While it is difficult for me to believe, there are still people that have a disconnect about where their food comes from.

Even in today’s world where information is constantly at their fingertips, many young people don’t know that milk comes from cows or don’t understand how tomatoes are grown.

Most of the consumers purchasing food at the grocery store are not connected to today’s agriculture. Therefore, the importance of farmers and ranchers to constantly interact with consumers and develop better relationships is more important than ever.

I heard a story on the radio this week that US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a company to take living cells from animals and then grow protein from these cells to replace meat products like chicken and beef.

While the technology seems like a long way off, there are several companies moving to secure a spot in this new industry that allows them to produce lab grown protein. Technology is ever-changing and will provide opportunities for some yet force others to make production changes.

This is another reason for consumers to not just understand where their food comes from, but to know the farm families that provide these products.

Farmers need to understand that we need to develop more than a brand. We must find ways to inspire a vision of the future and that means education about farm products and about the rural lifestyle. Both are equally important and what drives much of the US economy right now.

New technologies shouldn’t be ignored, but rather, use this media surge to connect to consumers in new ways that go beyond just selling a product. Successful farmers soon will need to understand the importance of connecting via social media and other marketing outlets.

The days of food producers remaining in obscurity, far removed from interacting with the end-consumer, are coming to a swift close. We all have a responsibility toward ensuring consumers have a good experience or a good “feeling” about the food they eat. No matter where a farmer finds himself/herself on the supply chain, in the end, consumers make decisions about purchases based on what they think about a product and how it should handle or taste.

I think you will see more and more consumers wanting to communicate with the farms that raise their food. We have the technology to make that happen right now. Communication needs to be emphasized for the ag industry to maintain a strong market share, as new products from ever changing technologies continue to be developed.

Consumers deserve to make choices about the food they buy based on who and where the product was produced. We all need to realize that new technologies will come and go.

Some may have major impacts on the farm industry. But how we connect to customers is also changing. Our customers desire interaction.

The farm industry that builds their operation around the desires of their customers are the ones that will most likely have success.

Jay Chism is the director of the Southwest Research, Extension and Education Center for the University of Missouri. He my be reached at chismj@missouri.edu