Category Archives: Ag Day

Common Misconceptions in Food and Agriculture


agriculture misconceptions jersey chocolate milk cow

Chocolate milk comes from brown cows? No, but that’s what people tell dairy farmers like Carrie Mess.

On a weekly basis, I usually receive 8-10 questions via my Ask A Farmer contact form from folks who just want to know more about agriculture in general. I’m just one guy with an opinion who is willing to share my opinion. I try to incorporate links with perspectives from others as often as possible when replying to these questions.

Being that last week was National Agriculture Week across much of the country, many folks have been sharing their opinions and expressing why they are proud to be a part of agriculture. One post that stands out for me is from Virginia Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture, Matt Lohr (@Mjlohr71 on Twitter).

Matt has a Top 10 list of common misconceptions about agriculture. These are similar to many questions I receive, so I wanted to share another perspective on the issues. Below are the numbers 10-6. The final 5 can be viewed on the Virginia Department of Agriculture website.

#10 – Small farms are unimportant. In many ways, small farms are the backbone of Virginia agriculture. They range in size from three or four acres to 150 acres or so, but they probably do the best job of any farms to provide local food. Many small farms sell directly to the consumer through roadside stands, on-farm sales, farmers’ markets and events. They are at the heart of the Buy Local movement and not only provide food but also provide that all important one-on-one relationship between farmer and consumer. They are also one of the fastest growing segments of Virginia agriculture.

#9 – All large farms are corporate farms. In Virginia nearly 90 percent of our farms are family-owned and operated. Many family farms are incorporated for business purposes or to ensure an orderly transition from one generation to the next, but incorporated is not the same as corporate. The vast majority of our farmers live on the land they work, and they have a very special bond with the land that may go back generations. Their roots run deep.

#8 – Farmers are destroying the environment. This is absolutely not true. In fact, farmers are the original good stewards of land and water resources. These resources are, after all, how they make their living, so it makes sense to protect them. I find it interesting that many of the complaints to our Ag Stewardship Program about perceived environmental problems are unsubstantiated. What the public perceives as an environmental problem often is not. At the same time that farms give us environmental benefits such as green spaces and wildlife habitat, they use far fewer resources than the average urban or suburban home.

#7 – There’s no future in agriculture. I’ll admit that for a few years, many of us were concerned about the future of agriculture and the next generation of farmers. But things are changing. Fox News recently ran a feature that said ag degrees are the hot ticket for job growth. They quote data from the Food and Agriculture Education Information System that says enrollment in U.S. college and university agriculture programs are up 21 percent since 2006. The data show more than 146,000 undergraduates in ag programs. This growing interest is critical for the future of food production, as world population growth is creating a greater demand for food, and the average age of farmers in many states is near 60.

#6 – Farmers are uneducated. This is a persistent myth and one we need to bust. The days are long gone when you learned everything you needed to know about farming from your grandfather. That doesn’t mean we discount grandpa’s advice, born from years and years of experience. It does mean that today’s farmers need post-high school training in a variety of areas: animal science, agronomy, environmental science, business, marketing, communications, perhaps even law and psychology. Today’s farmers also need to be life-long learners. If you’ve been on a farm recently, you’ve probably seen a farmer using his cell phone in the field to make decisions about planting or applying pesticides or fertilizer. That’s the kind of on-the-job training every farmer needs these days to stay competitive and make a profit.

Read more on how Ag Commissioner Matt Lohr responds to misconceptions 5-1 on the Virginia Department of Agriculture website. These misconceptions include:

  • The cost of food goes directly into the farmer’s pocket.
  • Food costs too much.
  • Our food is unsafe.
  • Farmers abuse their animals.
  • All farmers are rich.

Did any of these address concerns you have about agriculture? What would be on your Top 10 list?

Submit your questions via the contact form on my Ask a Farmer page.

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CNN Eatocracy: Celebrate National Agriculture Day and talk to a farmer


How long has it been since you visited a farm? Vote in the poll.

