Some 98.5 percent of those who eat food in America are at least one generation removed from a family member who actually produces it. For most, the gap is many generations more. It’s no wonder that people don’t understand where food comes from or how it is produced.

The misperceptions and lack of knowledge extend to negative stereotypes when one brings up the subject of farmers. You know, those guys with the bib overalls and a stalk of straw sticking out of their mouths. As a lot of people know, however, that is not an accurate portrait of those in America helping to feed the world.

As recent stories in USA Today and The Huffington Post note, farmers are actually smart, educated, technology-savvy business people. They just happen to do a different kind of work than most.

The new AgChat Foundation was founded by such individuals. The Foundation’s goal is to use social media to tell their stories to the world, making everyone a little smarter about food. The group’s new website launched Monday. Check it out. Click the social media links. Better yet, start a conversation.