Farmers, I THANK YOU

Thanksgiving is upon us, and I just love this time of year. Waking up to a brisk autumn morning looking out onto the beautiful countryside of harvested fields and freshly raked piles of leaves is invigorating. It is both tranquil and exciting all at once. 

I am fortunate that I get to see, touch, and smell these fields. It adds to the connection I already have with agriculture and serves as a reminder that farming isn't for the faint of heart. I am privileged to work with the farmers across this country and intend to continue working with them in bringing food to plates around the world.  

As you may be aware, The Agchat Foundation started a campaign called #foodthanks. If you are not aware, read my previous post and go to the Foodthanks site. The idea behind it is to remember that the food on your plate was produced by someone. I, for one, am very thankful that there are folks out there who produce more than what they need for their family so my family can have safe, affordable, nutritious food. So to all the farmers out there..please accept my

FOODTHANKS

So take some time and express your gratitude and foodthanks to the hard working women and men producing our food. 

Farmers are Talking. Are You Listening?

Where do you go to find information when you want to learn more about a particular subject? Do you "Google" it? Read publications and blogs? Ask your network? Maybe all of the above, and more?    

I certainly look at multiple sources, but I have found the best way to educate yourself is by going to the source. So if I wanted to find out about agriculture, I look to farmers. After all, farmers are the folks that apply the technology and science in the real world every day. They must make the decision on what crop to plant, equipment to use, technology to adopt, agronomic practice to utilize, and process to adapt. And then evaluate the efficacy of the choices they made from a tactical and strategic perspective to ensure the long term viability of the business.

Given that most people do not have immediate access to farmers (I am extremely fortunate that I do!), a company, BASF, has created a place for the public to hear directly from farmers. It is called Top Plots, a Vlog series where farmers are sharing what has been beneficial to their business. Here is the latest release featuring Kip Cullers from Purdy, MO, the winner of the global soybean yield contest coming in at a whopping 160.6 bushels per acre! So listen in as Kip and other farmers share their journey with you.

This Week In Ag

My friend John Blue of Truffle Media http://trufflemedia.com started this site and weekly discussion about agriculture. He graciously asked me to participate and I am really excited about it. Thanks again John!

Take some time and listen to a few episodes (about 1 hour long segments) then let me know what you think. All feedback/constructive criticism welcomed and encouraged. We are also open to any topics you would like to see covered.

You can find John on Twitter @TruffleMedia and me @natejtaylor.

This Week In Ag

What Topic Draws You into Agriculture?

The below blog post on Science Blogs by Molly Webster hits home for me. I work every day to provide producers from around the globe the tools they need to grow the food we consume in a sustainable manner. Over the years the field of agriculture has progressed, mightily I might add. But we still have more work to do and lest anyone forget agriculture is a science. And with that comes all the complexities with any science endeavor. The single most difficult issue when discussing science is how to convey the information in such a manner that it not only makes sense to the consumer, but actually invokes a feeling of "this matters". As Molly stated:

"How do I make agriculture relevant to YOU. Especially today when the hipper cousins "local" and "organic" are marketed as more wholesome and trust-worthy than agriculture. I see people shuddering at the very vision of giant plows mutilating hundreds of miles earth."

So folks, how do we in the field of agriculture make the discussions relevant to the rest of the folks not involved in agriculture?

Please share with this post with your non-ag friends to gather some feedback.

Far Afield: The reach of agriculture : 2010 World Science Festival Blog: "Far Afield: The reach of agriculture"