In case you missed it, yesterday was National Agriculture Day. I had the opportunity to share a few words on CNN Eatocracy and hopefully encourage folks to consider how agriculture impacts our lives daily.

Even though farmers and ranchers may be overlooked when it comes to influence on our food supply, this group of folks has a huge impact on our daily lives. Most of the non-food products we use on a daily basis include by-products from livestock animals and crops. Cotton fibers make up a large amount of our favorite clothing and many crops are used to generate energy and fuel. Agriculture has a huge impact on rural business and economies, providing jobs, sources of tax revenue, and many farm organizations make large food donations possible for crisis and hunger relief.

One of the first steps in transparency for our agriculture systems is encouraging folks to become more aware of what actually happens in agriculture. Can you help make this happen?

Read more of my thoughts in the full post on CNN. Be sure to share this with your non-farm friends and encourage others to answer the poll at the bottom of the post.

CNN Eatocracy Agriculture Day 2013 Farmers

Click image to view entire post on CNN Eatocracy

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National Agriculture Day Through the Eyes of Farm Bloggers


Naitonal Ag Day 2013Today is National Agriculture Day. the one day of the year when Congress encourages everyone to  stop and think about agriculture.

We are thinking  about all the people involved in agriculture and all of the things they are accomplishing!

  • Farmers who are producing food for their families and a few neighbors as well as the farmers whose crops are sold on the larger market.
  • The many people who work in co-ops and farm supply stores, providing important services and products for farmers regardless of the production practices employed.
  • Employees at grain elevators, cotton gins, distribution centers, barges, trucking companies and more are ensuring grain, fiber, fruits and vegetables continue to move through the system.
  • People are buying and selling products to fill the shelves at the local market or to deliver critical food aid to a country in crisis.

What is their day like? And what are they thinking about as they observe National Ag Day? Read the following blog posts to find out!

  • Planting Knowledge in Others – Illinois State University Student, Steven Beisswenger, discusses the technology and management that goes into conservation work for corn farmers across the country.
  • Food Ethics - Liz from the Wyoming Stock Growers Association takes a look at the progress Agriculture has made in food production since the 1950s and the conservation work they’re doing to feed a growing population in the future.
  • Relish the Food Choices Available – Katie Pinke of North Dakota emphasizes her appreciation on food choices instead of food guilt when it comes to choosing food for her family.
  • The Farmer, Ag Week Special – Kathy Hasekamp of Missouri shares what she’s learned while farming with her husband raising cattle, hay, corn, soybeans, and wheat.
  • Teaching Our Grandchildren – Wanda Patsche of Minnesota is proud an honored to share the experience of raising hogs, corn, and soybeans with her grandchildren.
  • City Girl Meets Ranch Life - Briána Belko was a city girl with a Liberal Arts degree when she decided to work on a family member’s calf ranch in California. Now she’s sharing her passion for agriculture through her urban roots.
  • Slow Money Farm – Jan Hoadley, an Alabama farmer, recognizes that we seek out the experts in many life situations, why not look to farmers when it comes to food?
  • Shouldn’t We Have Parades – Suzie Wilde, wife of a Texas cotton farmer, is looking for a little fanfare to be tossed the way of farmer for Ag Day.
  • My Other, More Exciting Self – Lara Durben utilizes her experience working with Minnesota poultry farmers to shed some light on the truths of raising food.
  • Pride, Humility, Courage and the Long Haul - Beyond the Rows provides some perspective on farmers and the way they approach their days at work.
  • From One Generation to the Next: National Ag Day – North Dakota rancher Val Wagner says ”Generations Nourishing Generations” is almost our farm’s motto – and as we raise the next generation, we strive to ensure that we’ve done our best for the future.
  • My Plans for National Ag Day - Janice Person talks about the typical day in agriculture for her as she works in agricultural communications in St. Louis.
  • Ag Proud on National Ag Day – Taylor Short from Missouri is proud to be a part of agriculture and works to share that message with college students
  • The Daily Cowman is Ag Proud – Larry Olberding, a Washington cattleman, takes time to spell out why he is agriculture proud and gives thanks to those who have contributed to his journey.
  • An Ag Day Poem: A Day in the Life of My Farmer – Iowa farmwife Val Plagge wrote a poem for ag day talking about some of the things her husband is doing as they raise corn, beans, pigs and kids.

