From Latin dance to farming: a tale of agricultural passion

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This article was published 03/05/2024 (414 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In a surprising turn of events, Cherilyn Jolly-Nagel traded her dance shoes for work boots, leaving behind a thriving career as a Latin dance instructor at Club Med to embark on a new journey in agriculture, much to the shock of her friends and family.

Reflecting on that decision more than two decades later, Jolly-Nagel, formerly the president of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association, said, “I left a dream job, and when I fell in love with agriculture, I found my other dream job. I loved what I was doing, but it was a personal challenge to find my place on the farm.”

Little did she know that her encounter with her high school sweetheart and her newfound love for agriculture would redefine her career trajectory.

Today, alongside her husband David, Jolly-Nagel manages a bustling family farm in Mossbank, Saskatchewan. But her contributions to the agricultural world don’t end there. She has become a prominent voice in the industry, hosting Farm Show TV and engaging audiences across the country on various agriculture-related topics.

However, Jolly-Nagel’s journey hasn’t been without its hurdles. She recalls a time when morale among producers was low, and the agricultural industry faced skepticism and disinterest from the public.

“When I got into agriculture, I didn’t know that farmers are their own worst enemy. At that time, I realized it wasn’t the general population losing enthusiasm for the agricultural industry, it was the farmers themselves.”

Morale was low for producers, she said. “Newspapers shared nothing but doom and gloom financial projections. There were no jobs and no young people who wanted to be part of it. When I graduated, farming was not a popular career choice. And yet, there I was, massively gung-ho to join the ranks of the farming crew.”

Determined to combat the negativity surrounding farming, she penned a compelling letter to the editor of a local paper, titled “Proud to be Involved in Farming,” urging others to recognize the value and potential of agriculture.

The letter read: “Their eyes grow wider. Their chin drops. And they look at me like I’ve lost my marbles. This is a typical response to my recent decision to take an active role in Saskatchewan agriculture. Why waste your energy on a dying profession? They asked me. Nobody makes any money farming. Disheartening, yes. But that won’t stop me. I’m bound and determined to put an end to all this negativity. Up until a short time ago, I too took for granted the lifestyle I had been provided. We rural dwellers are truly blessed. I will never again be embarrassed to drive the dirty farm truck. The agriculture industry has great potential and with your help, I would like to take part in its progression. Do your part and encourage those of us willing to put our heart and soul into improving an age-old profession. And tomorrow morning, walk into your local coffee shop and with a smile on your face, and proudly proclaim, “It’s great to be a farmer.”

Resolved to make some changes, she was still adamant about joining the farming ranks, Over the next 20 years, agricultural policy became her focus.

“I should have known that was going to be my fate because I always loved to argue. I will forever be in debt to the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association that welcomed me to that table with zero experience. They let me cut my teeth on the policy issues that we were working so hard at. They let me represent that organization. And I had the enthusiasm they needed.”

Over the years, Jolly-Nagel has tirelessly advocated for the industry, emphasizing the importance of promoting its practices. She highlights the need to bridge the gap between farmers and the public, dispelling misconceptions and building trust through open dialogue and shared values.

She admits that she grossly underestimated the importance of building relationships with the public and showing them how much farmers truly care about the land and the environment and the safety of our food system.

“I took for granted that because my family has been farming some of the same land for more than 100 years, that was enough to gain their trust. We thought we were always going to have their trust. And we just walked out of the tractor one day and wondered why doesn’t anybody trust us? And we didn’t realize that we needed to be building a relationship with the public first.”

So much of the confusion stems from public perception. Or rather, misconception.

“Most consumers picture farms as that little red barn and farming practices from 50 years ago. And we have not done enough of the effort to bring them back up to the present day. Agriculture has gone through tremendous technological change. From precision planting to drone technology. It’s the most scientifically advanced industry on the globe. The public doesn’t know how we’re farming, but even more, they don’t know who is farming.”

Misinformation runs rampant, she says.

“We haven’t done a good job explaining not only what we do in agriculture, but who is doing it. We just never took a lot of time to fill in that gap. What makes headlines today? We all Google stuff, and they’re getting bad news. Canadians are now two generations removed from the family farm. From having relatives on the farm, to losing the common sense of how food is grown. If they’re only getting their information online, what are they finding? It’s not good. If they look up meat, it’s bad. GMOs are the worst. Pesticides. Sugar is bad. Chemicals are bad. Everything they read online about farming is bad.”

How do we change it?

“We can both defend and promote. But we can’t keep shoving facts down everybody’s throat. You don’t like glyphosate? Here’s a 500-page study. I’m sure it will convince you. We’ve all done that. We felt defensive. But we had no communication training. We didn’t know we weren’t supposed to do that. Then we got mad and showed up online in a negative way.”

Sharing your values, she says, is three to five times more effective with building trust than sharing scientific facts and expertise.

“We don’t take a minute during the day to think about the values that are behind every decision we make on the farm. I would suggest if you’re using fungicides, and you don’t know why, you shouldn’t use them. If you really haven’t taken a minute about why you use pesticides, why you choose to grow genetically modified canola, then maybe that privilege won’t be there forever. And I realized if I don’t really know why I need access to fertilizer, that privilege can go away real fast.”

When those horror stories hit the media, we are forced to react to them.

Jolly-Nagel said farmers need to get to a place where they can promote the industry rather than always being on the defence.

“Start sharing stories about life on the farm. I spend much of my time speaking to an urban audience and sharing the good news stories and I encourage you to do the same.”

Her message resonates deeply with farmers and industry professionals alike, reminding them of the privilege they hold in stewarding the land and feeding the world. By sharing stories of life on the farm and championing the values that guide their decisions, Jolly-Nagel believes they can shape a brighter future for agriculture and inspire the next generation of proud farmers.

“We all agree its important that the next generation is proud of the agricultural industry and a part of that heritage is acknowledging the role that farmers need to play. We must share the good news stories and put our values first. Those tools that we have available to us are a privilege. And if you’re using one of those tools today, on your farm, think about it as a privilege so that the next generation will continue to be able to use it. When I think of all the tools that can be taken away. It’s a pretty bleak future for the next generation.”

Since 2017 Cherilyn Jolly-Nagel has represented Canada as an International Director on the board for the Global Farmer Network which seeks to amplify farmers’ voices on issues related to trade and technology. In 2021, in cooperation with Utensil.ca, she launched an online training program titled “So… Your Client is a Farmer?” with the goal to help people build better relationships with farmers and increase the overall level of knowledge about agriculture and food.