Today is Food Day. Not office “food day” or post-birthday leftover food day (which is what I’m really celebrating). But food day that is being celebrated differently than most people in agriculture might think. Food Day was founded by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Their goal is to help inspire Americans to […]
Are GMOs untested?
A recent report came out by Consumer Reports that contains several factual errors and promotes misinformation about GMOs in food products. So let’s just get the facts out there. GMO products undergo extensive, rigorous testing prior to approval. Here in the U.S., there are two mandated steps to GMO approval, by the U.S. Department of […]
Big Business changing policies, “safe sourcing” for animal welfare
Nestlé, the largest food company in the world by revenue, has announced industry-leading changes to its animal welfare program intended to eliminate “many controversial-yet-currently-standard practices within its worldwide food supply chain.” Not surprising, but the the “Big Business” has pledged to overhaul the following practices: “confinement of sows in gestation crates, calves in veal crates […]
All I Do is Farm
The virally-famous Peterson Brothers are back at it with a new song parody, All I Do is Farm (All I Do is Win Parody). The three brothers are the farm guys behind the farming-themed pop parody music videos like I’m Farming and I Grow It, BALE!, Farmer Style, Chore, A Fresh Breath of Farm Air. […]
How much do you eat out?
… a new study says forty-three percent of our food budget is spent on food away from home. This is much larger that what my family does, but I don’t find it too surprising considering the fast-paced, convenient society we live in. In a recent article from Drovers CattleNetwork, in the 35 years from 1977 […]
Top 10 questions about GMOs
What are your questions about GMOs? GMO Answers and the Council for Biotechnology Information are helping to answer those questions. They have commissioned a new national survey which identifies, for the first time, the top 10 questions consumers have about GMOs and to open up the conversation on biotechnology’s role in agriculture. Over the next […]
#AgCensus data shows who we are, what we produce
USDA released their final 2012 #AgCensus results yesterday and included some great infographics on the current status of American agriculture. Some interesting points that I pulled out: The average age of farm operators is 58, yet 22% of all farmers in the U.S. were beginning farmers in 2012. I’m pretty impressed by the number of […]
New forecast tool helps farmers with pests
Much like receiving your daily weather forecast, farmers have the technology to receive an insect forecast. Farmers do the best they can to be good stewards of their land and manage their resources to rid their crops of pests. Many farmers use a crop scout or another professional to help watch for these nuisances in […]
Egg memories, decorations and recipes for Easter
One of my favorite holidays is coming up! While the main reason we celebrate Easter is the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, what else comes to mind when you mention Easter? The egg! A favorite memory of Easter is being at my Grams and Gramps’ house. After church and lunch, our Uncles – along […]
Ag Day, celebrating the father of the Green Revolution
For Christmas, my parents gave me a tear-off day calendar of “silly holidays”. It features “National Puppy Day”, “Harry Houdini Day”, “Penguin Day” and many more often-bizarre and unique holidays. Today, we’re celebrating National Ag Day. While National Ag Day didn’t make my calendar of unique holidays (although my calendar today said it is Pecan […]
