Anna Kobza did not grow up in agriculture – but as a first-generation cattle producer and Ph.D. student in feedlot nutrition, she has now taken to social media to educate both consumers, and producers, about the realities of ranching and cattle feeding.
"Welcome to the side of Instagram where we talk about modern beef production and we don’t leave science and truth out of the conversation," one post reads.
Another asks "What is a feedlot?" explaining the role of feedlots in modern beef production, and what daily life is like.
In another post, she highlights "meaningless" words on food labels, including labeling pork and apple juice, which don’t naturally contain gluten, "gluten-free."
Mixed in are idyllic photos of life on a ranch, feedlot, and the Nebraska sandhills.
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Kobza said she started her account in college, when she realized there was a lack of education for giving students hands-on exposure in agriculture.
"I decided I was just going to start my own online platform," she told Fox News Digital. "I just wanted an outlet to share what I was passionate about."
Kobza now has a website, TikTok, and Instagram account with more than 100,000 followers.
Initially, she said, the account was focused on consumer education, but has morphed to focus on producer education and teaching how those within the industry can effectively communicate with consumers.
To consumers, Kobza said she wished there was a broader understanding of the industry, and how ranches and feed lots operate in order to produce beef for the nation.
"One of the biggest things you’ll see promoted in a meat case is hormone-free, or antibiotic-free, organic vs. grass fed. They’re all marketing labels designed to make you spend more and instill fear in the consumer," she said.
"People fear what they do not know, and I think that consumers just do not have an understanding of how we use the tools that we have and the resources that we have in the cattle feeding industry," she added.
Kobza added that in some cases, such as the debate over cow's contribution to climate change, the media has vilified cattle production.
"I don’t think people understand how we get from point A to point B, and I think the media has instilled a negative connotation with cattle feeding … it’s not as easy to romanticize or make look pretty as life on a cow calf ranch," she said.
"Preconceived notions about what commercial cattle feeding operations are like is what drives people to believe they are bad for the environment."
Now, Kobza said she is working to "humanize" the industry that is viewed as a big corporate world. "Corporate ownership does not translate to inhumane and corrupt methods of production," she added.
As for her Instagram, and TikTok page, she said she’s had both good and bad experiences. "There are trolls on the internet," she chuckled.
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But, while having an online platform has given Kobza a platform to share her passion with thousands, she encouraged others to advocate for their industry on a personal level.
"I don’t think you have to have a social media platform to be an advocate for your industry. I think the most crucial conversations happen in person, in whatever opportunity life presents to you."
