Year In, Year Out

by Karen Jones,Growmark

The early ‘80s. 1988. 2003. 2009. 2019.

Mention any of these around an Illinois farmer – the high interest rates of the 1980s, the drought of ’88; floods in 1993 and 2003; a very late harvest in ’09 --  and you’ll likely get a story.

And 2019? When the ball dropped in Times Square at midnight on December 31, many of us in agriculture had that “don’t let the door hit you on the way out” kind of feeling. We’re all crossing our collective fingers that 2020 is a “normal” year.

You know, a year when we get that perfect window in the spring to plant our crops at just the right time. The one where we get rain when we need it, not too much, not too little, and definitely not while we have hay waiting to be baled. The year when our sows have healthy litters of pigs and our cows calve easy, around 10:00 on a sunny Tuesday morning. When our combine runs perfectly all fall, there are no lines at the elevator, and the Board of Trade is in our favor. And we’re all done with field work by Thanksgiving.

When people outside of production agriculture think about farming, a scene like that one usually comes to mind, a thought echoed by President Dwight Eisenhower: “Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you’re a thousand miles from the corn field.”

But in reality, farmers have always understood they have little control over so many things that can make or break their year. Weather, markets, livestock health issues, land prices, even politics affect our day-to-day lives, to the point where you might wonder why the two percent of us who farm do!

We farm because it’s in our blood. We take pride in knowing we help produce food, fiber, and fuel not just for our fellow Americans but for people around the world. We enjoy using new technology, like plant genetics that provide an edge when Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate, or imaging tools that can alert us to crop diseases or pest issues in our fields faster. We desire to care for our land and livestock, and leave it to future generations better than we inherited it.  

As we celebrate National Ag Day, let’s join together to recognize all American farmers, and thank them for their dedication to safe, affordable, and abundant production year in and year out.

Karen Jones is the Youth and Young Producer Specialist for GROWMARK, a cooperative providing agriculture and energy products and services headquartered in Bloomington, Illinois. She and her husband are also part of the fourth generation on her family’s farm, raising corn, soybeans, and a few hogs in central Illinois. 

Agriculture Is A Part of You Today and Everyday

I was lucky enough to be part of the 1% that was raised on a family farm that my parents still manage today. It was a no brainer for me to study agricultural in college and eventually find myself working at Successful Farming.

My days on the farm in the hog barn, in the sweet corn patch, or out in the pastures have changed to a commute to downtown Des Moines. Although, I make it home for the important parts of the year – planting, harvest, sweet corn season and family holidays, I’ve enjoyed a new beginning in the city.

But what I’ve come to realize is, no matter where you live, agriculture is a part of you.

Take one of my favorite quotes for instance.

“My grandfather used to say that once in your life you need a doctor, lawyer, policeman, or preacher but every day – three times a day – you need a farmer.” – Brenda Schoepp

To me that, really couldn’t be any truer. Doctors, lawyers, policeman and preachers are all vital parts of our fundamental lives, but so are our dedicated farmers.

Where does the food come from that you enjoy three times every day? What’s on your dinner menu tonight? Maybe some casserole you’ve been looking forward to whipping up for a couple weeks. Better yet, what’s on your back currently? A cotton t-shirt?

Moving to the city has made me realize that even though I’m not part of the farm directly, I still reap the benefits of family farmers at my grocery store, at the mall and so many more places.

National Ag Day today is the perfect day to go tour a farm, talk to a local farmer and think about where the food came from that’s on your breakfast, lunch and dinner plates today and every day.

For farmers it’s the time to celebrate and share their ag story to the next generation of farmers and urban residents like myself now. America’s farmers are in this together, providing nutritional products right to your grocery store.

So not only today, but everyday agriculture is a part of you, no matter where you live. Happy National Agriculture Day!

Submitted by Emma Wilson, Digital Content Editor, Meredith Agrimedia

Taco Tuesday

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.

Tomorrow’s agriculture is here now- almost!

