Dirt

I can always conjure up the smell of dirt.  I remember when I first learned that some people have never felt or smelled dirt and how difficult I found that to imagine!  Some of my earliest memories with dirt were when I was making mud pies on summer days on our farm as a child.  I made all kinds of magnificent designs and patterns on the tops of the pies, some with flowers or clover on top.

I even have fond memories of riding on the back of a rather old fashioned wheat drill to plant the wheat on our farm.  The wheat drill had a platform on the back for someone to check on the flow of the seeds through the machine and make sure it was not clogging.  I would put a bandana around my face so that I would not always breathe in the dirt as the dust would be kicked up along the field.  When we were finished for the day, the rest of my skin was 10 shades darker from dirt.  I always felt a sense of satisfaction and a bit of adventure on these days.

When I visited the farmland in Europe in the region of my ancestors, I brought back a little bag of dirt as a keepsake.  Some 30 years later I still have this with me.  We are fifth generation farmers and this little bag of dirt is somehow a symbolic link through time with all of these farmers who came before us.

When we bought our current farm, one of the first things we did was have a soil analysis done with GPS soil sampling and land mapping.  We received a very high tech book with the  various locations on our farm and the different types of soil nutrients present or absent in each location.  The quality of the dirt is one of the key variables and the literal foundation for farming.

We are also composting to enrich the terrible clay soil surrounding our home.  Both of these ways, the high tech and low tech methods, are wonderful ways we are connecting with our dirt and helping to enrich and sustain it.

Take a minute to consider what your most recent connections with dirt are and what you consider your earliest memories with dirt.  All of your food is connected in some way to dirt, whether you see it still on the produce at the farmer's market or you purchase a washed version in your grocery store.  All of the grains you consume are deeply connected to this soil.  Let's keep investing in our soil - dig in!

 

Connecting with the Earth and our Food

   As I continue to listen to people's thoughts and feelings about where they get their food and caring for the earth, I am amazed at the similarities that emerge from across seemingly polar opposites in the culture wars on food and agriculture.  People in all camps care about the food they eat.  People care about being a good steward of the earth so that it will be healthy for generations to come.  People like to feel connected to their communities.   People like to feel that they are doing something productive about which they feel passionate.  Modern farmers feel this way.  Sustainable farmers feel this way.  So why do we have culture wars on food and agriculture?
  I think the differences emerge in the trade offs each farmer makes.  Specifically, I think that one of the key issues is cost.  As I understand it, sustainable farmers feel that it is worth the extra input and labor costs to use the methods they feel are best.  They and their current customers feel it is worth paying more for food that meets their standards for being grown according to their principles.  The process or methods used are paramount and they are willing to deal with the consequences of higher costs.  Often this is possible because the sustainable farmers are sharing the financial risk with others rather than carrying it all themselves, perhaps through a co-op structure made possible by the smaller size of their operations and their location usually closer to mid sized communities.  The higher costs of these methods are one of the biggest challenges these methods face.  Many people cannot afford substantially higher food costs, nor do they have the means to reach the more limited distribution channels.  Sustainable farming will need to continue to address these issues if they hope to have their methods more widespread.
  Modern or traditional farmers, in contrast, are always feeling the trade off or tension in their choices of balancing yield, efficiency, productivity, cost and caring for the health of their family, neighbors, community and the earth.  It is a complex web of variables.  Modern farmers try and maximize yield, but not at any cost.  They consider the trade offs and make their choices, adjusting with new information.  It is in this information and adjustment cycle where the opportunity lies for dialogue and bridging the gap in these culture wars (more on this in a moment.)  Usually these modern farmers are carrying the financial risks of their operations by themselves.  Modern farmers are generally in the more rural areas of the US without the ability to connect as easily to mid sized communities as consumer co-ops do.  Many modern farmers produce grain row crops that are not yet a main area for sustainable farmers (eg wheat, corn, soybeans).  There are important reasons for this, one being the volatility of these markets making them more financially vulnerable and in turn putting pressure on cost containment.  The biggest challenge for modern farmers is to keep operation costs in check, while achieving a good yield, yet also considering the impact on the earth.
  So the opportunity for bridging the gap between these methods is in the sharing of information and dialogue and understanding that what all farmers care about is essentially the same - caring about our food, our communities and our earth.  Genuine openness to discussion and information is more likely to be successful than dismissing other positions and condemning other methods.  Look for opportunities to support this dialogue in your own community or online.  Ag related tweets, blogs and agriculture networks are popping up for this purpose.  Let's talk....and listen!

Precision Technology Intro Videos

This is a good solid introduction to what precision technology can do in an agricultural setting, highlighting how it is used and several of the benefits.   The second link is for a video from the US that is a little more on the lighter side of things, having the whole farm family show the technology inside the tractor cab.

Farm Futures video from the UK on Precision Technology


Common Ground's volunteer video showing one type of precision technology

Remote Irrigation Technology

The company AgSense gained a patent for their remote irrigation management solution.  Their tool helps farmers to manage their irrigation systems remotely, allowing more refined adjustments to the current circumstances, saving time, energy and money.  My understanding is that currently growers need to use the special AgSense device and software to do this, but it works for all brands of irrigation equipment and the company hopes to come out with a mobile app soon to make managing this remotely even easier.  For more information about the company and their products, see AgSense.

