From Farm to Plate: What Our Children Don’t Know

Submitted by Tracy Zeorian, U.S. Custom Harvesters

My husband and I are custom harvesters. Every summer, we travel the highways of this country with our combine. We chase the ripening wheat from Texas to Montana, just as my grandparents did 65 years ago.

We return home to Nebraska each fall. When school is back in session, I work as a substitute bus driver. This one particular day had me navigating morning rush hour with a busload of 4th graders. We were heading downtown to a performing arts center to learn about sound, music and symphonic instruments.

We passed new tractors, planters, grain carts and even a combine, being hauled on trailers. I couldn’t help but think about the kids just behind my seat. They were too busy wondering what they’d have for lunch or what game their buddy was playing on his iPod. They didn’t even notice the farm equipment. Do they even know what they are? These kids come from a small town, and their school is next to a cornfield! It occurred to me that this generation really has no idea what it takes to get food on their plates.

Surrounding communities gathered together this day to learn about music. Why not gather children to learn about how food is produced? Instead of bassoons and oboes, they could learn about seeds and harvest. They could learn about calving and ranches and gardens and farmers.

 Food grown in America is the safest, highest quality food in the world, and our children need to know. They need to know what it takes to feed so many mouths. They need hands-on experiences and digging in the dirt to fully understand … before it’s too late.

"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn."

Benjamin Franklin

Making Cows Comfy at Meyer Dairy

Submitted by Tara Sammon Meyer, Meyer Dairy

Cow comfort and nutrition are two of the most important aspects for any dairy operation. Healthy cows are productive cows. In this Women in Agriculture Blog, Tara Meyer, from Meyer Dairy, walks us through their feeding and bedding process. Enjoy this video as if you are right there on the farm!

Farmers As Community Leaders

Submitted by Frank Holdemeyer, Farm Progress Publications

It's no secret that many consumers have no idea where their food comes from or how it’s produced.  That's especially true as society moves further and further from the farm. Many farm organizations are working to educate consumers on the role of farmers in food production.

But there is another story that should be told …

Besides producing food for consumers around the world, farmers and ranchers donate hours and hours of their time and, often, considerable amounts of money for the benefit of their local communities. They serve on school, bank, local co-op and church boards. Many are lay leaders in their churches. Farmers are likely the first to donate money for community buildings and then lead the fundraising efforts.

Often, farmers park their machinery during the busy planting and harvest seasons to participate in these meetings. 

Many also take on voluntary leadership roles beyond the local community, serving in state and national organizations. Many, many hours are committed and many miles are traveled.

In some states—Iowa, for example—the majority of seats in the state legislature are held by farmers.

I know this because I have worked with Master Farmer Awards programs in Iowa and other states for 40 years. Giving back to the local community and serving in leadership roles is one of the criteria for the award. But I doubt the average consumer ever considers that farmers and ranchers are the backbone of rural America.

Agriculture: The Answer to the World’s Hunger Crisis

Submitted by Garrett Jewett, Farm Journal Foundation

Farm Journal Foundation and its anti-hunger platform, Farmers Feeding the World, are proud to sponsor National Ag Day 2014. American farmers produce enough food to feed 155 people per farmer and contribute 25% of the world’s food supply. The United States is the leader in agricultural production because of its rich history of hard work, innovation, know-how and public policy. We celebrate American agriculture’s contribution, while remembering that there are millions of farmers in developing countries who struggle to produce enough food to feed themselves and their families.

The road to becoming a self-sufficient producer of key nutritional staples is a seemingly long and daunting journey for many less developed countries. Even in the United States, a staggering 14% of households are food insecure. But farmers all over the world will need to band together to produce more with less in order to meet growing global food demand. Americans can do their part by learning actions they can take to reduce hunger and support agriculture’s response to this global challenge.

Farmers Feeding the World programs rally diverse voices to ensure ending world hunger remains a national priority. The HungerU tour is a traveling exhibit that engages university students nationwide in a dialogue about world hunger, raising awareness of this crisis and agriculture’s contributions to fighting hunger. Our Farm Team brings agricultural community leaders who are passionate about fighting world hunger to engage with their representatives in Washington.

