Farmers are an important but challenging audience for nature protection and pollution control people. Making up just 2% of the U.S. population, they have outsized influence on waters across the country and far out into the Gulf of Mexico. And nobody knows how to sweet talk a farmer into participating responsible conservation efforts better than Lena Beth Carmichael, coordinator for the Pond Creek Watershed Project in Athens, TN.

Lena Beth knows that putting people at ease is key to getting their cooperation. She applies her deft touch with farmers along Pond Creek and with audiences for her presentation “Top 9 Forms of Communication with a Farmer.”

Eric: You tell a number of funny stories in your presentation. For the benefit of Water Words readers who haven’t seen it, what are your big laugh lines?

Lena Beth: “First I admit that I’m a redneck farmer, myself… then I add I was married to their king for over 20 years.

I also have some funny photos of trees growing up through the bed of a pick up truck and say that “Change comes slowly”

I have a picture of a barn, and ”King Jesus Is Coming Soon” is painted on it. I tell people that when he gets here, he’s going to be really disappointed with how they took care of his place.

Eric: A lot of conservation professionals have a hard time understanding where farmers are coming from. What’s your secret for building trust?

Lena Beth:  I only live 20 miles away.  I’m not just flitting in and leaving. I have my own reputation and my good name that I intend to keep. I think they take me more seriously because of that.

I also have a good sense of when it’s time to shut up, drop it, or leave. (I hope.)

Eric: Do you talk to farmers the same way you talk to your professional peers? 

Lena Beth: No. I’ll admit that I have used conversations discussing “what it looks like from the road” because that’s what the community can see.  One farm in particular, will do things for social standing.  But they are not actually seen by the community as “SomeBody”.  Their social standing is all in their head. Doesn’t matter to me.  I can still use that, too.

One meeting, I called a particular farmer about 30 minutes before the meeting, and said “you’re coming, aren’t you?” of course he said,” is that today?” and I said, “Yes, and I’ve forgotten an extension cord to run my projector for my presentation. Can you bring me one?” He did.

Of course, I had an extension cord all along.

Yep, I’m manipulative. I’m a mother.

Eric: What kinds of things can you talk a farmer into doing with this approach?

Lena Beth: On one farm, my project built a fence to make a “sacrifice lot” at the top of the hill, near the parlor (creek is at the bottom of the hill maybe 200 yards).  We installed two 6-hole waterers in the lot.  The hillside was seeded down toward the creek.  The farmer was to buy and install the gates, which he was slow to do, and often does not close them now. 

It is amazing how the cows choose to stay on top of the hill, in the level sacrifice lot, and drink the clean water provided for them.  I have pictures of them staying there, even with the gates wide open.  The hillside stays grassed.  The cows will go to the bottom in the heat of summer, to get shade, but they have not demolished the vegetation. It has worked really well. 

It’s also right beside the road, so that’s good for the neighbors to see.

Today’s interview is with Don Waye, who moderates the EPA’s NPSINFO listserv. Government agencies are usually wary about sponsoring online communities, but the 1,600 NPSINFO subscribers carry on a civilized discussion about polluted runoff and related topics that is a credit and an asset for EPA. Let’s find out how Don keeps the dialogue on track and what he would recommend to others contemplating starting an online community of their own:

Eric: Could you briefly recap the purpose and history of the NPSInfo listserv?

Don: NPSINFO is an EPA-sponsored public forum for open discussion of runoff pollution issues on both the regulated side (through stormwater permits) and unregulated side (traditional nonpoint source issues from agriculture to urban land uses). It is a free electronic list that anyone can join. Most participants are with local governments and environmental consultants, with decent representation from universities, as well. I’ve been with EPA for nearly 6 years now and can remember participating in a modem dial-up “bulletin board” precursor to NPSINFO in the early 1990s as a regular non-EPA watershed program administrator before the Web or email existed as we know it. I think there were a dozen people or so active on it then. Now we have roughly 1800 people and continue to add about 20 new subscribers a month. One constant throughout has been that the forum exists as a means to encourage collaboration, cross-fertilization of ideas, and to bridge the gap between ignorance and knowledge in the belief that knowledge is empowering and that we can make a positive difference for the environment.

Eric: How would you describe the benefits of hosting this listserv for the EPA?

