Straight From the Farmer--Technology is Key to Bright Agriculture Future

Less than two percent of America’s population is actively engaged in farming. Yet, the agriculture industry is the most productive in history. In fact, each U.S. farmer produces enough food to nourish more than 150 people.

Today’s farmers are engaged in agriculture because they want to be. And if you ask Brent Johnson, a 36-year-old farmer from Manson, Iowa, there’s no more exciting place to be today than on the farm.

A fourth generation farm family, Brent and LuAnn Johnson operate Labre Acres, which includes 900 acres of corn, soybeans and alfalfa, and a small cow-calf beef operation. They also operate Labre Crop Consulting, which works with farmers across Iowa to incorporate precision farming technology into their operations for more detailed record-keeping and production efficiencies.


“When my grandfather switched from horses to tractors in 1956, I would imagine he thought agriculture production could never get any better than that,” Brent says. “And today, I feel the same way. With satellite technology, auto-steering, biotechnology, and variable rate application capabilities, I can't even imagine what’s coming that will make things even better than they are today. “

In preparation for coming back to the farm, Brent earned a bachelor’s degree in agronomy from Iowa State University. After graduation, he spent nearly 10 years working in corn research and production in the seed and crop protection industries before moving back to the farm.

As an agronomist, Brent has a keen understanding of the importance of caring for the land, as well as the proper care and feeding of plants once they have been planted in the soil.

In fact, Brent believes that farmers were at the forefront of the green movement before “going green” was even considered cool.

“We live on the land. It is part of our lifestyle. Farmers have done more to protect and conserve the land by developing terraces and waterways than any other segment of the U.S. population. And people just don’t understand that,” Brent says. “We work hard to employ the best technology and management practices we can to ensure that we can be successful with proper placement and reduced applications of fertilizer and pesticides.”

Brent also says he is concerned that so few people have a realistic understanding of agriculture and farmers. “This is not a fairytale existence – agriculture is a business. I’m worried that we have people trying to decide the future of agriculture who do not understand or respect how far this industry has come since the 1950s. We cannot be as efficient without modern technology. Without it, the industry moves backwards. And that way of thinking won’t feed the world.”

Brent believes the way to increase the understanding between farmer and consumer is through education and communication. That’s why he and LuAnn are in Washington, DC, during National Agriculture Week visiting with members of Congress about agriculture’s promise and the hope modern technology can bring to the global food system.

Brent and LuAnn are participating in National Ag Day Festivities today on Capital Hill and at the USDA, as representatives of John Deere’s Outstanding Young Farmers of America group.

“We’re here on behalf of many young farm families around the country,” Brent says. “We are honored to represent these farmers and will do our best to make sure their voices are heard in the discussions about the promise modern agriculture holds in feeding the world.”

Opportunities Abound for Agriculture

Contributed by Barry Nelson, Manager, Media Relations, John Deere

I just celebrated my 30th year with John Deere and it has been a challenging and rewarding career with a great company. I started in 1980, just before difficult times hit agriculture and I spent my first few years in the field assisting dealers and farmer customers. We came out of the '80s stronger than ever and U.S. agriculture continues to thrive even during the current recession. I firmly believe the farming culture and values of hard work, integrity and personal responsibility are major reasons for success in agriculture, even in this uncertain economy. Farmers are planting, growing, harvesting, and producing food for the world. There is no doubt they are critically important to America’s economic strength and resilience.

I also am extremely positive about the future of agriculture and know that we have many challenges in providing the essential food, fiber, and fuel to a growing world population. Currently, the global population surpasses 6 billion. By 2050, the population is expected to grow to 9 billion people! Our challenge will be to feed this growing population while becoming more efficient with land, water, inputs and all the resources necessary to produce food. We have the resources, the technology, and the know-how to get this done -- better than anyone else in the world!

In addition, there are larger global issues of food sustainability, hunger, and human suffering that impact us all. We, in agriculture, must not only produce high-quality food, but we must also assist third-world countries in developing their sustainable agricultural systems. The recent devastation in Haiti and the recurring drought, instability and hunger issues in Africa are perfect examples of this. Here are a couple of quotes from leaders in our industry.

DuPont's Chair and CEO Ellen Kullman states, "Agriculture is a game-changer that can mitigate multiple global issues - hunger, poverty, environmental degradation, poor nutrition and subsequent effects such as civil unrest."

And, David Everitt, President, Deere & Company , says, "Ignoring this looming (food) productivity challenge or not acting quickly enough has perilous risks that should not be underestimated. At its most basic, it means additional human suffering through hunger and malnutrition. Beyond that, it means widespread social turmoil and unrest that undermine the political stability of large parts of the world – not to mention eroding our own national security."

Now this is quite a challenge and, quite frankly, an urgent call to action for all of us. As a member of the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) and a board member for the Agricultural Council of America (ACA), I have had the tremendous opportunity to meet some of the best communicators and marketers in the agricultural business. As an industry, we should leverage this talent and work together to deliver a clear, focused message about the importance of agriculture. This is even more critical today when there are more challenges from government, rising input costs, limited resources, and volatile commodity prices.

The ACA will host the annual Ag Day event in Washington D.C. on March 18th and will meet to celebrate and promote the importance of agriculture to leaders and influencers in D.C. We believe the public has the opportunity:

• Appreciate the role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant and affordable products

• Understand how food and fiber products are produced

• Value the essential role of agriculture in maintaining a strong economy

• Acknowledge and consider career opportunities in the agriculture, food and fiber industry

Please join us in Washington D.C. to promote this important message or participate locally by having an Ag Day event. There are many promotional ideas and media tools on the Ag Day Web site. Let's circle the wagons and put our expertise together in promoting the importance of agriculture. Our future and our children's future depend on keeping this industry strong and vibrant!