Sustainable Farming Supporting Communities

Have you ever heard the phrase "it takes a village to to raise a child"? Well, when it comes to farming, it "takes a village" to support and create a sustainable community.

The view of my local community, Latimer, Iowa, from my front yard

Planting a Seed this Earth Day

When we think of Earth Day we most likely think of planting a tree, or picking up trash, or your city's local clean-up day where you can finally get rid of that old TV or couch.  For me, I've been thinking of a couple things, planting literally millions of seeds in a day, and sustainability of our farm.

Planting a Seed - Literally

My Farmer planting corn this spring
Follow me on Instagram (@PlaggeVal) to see more pictures of #Plant16

It's easy to be thinking of "planting a seed" this time of year, as we are busy with our corn planting season and next month will be switching to soybean planting.  Every day, as long as fit planting conditions persist, we plant over 10 million corn kernels a day.  Our rate of planting for corn is an average of 34,500 kernels per acre (about the size of a football field) and we plant an average of 300 acres a day.  We make decisions all year long to make sure that we are taking care of our land and resources.  Conservation is a daily aspect of our farm.  We review and analyze the production of our land throughout the year so we can make the best choice for the use of our land.  We have acres that are used for corn and soybean production, while others are enrolled in conservation programs like CRP and the Wetlands programs.  We are also continually looking for new practices and technologies to help us better our farm.

Planting a Seed - Figuratively 

A family selfie taken last spring during planting
We haven't fit all of us in a single tractor cab yet this year ;)

We are a family farm.  Both My Farmer and I are 5th generation farmers and we feel honored to be carrying on our great-great-grandfathers' trades and traditions.  We're thankful that the generations before us took care of our land, so we, as the current generation can continue their work and efforts.  We also are "planting a seed" with our children, the 6th generation, in hopes that they will want to continue our farm.  All three of our kids love being outside and helping in the field especially.  Our oldest son, LP, tell us he wants to be a farmer when he grows up.  He loves the idea of farming like Dad and Mom, and of course tractors and pigs are pretty cool aspects of the job too ;)  My Farmer and I work everyday to make sure that our farm is not only sustainable for our family, but for future generations too.

What are you doing today to celebrate Earth Day?  What does Earth Day make you think about?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

The Influence of Millennials on Food Trends

A couple months ago I was asked if I'd be willing to answer some questions about Millennials and Food Trends.  I thought, why not?  I'm a Millennial, I love food, and I'm always interested in learning more about upcoming food trends.  So I agreed to do an interview with Successful Farming about my opinion on the subjects.

What do you see as the most topical food trends?

My kids love grocery shopping with me,
especially when they get their own cart!

I think the top food trends today are local and healthy.  As a Mom and the cook for my growing family, I have to agree.  I would classify myself as a foodie and I want to make sure my family is eating a healthy, well-balanced diet.  I think a lot of young families are trying to make more homemade foods, but yet still want convenience for their busy lives.  I try to cook and bake with as many whole foods as possible.  The produce section is an area that I spend a lot of time in at the grocery store.  That being said, I also try to eat and prepare seasonal foods.  Purchasing foods when they are in-season not only gives me the best flavor, but also the best price.  I try to visit my local Farmer's Market in the summer at least a few times, which gives me access to seasonal foods.  I grow my own vegetable garden at home too.  I have an appreciation for local.  I try to shop local as much as possible.  One difference with local though is that others think if they can't buy direct from the farmer or manufacturer it isn't local.  I know that our pigs are sold to Tyson and that the Tyson pork roast or bacon at your grocery store could be from one of our pigs.  I also know that a large majority of the meats used at Subway are made from Iowa turkey.  There are a lot of local products in our grocery store and restaurants that don't have the local label on it.  I also love to try new foods and cooking techniques, which I think is a growing food trend too.  Making foods with Spanish, Italian, Greek, etc. flavors isn't uncommon for my family and I.  But when I was a kid, I didn't eat food with ethnic influences on a regular basis.  My basic cooking skills and recipes I learned from my Mom; my kids are now learning from me, which will carry these new food trends on to the next generation.

How do you think farmers have responded to these changing food trends?

I was apart of a "Hot Button Issues" panel last month
as part of the CommonGround program in Washington DC

I think farmers are doing a better job now, than ever before at listening to consumers.  Agriculture understands we can't ignore their interests.  With social media and access to information (both facts and myths) we need to make sure we are giving consumers correct information so they don't fear their food.  There are a lot of groups that do a good job of providing training for farmers on how to have conversations with consumers about food trends.  I personally have found trainings through CommonGround (which is a program of the United Soybean Board and National Corn Growers), Iowa Farm Bureau and the National Pork Board to be beneficial for myself.  And, I started this blog after participating in the Dupont Young Leader program four years ago.  Myself and other farmers see the need to make connections and build trust with our consumers.  Consumers want to know more about where their food comes from, so by participating in social media, media interviews, one on one conversations at the grocery store, etc. we are being more transparent about farming and food.  There are only around 2% of Americans involved in farming nationwide; that means around 98% of consumers don't live on the farm.  Farmers need to be apart of the conversation to help answer the questions of that huge majority.

New food trends have also created new demands and changing markets for farmers.  I personally believe in and love that we have food choices in America.  Because we have food choices, there are some farmers that have changed their farming practices to meet those new demands like, planting high-oleic soybean soybeans, raising crops and livestock USDA organic certified, creating direct-sales markets, etc.

As a Millennial, what are you doing to be part of the food trend discussion?

My family and I in the tractor planting this past spring

I think my generation of Millennials are going to help "bridge the gap" between farmers and consumers.  Young farmers are technology savvy and have more resources now, than ever before, to be able to stay connected with the non-farm audience.  Just like with every generation, I believe there is a "movable middle" that we can influence and build trust with, but there are already some that are extreme on their views and we'll probably have to just agree to disagree.

I can relate to other Millennials because we have similar interests and goals.  I want to provide a healthy diet for my family and I have the same idealism of wanting to make the world a better place.  That is why we are always looking at new technologies and research so we can make our farm sustainable for the next generation.  We want to make the best choices and decisions for our farm so our land and animals are the best and healthiest they can be.

What do you think are current food trends?  How much influence do you think Millennials have on the marketplace?  Where do you go for trusted information on food?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!