Rural Romanticism

As I continue to reflect on the underlying reasons behind the current movements surrounding farms and food (agricultural romanticism, eat local and more), I came across this song that I thought touches on some of what people are feeling, wanting "some space where they can breathe again."  I wonder if people are feeling a disconnect with their world and are trying to reconnect?  Check out the website for this group, The Farm, for more information about them.   I'd love to hear what you think about this song and the theme of rural/ag romanticism.

"Home Sweet Home" by The Farm

Sustainability Challenges and Tools

Sustainability in the ag industry has gained a lot of traction, but appears to be at a crossroads.  It has grown from a niche area of interest to a limited few, to a national and global issue. However, issues are being raised that require decisions that have the potential for being divisive, or pushing some participants down a different path.


Last week The Leonardo Academy National Sustainable Agriculture Standard Committee released their 395 page draft report on sustainability.  They are trying to gain agreement on standards, definitions, measurements and more.  This process has proven to be highly controversial, with several members (primarily key commodity organizations) dropping out of the process as it became evident that it was moving towards including so many parameters that it would be difficult to gain agreement and too costly to implement.


Many participants in the food chain are concerned about sustainability issues though: the growing global population and shrinking resources.  One effort that is moving forward is using technology to help participants measure what they are doing to give them the information to empower their decision making for sustainability issues.  Field to Market has a Fieldprint Calculator that helps educate farmers in how their choices would impact natural resource management and sustainability.  The key indicators included are: land use, soil loss, soil carbon, irrigation water use, energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.  The tool measures these vs state and national averages.


Tensions regarding natural resource use are not likely to go away, so we need to find tools and approaches that bring parties together to work towards solutions.  Technology seems to be one way to help give people the tools they need to make better informed decisions about sustainability.  Technologies are sprouting up all around us, so stay tuned for more to come.

Locavores and Food Miles

A Locavore is someone who eats foods grown locally, usually for ecological reasons.  One key concept of Locavores is to consider the "food miles" or the distance food travels before being consumed as a means of measuring the environmental impact.  However, in the book, "Just Food" by James McWilliams, the concept of food miles is shown to be less powerful or even incorrect.

McWilliams digs into several studies, including one by the Journal of Environmental Science and Technology (2008) that measures the fossil fuel used in each stage of the food chain.  The study shows that 46% is used in the production and processing of food, and 16-25% is used in the preparation of the food to eat (16% in restaurants and 25% in homes), and only 11% in the transportation of food.

McWilliams shows any number of counter intuitive examples where what seems like the most eco-friendly food is in fact not.  For example, he quotes studies on tomatoes produced in Britain to be consumed in Britain vs tomatoes shipped from Spain to be consumed in Britain.  The tomatoes from Spain actually use fewer fossil fuels because it takes more to produce tomatoes in Britain than in Spain.  This gets at the comparative advantage of different countries or geographic regions to produce different types of food.

If we are to eat only what is produced locally, McWilliams and others highlight the likely decline in nutrition that would occur.  Tomatoes, from our example above, are frequently noted as one of the top ten "power" foods for their importance in nutrition and health.  Increased nutrition is one of the keys to the improved health and longer life expectancy in humans and should not be ignored or discounted.

Last, McWilliams notes that in order to eat locally, people usually need to drive to a farmer's market, which is usually not the closest place for them to shop.  In addition, they usually also end up shopping at another food/grocery store, because all of their food needs are not provided by the farmer's market.  These trips end up using more fossil fuel than if the person would have done one shop at their local grocery store.  Given this weekly cost to purchase food and the small cost of transportation included in the cost of food, this weakens the power of the food miles argument further. (See the McWilliams book for these cost calculations.)

I think eating locally produced foods can bring a lot of positive connections and emotions, not to mention being fresh and delicious, especially alongside other foods to complete the nutritional needs and desire for variety.  However,  I do not yet see reliable scientific evidence that it or permaculture can significantly reduce dependence on fossil fuels or feed the 8 billion people on our planet.  Instead of making eating locally a politicized "movement," I think we should simply acknowledge and celebrate the enjoyment it brings.

How is technology used in farming?

A friend recently asked me how technology is used in agriculture, so I thought I would share just a brief primer on that topic here.  I found this timeline on the history of technology and agriculture here as a starting place:

Agriculture and Technology Timeline

The modern part of the above timeline could be expanded a lot and I might try and provide more of that here in future posts.  However, just to highlight some of the key ways in which technology is currently being explored and applied to agriculture include:

1) Computers and sensors in farm equipment such as tractors.  Applications include measuring soil content, applying fertilizer and chemicals more efficiently and effectively, sensing if a row in a field is being double planted, etc.  We are seeing the integration of computers, GPS and telecommunications devices.  These applications includes areas called precision agriculture and telemetry.

2) Smartphones.  Applications include access to data/information and remote control (along with sensors) of motors for irrigation, moving grain from trucks to grain bins, etc.

