Remember the unlimited tools of creativity at your disposal as a child? Whether "skiing" through the barnyards, using the haymow as a trampoline or digging tunnels through the snow, farm kids have a wide array of "toys" to stimulate their imagination. Most adults don't take the time to remember the lessons of their childhood games, particularly with all of the worries in agriculture today.

When was the last time you thought about the creative tools you still have at your disposal on the farm? My audiences typically gasp in disbelief when I ask them to build bridges from graham crackers and licorice. However, they always exceed their own expectations when they work as a group with a specific focus that allows them to maximize on their unique resources.

Why not apply the same principle in getting creative with bridges for agriculture? You do have resources in the agrifood business that can be used to build bridges to a variety of target audiences. Whether your target audience is teachers, consumers, or politicians...look for creative tools you can use to help them better understand the business of agriculture. Perhaps it's providing the local school with a garden plot, getting the local congressman on your tractor with GPS, or taking the time to give a tour to show how sanitary a milking parlor can be...don't take your ‘toy box’ on the farm for granted!

While you are actively engaged in building your bridge, it's important to support it with facts. Here are a few to add to your arsenal: