This isn't your father's farm

This is what comes to mind when most people hear words like "Agriculture, farming, rural"
(American Gothic by Grant Wood 1930)

Many people I talk to about agriculture reply with something with, "That's so cool, I'd love the simple life of growing your own food". And while small growers have the opportunity to live the simple life, if you're supporting the average 155 people, you can't really do that anymore. Today's agriculture operations are more carefully managed, more regulated, and high tech than they were 50 years ago, or even 30 years ago. This isn't your grandfather's or even your father's farm.

Since the 1920s, there has been extensive research on land management. Before the dust bowl, growers would completely plow up the prairie grasses and replace it with their crops. At the end of the season, the ground was left barren. This misuse of land led to wind and water erosion and the subsequent loss of the topsoil (the good stuff). This conservation movement has been the single largest change in how we grow our crops. Today's land tends to be plowed less and has something growing on it more often than when your grandfather was growing up.

In addition to better management, we have technology that our fathers and our grandfathers could only dream of. Technology has been one of the sole reasons why growers can grow more food using fewer resources with less labor. While no one likes pesticides, they allow growers to produce more with less waste. And today's pesticides are more effective and (when used properly of course) are safer to both man and beast. According to Iowa State University, growers can grow 4 times as much corn and soy using modern pesticides. Additionally, the use of herbicides saves 550 million gallons of fuel across the nation annually. If the weeds are dead, there's less need to plow. This is only one facet of technology, but there are countless other innovations that have made farming more efficient.

In addition to technological advances, growers are also held to a much higher standard than their parents and their grandparents. Agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) focus on environmental regulations such as nutrient management, soil and water conservation, and sound pesticide use. Then there are agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institute of Health (NIH), and the Center of Disease Control (CDC) that monitor and regulate the safety of food. And that's just the national agencies, many states have additional regulatory agencies with additional regulations. There are more people that growers must keep happy than the generations before us.

So what's the result of more technology, better land management, and more people regulating the operation? The result is more productive fields, a safer work area, and  a more efficient system for getting stuff done. If these practices weren't implemented, growers would need about twice the land to produce the same amount of food. That translates into more land conserved. So while it may not be as simple as your father's or grandfather's farm, it's better.

Growers have always worn many hats. In order to keep costs low, growers have an extensive knowledge of ag mechanics, horticulture, and in many cases, business management. Today's farmers are true professionals, that are in the ag business not to feed their families, but to make a living. That's not to say that the efforts of our ancestors is insignificant. Rather, it's through their efforts that we have a higher standard of living.

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulder of giants" -Isaac Newton

Introduction:

A few days ago, I read an article that bothered me. I wasn't bothered so much by the content, as I was from the attitude. The article was College Majors That are Useless, and I was expecting to find a bunch of obscure majors, and to my surprise, the author noted Agriculture as #1 most useless major, Animal Science as #4, and Horticulture as #5. Now, the information used to justify the author's views may lead you to think he is right. And while I could sit here and rant about how important agriculture is, and how my plant science knowledge is by no means useless, I would like to, instead, address a much grander problem facing this nation.

The author, along with countless other Americans have lost their roots to agriculture. This is much more of a heartbreak to me than anyone calling my major/career useless. I honestly don't know whether to be angry at people like this, or feel sorry for them. There seems to be a growing disconnect between growers, who produce the food, and the consumers who buy the food. And while this may not seem like a problem, it is.

My goal with this blog is to educate everyone on where the ag products you use every day, got their start, and how they ended up on your kitchen table, in your pantry, in your cupholder. I intend to learn just as much during this project as you, the readers will. I am interested in ALL forms of agriculture, and will try to spread out the topics to capture a broad spectrum of readers.

I am hoping to take you along the path of ag production from the field, to processing, to the household. I am not interested in chastising anyone on their carbon footprint, or not eating organically. That's a life choice that is none of my business. I would also like to plot out the path on a map to thoroughly illustrate the various steps within the ag system. If there is a topic you would like me to report, feel free to email me or leave a comment. I am just as interested in learning where my food, drink, clothing, and other household products come from.

Stay tuned for updates weekly (that's the plan at least). I'll try to cover an aspect of agriculture weekly, whether it's a specific crop or a specific product in the household. I am very open to suggestions on topics to cover.