This year, Farmers Feeding the World will bring the HungerU exhibit and Farm Team members to National Ag Day to commemorate “365 Sunrises and 7 Billion Mouths to Feed,” and we hope you will join us!

Agritechture

Submitted by Gregg Hillyer, DTN/The Progressive Farmer

My urban friends are constantly amazed at the amount of technology farmers use today. Many mistakenly assume the men and women who work the land resemble Grant Wood’s iconic “American Gothic.” Of course they couldn’t be more wrong.

They shake their heads in amazement when I tell them about auto-steer, GPS, computerized screens that monitor machines and field functions and sensors that assess the health of a crop to determine how much nitrogen to apply. The list of cool tech goes on and on.

Agriculture has always been defined by the technology at hand. The early 20th century, for example, saw the mechanization of farming, hybrid corn and more. We’re entering a new era of technology that could be a game-changer. I’m talking about the ability to gather massive amounts of information, analyze it and then create a prescription specific to a certain field or acre. This data can be retrieved anywhere, anytime on your computer, tablet or mobile phone.

It’s all part of a powerful platform that will allow farmers to vary crop inputs across the field to optimize efficiencies and productivity like never before. A platform that embraces sustainability and sound environmental practices, while giving growers tools to make smarter decisions. Ultimately, this technology will take yields to the next level. More importantly, it will help growers manage risk by minimizing variability from year to year.

As this latest wave of high tech unfolds, prepare to be amazed.

Livestock Myths Debunked

Submitted by Shawna Newsome, National Cattlemen's Beef Association

It’s easy for Americans to become swept away by a wave of Anti-Agriculture propaganda. But the real truth about cattle production is simple: It’s a family affair and ranchers love their animals. This fundamental idea can be explained by debunking one of the most common cattle myths: The majority of cattle are raised in large, commercial operations.

The truth is, of the 729,000 beef cow operations and the 915,000 cow/calf operations, less than 10% have more than 100 head of cattle. And 97% of cattle operations are family owned. America has a rich history of ranching. Even here in D.C., the White House lawn served as home for an assortment of livestock, including the notorious Pauline Wayne, the last cow to graze the lawn.

At the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, our job is to bring cattle back to the Capitol. No, we will never see cattle grazing at the White House again, but we can remind our Congress why the cattle industry is vital to our economy. 

As family farmers and ranchers, cattlemen have a vested interest in protecting the environment. As responsive producers, they share an interest in meeting the needs of consumers worldwide by providing high-quality, nutritious beef, while setting higher quality and safety standards than those required by the government. As individual entrepreneurs, cattlemen raise livestock in more states than any other commodity, helping sustain a way of life in thousands of rural communities.

Sustainable Bacon

Submitted by David Warner, National Pork Producers Council

You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn’t appreciate a slice (or six!) of bacon.

But how many people think about how that bacon is made? Well, thanks to America’s pork farmers, bacon is produced more sustainably than ever.

Sustainability means many different things to different people. For many farmers, sustainability means leaving the land in better condition than they inherited it, allowing for many more generations to keep farming. Sustainability is nothing new to pork farmers.

To ensure they are being sustainable, farmers use sound science and work with leading experts to determine how what is done on the farm will impact carbon, air, water and land footprints. As a result, in the past 50 years, American pork farmers have reduced their carbon footprint by 35%; reduced water use by 41%; and reduced the amount of land used by 78%.

At the same time, they have been producing more and more pork for a hungry world. In 1959, it took eight pigs to produce 1,000 pounds of pork. Today, it takes only five.

Pork farmers are not only making the right decisions on the farm, they’re also are involved in their communities. They’re on the scene, grilling and giving away hot pork meals when devastating floods hit Nashville, Hurricane Sandy destroyed parts of New York and New Jersey, and tornadoes tore apart Oklahoma. And pork farmers across the country routinely donate pork, a much-needed protein, to local food banks.

So the next time you reach for the bacon, you can feel good about how it got to your plate.