Technology will bring agriculture not only to your door, but inside your house! 
By Tom J. Bechman, Indiana Prairie Farmer  

Technology even allows you to be part of agriculture today, growing a constant supply of salad inside your own kitchen using this space-age appliance. 

Just a few years ago John Deere Company produced a short video which followed a farmer for one day during planting season. He woke up to his coffee already brewing. Today we can even set a programmable coffeemaker to just make a single cup of coffee. But most of us can’t do what the farmer did next- he walked to a large-screen LED TV display, and it provided weather information and much more. He could start his tractor remotely, and even let it operate by itself.

It seemed a bit ‘out-there’ then, but not today. Deere and several other companies have autonomous equipment. The question is whether society is ready for tractors without drivers. There are cars which drive themselves, but that doesn’t mean everyone is hurrying out to buy one.

Meanwhile, data collection is booming in agriculture. As machines operate in the field, sensors linked to on-board computers collect all kinds of information. Technology is available which allows a farmer to monitor what’s happening on a machine an employee is operating from his cell phone. He instantly knows not only where the machine is but how well it’s operating.

And if the machine isn’t performing up to par, he can clue in his dealer, who alerts a technician to monitor data coming from the machine in real time. Often, the technician can diagnose a potential problem, even before it causes a breakdown. These technicians still know how to turn a wrench, but their most important asset is a computer, not a toolbox.

At the same time, companies like Microsoft are figuring out how to transmit crop information collected in the field back to the computer in the farmer’s office, using ‘white noise’ channels on TV frequencies which TV stations aren’t using. The Internet of things has come to agriculture!

What does all this mean to those inside and outside of agriculture? The goal is increased efficiency, which means more food produced on the same amount or less land at cheaper cost. That translates into a constant supply of safe, healthy food, not only for Americans, but for people around the world. Instead of one farmer feeding roughly 150 people today, someday that number will be much larger.

Meanwhile, technology allows consumers who want local food to decide just how local they want it to be. Today they can buy fruits and vegetables at farmers’ markets in season. Some producers are using hydroponics to produce certain types of vegetables all-year long and supplying them to consumers through local arrangements.

What if you could grow your own food, right in your kitchen? It’s not far-out dreaming. Unlike many things that weren’t reality yet in the John Deere video of the future farm, growing your own food inside your kitchen is reality now!

Scott Massey, an entrepreneur who learned how to grow plants, primarily lettuce and other greens, in a small, controlled environment while working on NASA space projects, developed GroPod, available for order through his start-up company. It uses aeroponics in a small appliance and seed starter ‘pods’ to allow you to, in theory, have green, leafy vegetables for your table, fresh every day, all year long. Now that is local! It’s pricey today but check it out at gropod.com.

Where will technology take agriculture in the future? The sky may be the limit. Perhaps small robots will work like a swarm of bees to spray and tend crops. Perhaps fresh lettuce growing in your kitchen will become affordable.

One thing is certain. Agriculture will be ever -broadening, perhaps including even you. And it will continue to provide safe, affordable, healthy food for America and beyond.

We Care: It's Our Job

by Georgia Miller, Communications Intern, NPPC

Centuries ago, when technology spanned no further than the wheel and shovel, the first farmers and ranchers raised their animals according to their own rules. There was no manual or book, save the farmer’s almanac, to guide them along their way. They relied upon one another to learn new things and to hold themselves accountable for the advancement of production practices. Every farm was different, but a common instinct drove all successful farmers: your livelihood depended on the responsible use of your land and the proper care of your animals.

These instincts haven’t left us, but consumer trust and understanding of food production has diminished as new generations are growing more and more distant from agriculture. Although our food is safer, better-tasting and more sustainable than ever before, many consumers aren’t convinced. By 2050, there will be 10 billion mouths to feed, making technological innovation, production efficiency, and safety more important than ever. If we are to successfully address this challenge, we must find new ways to educate consumers about the technology and innovation that will be key in meeting the world’s food needs and expectations for ever-more sustainable production systems.

