Farming 101

One of the reasons that I started this blog was at the urging of an editor who liked how I could explain modern commercial agriculture to him. He lived in a large city and was as about as far removed from his food as possible. Because the general media is in the same boat with him I have never felt that people get an honest view of agriculture in this country. Either you hear that everyone is being poisoned with pesticides and some Hollywood type blames her latest divorce on genetically modified crops or you read some latest and greatest from huge conglomerates like Monsanto where their new technology is going to save the world and all the starving children in Africa will at last have access to a Bic Mac. Neither one is the truth. The editor understood this but wanted to know why the real story wasn't out there. It is really simple.... American farmers are just too damn busy to bother cluing you in on what they figure you should already know. They don't have time to fully engage in a debate on whether the system we have is "right" or "wrong." It is what it is. It will evolve as needed. The Midwestern corn farmer is not shoveling all that high fructose corn syrup down your throat, America. That is the funny thing about agriculture. We like to grow what sells. If you were crazy for bean sprouts we'd figure out how to get that to you with record production levels.
So my editor friend suggested a blog where I could explain some things to the average reader that will help you learn more about where your food comes from. I don't know if it will do any good but if maybe one person develops an appreciation or understanding of the industry it will be something. So occasionally I will touch on that subject and try to explain things from our persepctive. Not that I think it will change much but maybe we'll all learn something.