Be sure to check out the Agriculture Proud posts from earlier this month celebrating National Ag Day:

Be sure to catch some great interaction online with farmers, ranchers, and the agriculture community throughout the week. On Twitter follow the hashtags #FoodD and #AgDay.

Tune in tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern as the AgChat Foundation hosts an Ag Day party. Follow on Facebook through this event page or join in on Twitter by following the #FoodChat stream.

Go. Celebrate National Agriculture Day! Have you thanked a farmer?

Agriculture Proud – It all started on National Ag Day


3 years! Can you believe it? Prior to National Ag Day 2010, I was involved in social media and advocating for the agriculture industry, but I had yet to really find my spot. That all changed with one tweet. I posted my response on the Working Ranch magazine blog I was writing at the time and received far more response than I could have ever imagined. That planted the seed for this blog and the I am Agriculture Proud theme I use across several Social Media platforms.

Why are YOU Agriculture Proud?

earth day we will farm on flyerI feel it appropriate to share those original thoughts on National Agriculture Day 2013 and encourage you to do the same.

Here’s the original Agriculture Proud blog post from 2010:

It is National Agriculture Day! Did you thank a farmer and rancher for their hard work to produce the food that ends up on your plate? If not, you should do it today, as well as the other 364 days in the year.

In case you missed it, this was National Agriculture Week; a week for the celebration of agriculture and an opportunity to educate the public about the good story we have to tell. Since I was on the couch for half of the week (wisdom teeth were just cut out on Spring Break), I had the opportunity to follow several conversations on Social Media about the event. There are so many stories being told about what agvocates are doing to spread the word about agriculture. One post caught my eye when someone asked the question “Why are you proud to be a part of Agriculture?”

Why am I proud to be a part of the cattle industry? For starters, it is what my family does for a living, so there is a bit of family pride in it for me. Despite having four other siblings at home, I am the only one that has taken a strong interest in working with cattle. When my dad reaches the age where he can no longer take care of the place, and I have had my fill of the world, I plan to return home and help him run things.

The more political answer to that question is that I am humbled by the knowledge that each of our cattle feeds a family somewhere in the world. This means our cattle not only provide the beef in our family freezer, but also the freezer of a family in California, Virginia, Japan, and Australia. The meat shelves at grocery stores around the world are filled with safe, quality American beef, and I am proud to know that I had a hand in that. Today the average US producer feeds 155 people in a growing global market.

Family Cattle Farmer Ag DayI get a personal satisfaction out of being a small producer. There is a feeling of accomplishment at the end of the day when the cattle are fed, the newborn calves are off to a good start, and a few more chores are marked off the to-do list. A hard day’s work put in on the family’s place is a job well done. There is nothing like being out in the pasture and just soaking it all up on a wonderful summer day.

Media and animal rights groups are throwing around the “factory farm” label for American agriculture today, but the truth is the cattle industry continues to remain a relatively small-minded industry. I took a minute to study the 2007 US Ag census data today and found that 89% (728,992) of cattle operations have an inventory of less than 100 head, making up 40% (29,858,211) of the US cattle inventory. The average inventory for US cattle operations is just short of 91 head. Does not sound like much of a “factory” now does it? Sure, there are 665 operations with more than 2,500 cattle but they only make up 0.08% of the operations and 6% of the national inventory.

The cattle industry may be growing, some operations may be getting larger, but the small operations will always be the grassroots of the industry. What makes you proud to be a part of the cattle industry? Let me hear about it. Find me on Facebook or Twitter.

Here’s to many more great travels, connections, and years of agvocacy, because I AM Agriculture Proud. Thank You to everyone who has helped me along the way! Here’s to the start of year number 4!