Gene editing in livestock, for example, is an emerging technology that can accelerates genetic improvements that could be realized over long periods of time through breeding. It allows for simple changes in a pig’s native genetic structure without introducing genes from another species. The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) is a advocate for the development of this technology because it has the potential to eliminate animal diseases, such as Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome, that cause animal suffering while decreasing the need to use antibiotics in pork production and reducing pork production’s environmental footprint.

The promise of technologies like gene editing won’t be realized if we don’t reduce the gap between the pace of innovation and consumer understanding of modern food production.

That’s why NPPC and the National Pork Board created We Care℠, an initiative designed to promote responsible practices in all areas of production while meeting consumer expectations for transparency at the local, state, national, and international levels. The We Care commitment has allowed U.S. pork to use nearly 76 percent less land, more than 25 percent less water and seven percent less energy since 1960. It is this same commitment that drives our support of gene editing and other technologies that allow us to build on our track record of success.

While nearly everything about farming has changed in the last 200 hundred years, one thing has always stayed the same: when it comes to our animals and our land, We Care. It’s our job.

About the Author:

Raised on a third-generation swine and grain farm, Georgia Miller realized her love for agriculture at a very young age. She is from Niantic, Illinois, where her family has raised purebred Berkshire hogs for more than 50 years. Currently, Georgia is a student at Iowa State University studying Agricultural Education and Agriculture in Society. At NPPC, she is taking that passion to new heights by expanding her knowledge of public policy and agricultural issues to become a stronger, more diverse advocate for the industry she loves so much.

Minnesota Pig Farmer Leads by Example on Water Quality

This blog was submitted by the National Pork Board in Celebration of National Ag Day.

Randy Spronk takes safeguarding the environment very seriously on his family’s

Edgerton, Minnesota, pig farm. He has since the day he started raising pigs almost

40 years ago.Spronk has decades of data and information on his farm’s environmental 

footprint — overall water quality, how many gallons of manure his farm has yielded, 

how many gallons have been applied to his crop acres, how his crops have utilized 

that manure and more.

He does it first and foremost because it’s the right thing to do. He’s also been able to 

make use of that data in ways that improve his farm’s overall environmental footprint. 

t’s enabled him to put his attention to his natural surroundings into action by taking 

further steps to improve the performance of both his pigs and row crops.

Real Pig Farming sat down with Spronk to discuss his farm’s history and 

how he uses technology to sustainably raise pigs and crops in on his southwestern 

Minnesota farm.

Real Pig Farming: Talk about your history as a pig farmer and your farm today.

Randy Spronk: I graduated from college in animal science in 1981, then moved 

back home and started with 100 sows. I bought the farm in 1988 and partnered with 

my brothers. We started together with a 300-sow farrow-to-finish farm, and we’ve 

grown ever since then. Spronk Brothers is our livestock farm, and we have around 

10,000 sows now. We have our own on-farm feed mill and are vertically integrated 

backwards. We harvest 2,600 crop acres and we feed all of our own pigs.

RPF: What are your water quality goals?

RS: For my entire farming career, I have made the environment a huge priority. It’s 

a lot of hard work, but it’s a labor of love. I know that if I don’t take care of the 

environment around me, it will take care of me. I obviously want to improve our 

water quality, and show society that we can improve overall water quality. We want 

to make it better, not just prevent it from eroding. I want to be part of the solution, 

not part of the problem. At the farm level, I work to ensure that once that water is 

on our farm and in our pig barns, the manure doesn’t go anywhere until I am 

ready to use it agronomically, and then I am going to use it for an agronomic benefit. 

I don’t waste any water.

RPF: Why is water quality so important to you?