Don: The benefits for EPA match our mission—to better protect our environment. We accomplish this by linking the thoughts and ideas of an incredible array of experts across the nation, and in some cases, beyond. But it is hardly just about EPA; we are merely the hosts. The list provides real-time access to answers and information that is not otherwise available. It also allows EPA and all participants a chance to not only learn from each other, but to value and appreciate different perspectives to the same issues. I get excited when I see real, practical questions fielded by world experts in caring for our water resources (usually outside EPA) without getting bogged down in layers of bureaucracy or protocol.

Eric: What steps do you take to steer the discussion, and how much time does this require?

Don: As EPA’s list moderator, I have no desire to steer discussion other than to keep things inbounds and relevant. I think the discussion enjoys an incredibly high signal-to-noise ratio. Most everyone who subscribes to NPSINFO are people who must deal with stormwater or nonpoint source runoff issues professionally and as such are very busy. Every once in a while I need to send reminders to people who stray from the purpose of the list. Most of these are gentle and private, and are well-received. A few are not. By moderating the list proactively, I can stay on top of potential issues that could dilute the strength of our signal before they have a chance to drag the discussion down. For example, I don’t think we’ve had any incidences of flaming or ranting in years because there is such a pervasive attitude of mutual respect in this community.

This is a very fortunate situation and it makes my duties quite easy. Most weeks, list administration duties take less than an hour a week. But there are occasional flurries of activities that can take a half-day per week.

Eric: How would you reach this community if you didn’t have a listserv?

Don: In the early days of the list, that would have been easy to answer. The fact is, we wouldn’t have reached this community any other way. Or more accurately, we wouldn’t have been able to assemble this community in quite the way that we have. As Web 2.0 opportunities begin to abound and evolve, this question is becoming tougher to answer. That is, the days of NPSINFO are probably numbered, although we are only beginning to scan the horizon to see what other possibilities exist to better serve our community—and broaden it, as well, I hope.

Eric: What advice would you give to another government agency that was considering starting an open community like this?

Don: Go for it. It’s not too late. The whole idea to me is about building and nurturing a desired community and breaking down the barriers that prevent it from becoming a reality. If one idea on the mechanics of how to build the community doesn’t pan out, don’t get discouraged. Just try something else. Follow models that have been proven and figure out how to make the technology work for you. EPA has dozens of electronic forums on a wide array of topics and dozens more electronic notification lists. Some are more popular and vibrant than other. One of the smartest things I did with regard to managing NPSINFO is to build an online Resource Center for the list, where people can learn about the list’s purpose, etiquette guidelines for posting, and managing their subscription, to try to make it as dummy-proof and clear as possible.

Click here to learn more about NPSINFO and sign up yourself.

Chalk one up for digital organizing, Florida activist Joy Towles Ezell and her allies have beaten back, at least for now, a proposal to build a coal-fired power plant in Taylor County, Florida. The company announced it was suspending work on the plant pending the outcome of Governor Crist’s energy policy deliberations.

I interviewed Joy about how she used a suite of listservs to rally her neighbors and hound the corporation just a few weeks ago.

I’ve got to wonder about the Florida governor, though. He could have issued statement praising the company and used words that work that appeal to all Florida voters, like this:

“The company has made a responsible choice. Suspending this plant allows us to plan ahead, and to invest in clean and safe energy.”

But instead, he said this:

“We’re obviously moving in a different direction and I think we need to continue to explore solar, wind, nuclear.”

Nuclear? Really? Nuclear? I expect Joy and a few of her friends just might set up another listserv….

Today’s interview guest has been active participant in the Craigslist ecology and environment board since 2002, weighing in under the nom de plume “the_real_yaki.” Craigslist is best known as the dominant provider of online classified ads, but the service also offers a robust collection of bulletin boards on a variety of topics that enhance the loyalty of site users.

Although he asked that I not reveal his real name, he made time to explain why he makes so much time or this activity and what he enjoys about it. Our conversation is an enlightening listen for nature protection and pollution control experts that are seeking to familiarize themselves with what makes online communities tick.

“The thing about the Craigslist forum is that there can be anything… people post about all kinds of topics there,” the_real_yaki says.

Although it’s the different perspectives that hold his interest, the_real_yaki also describes the ecology and environment board as a kind of conversational wild west, where information seekers, provocateurs, experts, and the uninformed cross paths via typed missives, while a large number of silent observers take it all in.

“I’ve always seen my ‘angle’ on the Craigslist eco-forum as someone who can provide information and not trying to convince anyone of anything,” he says.

Download or listen to the full interview: click here

To ask the_real_yaki a question, leave a comment below