Examining the culture of agriculture

I snapped this photo of a grower I was working with. This cover crop alleviates compaction (it's a variety of raddish)

Recently I interviewed one of the growers that was in the soil health program for an agribusiness class I'm taking. And along with the typical interview questions, I asked him, "what do you consider the most rewarding aspect of your field?" His answer was "being part of a culture of people that grow their own food". That pretty much sums up anyone you meet in our field. Growers have this can-do attitude, which is rarely matched in other career fields. This doesn't mean that we have it easy; agriculture is by no means a get-rich-quick career. To be successful in this field it takes determination, hard work, innovation, and then more hard work.

It may be tough to see it if you didn't grow up in it, but ag was, and still is a place where you can be your own boss, set your own schedule (to an extent). This is the one area of the job industry that isn't going anywhere. People need to eat. Currently, agriculture employs nearly 23 million people in the US alone (FFA.org). And this is not just farming (farmers currently account for less than 2% of the labor force), in addition to growing the food, someone needs to truck it there, someone needs to process it into food, someone needs to ensure the food is safe to eat, still another person needs to sell the food. (see how this could get really big really fast?).

There's a lot of hats that growers wear. Growers are some of the most well-rounded people I meet. Not only do they need a green thumb but they also need people skills. On a typical day not only are growers interacting with coworkers, but salesmen, county agents, and consultants are frequently contacting them. In addition to dealing with people, growers must also deal with new regulations, and new findings. New and emerging technology and crops change quickly, and growers must make decisions of  which to try.

There are a lot of opportunities growing, processing, inspecting, and supporting our food supply. Our food supply is one of the safest and in the world. There's something to be said when you're part of that assembly line of feeding others through your efforts.I commend you, fellow ag employees!

So the next time you're browsing the produce aisle, or buying a cotton shirt, or a pack of smokes, think about how many hands that final product passed in growing, processing, and manufacturing to get it there. I know what you're thinking, all those dirty hands?!, but remember, someone also inspected it along the way. We often forget how much effort is going on behind the scenes to maintain our high quality of life, and agriculture is responsible for many of the items we take for granted.

Eat your vegetables: battling malnutrition the old-fashioned way

Malnutrition is the problem where someone is undernourished and is missing vitamins or minerals from the diet. This unbalanced diet was a common problem in ancient and medieval times, mainly because the nations were developing, and the poorer classes tended to be limited to a grain diet. This is still a problem in developing nations today, but it's still a problem here in the US. In this week's post, I'll attempt to unravel why this is STILL a problem in the US. There's two ways to combat malnutrition, dietary supplements or eating right.

When growing up in our house, it was mandatory to eat your vegetables. There was no sneaking them past my eagle-eyed mother. There was no fussing and there was never any negotiation. They were always there, staring back at me. And, after enough staring, I grew to like them. Growing up with a serving (or two) of vegetables on your plate is a disappearing trend. In the US, we have maintained a surplus in our food supply to the point where we export the extra, yet we still have problems with nutrition in the US. What's going on?

Instead, we are leaning towards a white bread, white rice, and bleached flour diet with vitamins added back in (fortified or enriched). This never made sense to me. The one product I never understood was the "Splenda Essentials', it's an artificial sweetener that is fortified with B-vitamins, fiber, or antioxidants. You know where you can also find antioxidants, B-vitamins, and fiber all in one? Vegetables! If you can afford to buy artificial, fortified sweeter, something tells me you could afford vegetables.

I think that the malnutrition problem is more of a choice problem rather than a lack of buying power. Two large programs in the US which help people out with food encourage vegetable consumption. Food stamps can be used to buy vegetable seeds under Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). You can start a garden using tax dollars! Then, there's the Women Infant and Children (WIC) program also offer the option for fruits and vegetables. And just like any government program, there are regulations and restrictions. (and I checked, and pizza is not considered a vegetable under the WIC program, they seem to have more sense than the school lunch program). But, alas, it's up to you, the consumers to make the right choice to fight malnutrition with all your available resources. Whether it's supporting your local grower, or you're receiving assistance from the government, there ARE options to eating well.

Vegetables are great either fresh, frozen, or canned. While I love vegetables fresh, I would encourage you to work it into every meal, whether they are boiled, steamed, or even roasted. In fact, last night, my mother served beets and turnips, blanched and frozen from our garden the season before. I guess some things never change.

The next time you're out shopping, look into your cart, how much color is in there? And I'm not talking about the packaging, look at the color of your food. Just like anything else, vegetables are an acquired taste, but the nutritional benefits from eating well are well worth it!