A Glance at Ag #4

SEPTEMBER 26, 2019

Here are some resources I’ve found recently to help us digest what’s going on in the agriculture industry. Consider each resource as “food for thought” in our own journeys of understanding food, and let’s ask questions to allow us to continually learn and grow.

• MOVING BEYOND THE “US VS. THEM” OF AGRICULTURE 

The message in this post by Sarah Nolet couldn’t ring more true to what we’re going through in the food production space right now. There is a subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) “us vs. them” battle going on amongst people who produce food and those who consume it, and it’s not doing anyone a bit of good, if you ask me. We need to work harder to understand what’s important to each of us and find common ground. As Nolet writes, we must build trust, tread lightly, meet people where they are, show up and ask questions (even the stupid ones), and have thick skin for this to successfully work. I highly recommend reading this piece if you ever want to connect with people who differ from you in any sense – the tips are practical and useful to us all.

• U.S. FARMERS GET A MUCH-NEEDED BREAK UNDER PARTIAL TRADE PACT WITH JAPAN

Trade uncertainty is at the top of mind for every American farmer in 2019, especially as they prepare to make decisions about crop mixes for 2020 in the coming months. After much frustration about the lack of trade between the US and China, a new US-Japan trade deal came out this week, which is a light of hope for many American producers. As this NPR article describes, this agreement is anticipated to put US beef and pork back on the global map with lower tariffs on those goods.

• FOOD FIGHT: MILK AND THEIR PLANT-BASED ALTERNATIVES (VIDEO)

This video does an excellent job of describing the history of milk consumption in the US and the pressure the dairy industry is experiencing. It covers everything from the iconic milk man to what the true definition of “milk” is (and what it is not). This is definitely worth the watch.

• A LOT OF AGRICULTURE IN YOUR CHILD’S BACKPACK

In honor of classes and school starting back up in the past few weeks, here’s a short piece by Elaine Lidholm of Virginia Department Agriculture and Consumer Services highlighting how agriculture is a integral part of a child’s school day. Spoiler alert: we don’t just need farmers to feed us…they do a lot more for us. Take a look and start a conversation with the little ones in your life about how those items got to their backpacks.

• SIX AG INFLUENCERS WE LOVE TO FOLLOW 

There’s a lot of buzz about social media in agriculture, especially when it comes to finding people we can trust when seeking information about agriculture and food production. Laura Bardot of Ad Farm compiled a list of six influencers to check out if you’re interested in learning more about different sectors of agriculture, while having some fun on Twitter and Instagram following them.

 

If you have any thoughts on the above links, or if you find any helpful or insightful resources in your internet searching, please send them to me on social media (below) or on my contact page.

 

Thanks for reading!