3) Biotechnology.  Scientists are exploring all kinds of ways to improve growing conditions and results throughout the world, including GMO crops for reducing damage from insects, drought resistant crops and more.

4) Social media.  Using social media for connecting with others in the food and agriculture community, marketing and more.

We are seeing some explosive growth in all of these areas with more to come.  Look for more posts here with the tag/label of technology (see side bar).

What is the source of all the anger about food?

I continue to be amazed by the amount of anger I see and hear when people write and talk about food and agricultural issues.  I read a variety of blogs and articles daily and the language used is consistently emotional and seems to have a need not only to celebrate one way of doing things (eg local food, permaculture, etc.) but also to put down other ways of doing things (eg other ways are destroying the earth, poisoning our families, have no conscience, etc.)  Why is this?  Is the anger and emotion really about the food and agriculture?

A few things seem apparent to me: there is a lack of science and critical thinking backing up a lot of what people believe.  But I think that is somehow the point.  People who are passionate about eating local or permaculture "believe" in what they are doing - it is anchored in some strong emotions and not necessarily in science.  That is not a bad thing, unless they put on a cloak of pseudo science on and claim that it is.  Why not simply say that they choose to eat local because it makes them happy and they enjoy it?  Isn't that enough?

I'm guessing that the reason it is not enough is because there is a "movement" going on too - a desire to create changes in the food system.  As we see with the "Occupy" movement, I think there is a lot of anger with corporate American right now and I think we are seeing some of that in the desire for changes in the food system.  There is some anger at the big corporations in agribusiness and the power that they hold and some of their practices.

It seems to me that the "answer" is not permaculture or eating locally or any one method of feeding our planet.  I think that the "answer" is probably more complex and involves celebrating and promoting our various methods of growing and distributing food.  What do you think?  I hope to continue to explore this topic further, so let's continue the dialogue.

Innovative Young Hoosiers' Mobile Technology

Check out this exciting group of young people in Indiana applying mobile technology to agriculture! The video about their history is pretty cool, including the music.  They are changing the face of agriculture and providing a new tool that improves safety on grain farms.

LoadOut.co

Celebrate Two Female Agritechpreneurs

This article highlights a variety of techpreneurs who have won funding from the World Bank or who have developed successful apps.  I especially want to highlight the two female "agritechpreneurs" who developed an app to help with more transparency of market information in the hands of farmers/producers in Kenya.

Business Daily Article on Techpreneurs

Food Memories

Most of us have some powerful food memories.  I have heard so many of them: memories of picking apples or blueberries, planting a garden, making a pumpkin pie from a local pumpkin and more.  Often these memories are also linked with very positive relationships in our lives, our grandmothers, children and other family members.  I think this is part of what is behind the emerging agrarian romanticism - we long for some of these same feelings and connections with our food, but often struggle to find them in our modern food system.

I have powerful memories linked to food, farming and my family.  For me though, they are primarily with our conventional family farm.  We are fifth generation farmers.  I have fond memories playing on the hay bales that fed our cattle, watching the hundreds of little piglets (or so it seemed!) run off the truck into their new pen, riding on the back of the old fashioned wheat drill as we planted our fields and countless other memories.

I think one of our challenges is helping people today feel good about the food they are eating.  I'm contemplating ways in which this can be done.  I know some people feel strongly that we should buy locally grown food so that we can be more connected to our food and support local farmers.  Some of the research I have been reading though (see links on the side) suggests that this isn't the environmentally friendly or sustainable solution that it is touted to be, but it does seem to help people feel good.  I wonder what other solutions there might be?

Locavores and Meat

I was raised on Nebraska beef.  We usually had somewhere between 10 and 50 cattle on our family farm.  Our freezer would always be full of meat from a cow we had butchered at the small town meat processor.  Although I have still not seen a factory farm for beef, I know that Nebraska is highlighted as one of the states with a high concentration of them on the Factory Farm Map (see in Resources section on the side of this blog).  Indiana, for example,  is also shown on this same map for the concentration of factory pig farms.

In the New York Times today, there is a piece on the impact on the environment from such factory farms for meat.  However, the recent Locavore movement advocating to eat meat from smaller, local farms does not appear to be the solution, as noted with facts by this author:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/13/opinion/the-myth-of-sustainable-meat.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

Beginning the Journey

For about a year or so, I have been exploring the world of agribusiness more deeply.  My family owns and operates farms in Nebraska - we are fifth generation farmers, having used both conventional/technology based farming and organic farming.  While in my MBA program, I took an agribusiness course from Professor Ray Goldberg, the founding father who coined the term agribusiness and completed an independent research project with him.  Then for over a decade, I participated in my family's natural food business.

In the past year, I have been getting drawn in more deeply to agriculture by the strong emotions I hear being expressed about agribusiness (including rural romanticism and anti-corporate/factory farming) and by seeking out facts and data as I explore my own views.  There also seem to be several "movements" gaining momentum for change (eg local food movement) and a noticeable increased pace of innovation occurring in the application of technology to agriculture.  I have decided to launch this space to share some of the information I am finding and to try and work out some of my own thoughts and feelings about agribusiness, technology and entrepreneurship.    Let the journey begin!