We’ve all
heard the phrase, “Make good choices.” That can be a lot of pressure. And I get
it. As a son and brother of farmers, I know
they make good choices every day, and those choices impact every growing
season, and even more importantly, every bite of food we all eat. And while
that can be a lot of pressure, I know we have access to ever-improving tools
and technologies, which help make the right choices for our farm. These in turn
enable food companies to offer you a lot of choices for great tasting, healthy
foods for your family and friends.
You probably
don’t think about agriculture every time you eat, but every bite is impacted by
farmers like my family, using science, technology and innovation. Whether it’s
white corn that goes into chips or tortillas or field corn that becomes animal
feed, they’re part of the food chain.
Take for
example one of America’s favorite foods - tacos. The basis of every great taco
is the tortilla, and with agriculture innovation tools farmers can grow an
agronomic high yielding white corn which makes it easier for food companies to
make more tortillas from corn grown on fewer acres. That tortilla is then fried
in an oil that is both tasty and more nutritious. The oil comes from the seed
of plants that were bred together, so people eat more good fats and less bad
fats.
Innovation
can be found in the taco meat too; it doesn’t even matter if you like beef,
pork or chicken. The feed the animals eat comes from seeds developed through
science that provides the animal with optimal nutrition to grow healthy. With
crop protection tools, the vegetables on your tacos can grow big, healthy and
safe without the threat of pests and weeds. Even the cheese sprinkle or sour
cream on top is impacted by agricultural innovation. Dairy cows eat a diet high
in silage, a feed ingredient made from the corn plant. When farmers ferment the
corn plant for animal feed, a bacteria-based product called an inoculate helps
ensure the feed is nutritious and easy for the cows to digest, leading to
better dairy products for you.
Just like
having a smart phone with your calendar, email and text messages makes your
life easier, innovation on the farm makes growing food easier for farmers. By
using seed science, I can plant seeds that are able to grow strong in areas
that receive limited water or use crop protection tools that help me eliminate
weeds, bugs and pests. Cattle farmers can use technology and innovation to make
sure their pastures are healthy, providing nutritious grasses and forges for
their animals to eat.
The next time
you’re enjoying “Taco Tuesday”, know there is a farmer that is also pondering
the decisions that help improve the food you eat. And know the farmers
producing your food also have trusted tools, technologies and allies to help
them raise food for you, your friends and your family. And they also like tacos.
About the
Author
Roger Theisen
is the marketing manager of specialty crops for Corteva Agriscience. Roger grew
up on a farm in Iowa, where his family continues to farm. He has worked in the
agronomy and agriculture industry for more than 25 years.
