Ag Day 2022

 We Understand Growing

Contributed by Growmark

In agriculture, we understand growing. We put seed in the ground each spring, full of the promise of a bountiful harvest. We nurture plants with fertilizer and water, and do our best to protect them from pests. We pray for enough (but not too much) rain and enough (but not too much) warmth. In the fall, we enjoy the reward for our labors and prepare to start all over again the next year. 

While the corn and soybeans grown on my family farm only grow for a single season, we make careful efforts to sustain and preserve both the land and our core values on an ongoing basis. A Greek proverb states “A society grows great when men plant trees whose shade they know they will never sit in.” We are grateful to past generations for their foresight and vision to create agriculture as we know it today and realize the responsibility we have to future generations.

GROWMARK is also committed to sustainability. Through our endure program, we look at a wide range of practices, from actions as simple as recycling office paper all the way up to helping farmers create whole-farm plans based on the 4R’s of nutrient management. Maintaining the viability of agriculture is important, and we don’t take that responsibility lightly.

The GROWMARK Foundation supports a wide range of organizations committed to the future of agriculture. We work closely with 4-H, FFA, Agriculture in the Classroom, and Farm Bureau Young Leaders to educate and encourage youth, and our scholarship program identifies and rewards individuals studying for careers in the industry. Partnerships with industry groups including the Global Farmer Network, the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, and land grant university research efforts help ensure current, factual information about agriculture is shared with people both within and outside of the industry.

“Growing a Climate for Tomorrow” might be the theme of this year’s National Ag Day, but those of us in agriculture know that growing for tomorrow happens each and every day.