse around this time last year. In it, he says what has become one of my favorite quotes on agriculture in recent times:

Most assuredly we will remember why agriculture is important the day we return to a world of scarcity.

We are so fortunate to live in a country of abundance! We can be picky, because we have so. many. choices. Those who are hungry and are given a meal never question if the produce is organic. They are happy to have food in their stomachs.

For every ten people that say they have an interest in learning about where their food comes from, I bet there’s probably only two who legitimately care. So to my friend, here’s what I say: Those two are two more than we had before.

by : lacylit10 Farming

Commentary.

It is so painful to read the comments on posts related to these E. coli outbreaks. People are so quick to point the finger, and they are convinced they are right in their assumption. But you can say that about any topic on any platform. 🙄

The main argument I see online is people blaming farm workers for pooping in the fields. You guys. 🤦🏻‍♀️ If a farm worker has E. coli, he is not going to be pooping in the field. He is going to be in the hospital with all the other victims.

E. coli O157:H7 is a very virulent pathogen. We all know that bacteria are very, very, very, very small microorganisms, right? It can take less than 10 single cells of this bacteria to make someone sick. And if you don’t understand how small of an amount that is, we have over 100 trillion cells of 1,200 varied bacteria living in our gut alone. (Check out The Good Gut book ➡️ for more info about that!)

The argument online then continues with, “They do poop in fields! I’ve seen it! I know!”

Okay, Susan. 😒 Slow down the blame train.

Any law-abiding grower/harvester is going to have plenty of portable toilets available for employees to use. If the employee chooses not to use the provided bathroom, that is on the employee. Any respectable supervisor will terminate the employee immediately upon discovering he or she has not used the provided facility.

Agriculture is like any other business. We can train and supervise, but we can only influence the choices our employees make so much. It is ultimately up to the person to make a deliberate good or bad decision. This happens every minute, of every day, in every aspect of our lives. We cannot hover over people all day long. At some point, we have to trust our children or employees to make good decisions. And just like parents, we cannot discipline poor behavior if we’re not aware it’s occurring.

I don’t mind having a little friendly debate with people, but it’s all about respecting perspectives, knowledge, and experience. Unfortunately, in the online platform, it seems like all respect goes out the window. We’re conversing with people that we really don’t know, which makes it easier to judge and criticize. We have no personal relationship with the person on the other side of the screen, but that doesn’t give us the right to completely disregard that person as a real human, with real feelings. And I think it’s important to remember that even if you’re not participating in the debate and just reading comments.

Sometimes the best thing we can do is ignore the commentary, because some arguments you’re just never going to win. (Or you dedicate an entire blog post to picking apart the behavior and rebutting the argument. Your choice. Make a good one! 🤪)

1 Comment
by : lacylit10 Leadership, Travel

Capitol Visit.

The United Fresh Washington Conference recently ended, and I am so bummed to miss it. Last year was my first year attending with Class 24, and it was an awesome experience. I had been to Sacramento to speak to our legislators before but never to DC.

My first trip to DC was in 8th grade, and it was a terrible experience for reasons I won’t get into now. But also, I just did not appreciate the history and magnitude of what I was witnessing and experiencing.

As a Mass Communication and Media Studies major, one of my favorite parts of visiting DC was the side stop I made to visit the Newseum. There were so many moving galleries, like the 9/11 gallery that exhibits newspaper headlines from across the world (photo right).

Of course, another of my favorites was “First Dogs: American Presidents and Their Pets”. Because, well, dogs. Need I say more?

But if I had to name just one favorite, it would be the Pulitzer Prize Photographs. On the wall as you exit, you see a quote by Eddie Adams:

If it makes you laugh, if it makes you cry, if it rips your heart, that’s a good picture.

The photos in this gallery were so moving that I’m pretty sure I cried half my way through it. I’ve always enjoyed photography, but I have never been able to capture moments like the professionals. It amazes me how some images, even in their simplicity, can be so powerfully touching. One that comes to mind as an example is The Falling Man.

My inner journalist continued to geek out when we had dinner at the National Press Club and listened to Bob Woodward speak. (If you don’t know either of those things, then we can’t be friends.)

I admire journalists of the past, who actually reported non-biased information and delivered facts. When your biases are so deeply engrained in your values and morals, it’s very hard to report objectively. (Also, don’t even get me started on journalism today. Oy vey.)

But the main reason for visiting DC was to advocate for agriculture among our legislators – something I thoroughly enjoy doing. It’s when hundreds of produce leaders converge on Capitol Hill to address some of the industry’s most pressing matters.

My first time advocating for our industry was during the Legislative Visits Statewide Meeting for California Women for Agriculture in Sacramento. My eyes were opened to the many lobbyists who are daily in the ears of our leaders urging them to vote for harmful ag bills. Our leaders need to hear it straight from the producers. There’s a lot more passion in persuasion when you are directly affected by what’s on the table. (Just ask Jordan Cunningham. 😂)

by : lacylit10 Life Lessons

Leap.

When I first applied for the United Fresh Produce Industry Leadership Class 24, we were asked why we wanted to be part of the program. I essentially said that farmers have a story that needs to be told, and if no one else is going to stand up for what we do, then I want to be the one to do it.

It’s kind of funny, because almost everything I’ve worked for personally and professionally has set me up to be that person. And for as much as I want to be the one out there shouting from the rooftops about how important it is to preserve our farming heritage, it terrifies me to be the one in the spotlight.

Over the past few years, it seems that I had been so focused on doing what felt right in my career and developing my leadership skills that I had slowly broken into that storyteller role and didn’t even realize it. And for as much as I’ve unknowingly embraced it, I’ve consciously been fighting it.

I’m not sure who first said that if your dreams don’t scare you, then they’re not big enough. Well, I have dreams, and they freak me the F out.

I know what I need to do to achieve those dreams, but it’s that first step that has been the hardest. And this is that step. It’s exposing my insecurities in order to face my fears and no longer hiding the things that bring me joy.

So, here’s to taking the leap of faith. Please be kind, my armor is down.