My job depends on ag. Whoops, all our lives depend on agriculture. Everyone’s existence depends on the food and other goods provided by agriculture. This is doubly true on the greater Westside, where many people’s jobs completely depend on agriculture.
As of this month, the My Job Depends On Ag (MJDOA) Facebook group has informed and entertained members for a decade. Celebrate their ten years of ever-increasing success by scanning the interesting content in the group’s posts.
According to the MJDOA Facebook statement, “Our goal is to show just how massive the fraternity of Ag really is.” The group’s founders encourage all of us connected to agriculture in any way to post pictures and stories. The purpose is to “show the side of ag that has been long forgotten.”
I discovered My Job Depends On Ag on Facebook upon seeing many reposts by friends. Sometimes the posts are humorous, sometimes reflective and many times they are informative.
One amusing post went viral. A boy is drinking from a water trough alongside his horse. The caption reads, “Why country kids have good immune systems…”
MJDOA Facebook group has some whimsical posts about country life that will make you smile and sometimes laugh out loud. Comedy balances the seriousness of posts about the challenges agricultural producers face.
The MJDOA About statement explains, “It is our turn to write the pages of history. No longer are we going to be defined by those who have never seen what we do.” The statement declares that we, the agricultural community, are the backbone. Truckers are described as “our arms and legs!”
The original purpose of the MJDOA page was to reach throughout the state of California to emphasize agriculture’s impact on society. MJDOA fame has spread into the Midwest and throughout the rest of the country.
Posts answer practical issues that might help home gardeners. Often a post will feature a photo of a not-so-charming little pest or an unusual plant. The inquirer will ask what it is and what can be done about an invasion in a field or a garden. MJDOA offers an opportunity for the community to learn from experienced farmers.
Many of the posts address misunderstandings about agriculture. Some posts explore critical issues such as the need for agricultural water and the dangers of predators on ranches.
My Job Depends On Ag was co-founded by two friends, Steve Malanca and Dos Palos connected, Erik Wilson. Malanca is third-generation raised in Firebaugh.
Wilson once told a delightful story about his revelation that led to him falling in love with ag. He was a city boy visiting country friends. After wielding an old bike down a dusty road while juggling a tackle box and fishing pole, he found the peace and joy of sitting alone on a canal bank. There, he began to envy the country life.
At that time, as Wilson explains, he was without “a row to hoe.” Eventually, he became a farmer and owner of an ag business. He encourages everyone to tell their stories about how our lives are tied to agriculture.
Log on to the My Job Depends On Ag Facebook page. Click on the little magnifying glass on the upper right. Put Erik Wilson in the search. Find countless reflections written and posted over the past ten years by Wilson.
The MJDOA concept blossomed into a magazine. Find it online for articles, stories, merchandise and much more. Read a timely, informative article about tariffs by Matthew Viohl.
Celebrate their Tenth Anniversary. Search Facebook for stories at My Job Depends On Ag. Support local businesses to help maintain our agriculture-based community.
As Erik Wilson proclaimed in his original Facebook statement, “Go Ag!!
(Janet Miller is a freelance writer specializing in family faith. She offers Family Prayers and Activities: Weekly Guides on compact disc for families to explore the Bible. Contact jmiller@dospalos.org.)
