The Fort Hays State University Block and Bridle Club is joining with Texas Tech University’s #AgProvides campaign in order to combat the public image presented by the “fast against slaughter” campaign.
The campaign was sparked after the announcement of special interest groups such as PETA, FARM, and The Humane League launching the campaign, which paints a negative light on animal agriculture through several social media outlets.
“This campaign’s goal is to scare consumers into cutting meat and animal product out of their diets through the use of selective images and videos of animal abuse,” said Garrett Steede, animal science teacher and Block and Bridle advisor. “This campaign aims to convince consumers that animal abuse is common in production agriculture.”
Instead of irrational and individual responses to this negative campaign, graduate students at TTU have composed the #AgProvides campaign to unite the industry and eradicate the lies from social media to help consumers understand the truth about agriculture.
“Agriculture provides for every person in America every single day,” Steede said. “We want people to know the real story, not just a few bad ones.”
TTU would like students and producers to join together to spread positivity and hard facts with pictures, statistics and anecdotes on social media using the hashtag “AgProvides.” By doing this, they hope the campaign reaches high school and college agriculture programs across the country.
#AgProvides is also asking the participating education programs to collect canned food items and donate them to their local food pantry to help fight food insecurity.
The Block and Bridle club will conduct one of these food drives this week in the union. Proceeds will be donated to the Tiger Food Exchange located in Forsyth Library.
To donate, stop by their booth featuring a power point presentation, or drop the items off in Steede’s office located in Albertson Hall room 204A. He will be collecting cans until Oct. 3.
The table will be set up Sept. 24, Sept. 29 and Oct. 1 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
For more information about this campaign, like the #AgProvides Facebook and Twitter pages.