RS: Our farm is on the Buffalo Ridge, which is sort of the “Continental Divide” 

between the Missouri and Mississippi River watersheds. It’s a critical area for 

water quality, and we’ve always wanted to be part of the solution, not part of the 

problem. I’ve always felt that I’m a caretaker entrusted not just with the pigs, but 

the soil and water here. That’s my occupation, it’s what I do every day, and it’s what 

I was educated to do. It’s important to me to utilize these resources — our soils and 

water — to produce food and make decisions that benefit both me and society. 

We all coexist.

RPF: What makes your attention to water quality unique?

RS: We’re certified with the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification

Program and I have a third-party verification conducted that shows the farm’s 

environmental impact with Centrol Crop Consulting, Inc. We have worked with 

the same agronomy consultant to conduct those verification's for 25 years, and 

through my entire farming career, I’ve always worked with a third-party to sample 

manure pits, conduct soil tests and give recommendations on how to manage our 

manure so it’s best for our soils and water. We have 25 years of data on a spreadsheet 

showing nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium in our soils, and we use the latest 

agronomic rates to produce our crops using our own manure. We don’t waste 

anything. Our manure has a lot of value, and we use it that way.

RPF: What role does technology play in your water quality efforts?

RS: We grid-sample our fields in 2 ½-acre grids and we know exactly what our 

crops and soils need from a nutrient standpoint. And, I have all of that information 

on my smartphone, so it’s with me at all times. I can tie my manure applications 

to crop yields in ways that show how beneficial they are to our water quality. 

Since now we can sample our manure pits before we apply the manure, we 

can program rates in and apply exactly the amount of fertilizer at the optimal rate. 

In the 1990s, we were putting on 4,000 gallons per acre. On most of our corn acres 

today, it’s probably 2,500 to 3,000 gallons per acre because of increased nutrient 

content that justify those lower rates. We always know exactly what we’re applying 

before we even go to the field. Then, we can go back and report that through a 

third-party so we keep our records up-to-date.

RPF: What do you see as important to the future of water quality on farms like yours?

RS: I think we’re going to continue to innovate on the animal nutrition side. We’re going 

to find ways to innovate, adapt and change so that we can apply that manure more 

effectively, and ultimately have the ability to do more with less. A 100-bushel corn crop 

was huge for my dad. If we’re not raising at least a 200-bushel crop now, we’re doing 

something wrong. We’re going to continue to find ways to raise our pigs, utilize manure 

and raise stronger crops, all while improving our water quality. Animal nutrition and 

manure application technology will help us accomplish all of those goals.

It Takes Talent to Feed the World

by Nanci Lilja, President, CHS Foundation

When most people think of agriculture, they wonder how we are going to feed the growing population of 9.6 billion by 2050.  And while that’s an important question to consider, I find myself thinking more often about the individuals needed to fill the talent pipeline to feed that growing population.

With nearly 4 in 10 agriculture jobs going unfilled each year and the average-age of farmers ever increasing, it’s going to take a pragmatic, creative approach to encourage young people to pursue careers in agriculture.

While filling the talent gap and meeting the labor demand is an issue that cannot be solved by any one individual or organization, I feel a personal responsibility to be part of the solution. Fortunately for me, I get to go to work every day knowing that CHS and the CHS Foundation are investing in programs that develop ag leaders for life and encourage students to pursue careers in agriculture.

In my role as CHS Foundation president, I get to interact with some of the students we support through programs like FFA, Ag Future of America and 25 university ag programs.  It’s inspiring to hear from students of all ages, backgrounds and perspectives about how one experience in middle school, high school or at the university level sparked their involvement in agriculture. I always leave those conversations feeling inspired and renewed in my belief that the next generation is going to find new ways to propel the ag industry forward and be well-equipped to step into ag careers.

All of us in agriculture have a unique story to tell, and that’s why our support of National Ag Day is important.  Because while we know the challenges and exciting opportunities of this industry, we recognize that our policymakers and the general public may not.  There is something very powerful about students sharing their passion and celebrating their unique contributions to the ag industry, and we’re proud to be a part of that.