One of my favorite classes at Michigan State was Food Systems Management. The content left an imprint on me; we studied charts representing all the different parts of the food system. I found it mind boggling to see the many entities that milk went through to get from my cow to a person’s glass; the farmer is the first step in caring for an animal and producing the milk in a safe environment. However, there’s also a milk truck drive who picks up the milk and follows strict procedure, a milk inspector ensuring state regulations are followed and the people who test the milk when it gets to the plant. Then there are hands involved in the pastuerizing, processing, chemical analysis, quality control, distributing and retailing of that milk – all of which play an important role. Read More »
Archive for the ‘Food’ Category
How many hands are behind your food plate?
Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011Should we focus on food apathy or grandstanders?
Wednesday, November 16th, 2011The 80-20 rule applies to food. 80% of folks likely don’t care unless someone relate directly to their concerns. 10% believe there’s nothing wrong and never will be, which I’ll label as the entrenched. The grandstanders, as I call them, are the 10% who do everything they can to draw attention to their position, often times creating a political quagmire on issues such as animal welfare, obesity, biotechnology, CAFOs, etc. It seems to me that we spend a disproportionate amount of time on grandstanders; responding to their nasty media campaigns and blog comments.
Are you focused on grandstanders or the 80% in the middle?
Meanwhile, the majority of the population moves on in food apathy. They know they should eat less, but really have no idea of how many calories that involves. Witness the IFIC Food & Health Survey, where 9% of Americans can accurately estimate the number of calories they should consume in a day for a person their age, height, weight, and physical activity. In a number unchanged from 2009 to 2010, 70% say they are concerned about their weight status, and 77% are trying to lose or maintain their weight. And even more concerning in 2011, 5% more report that their physical activity levels are sedentary – a significant increase from 2010.
The combination of a lack of knowledge of calorie needs and increase in sedentary lifestyles tells me there’s a great deal of food apathy. I’d love to see agriculture and nutrition professionals to work together to overcome people’s lack of interest in nutrition. Health professionals, such as dietitians, have been fighting an uphill battle in getting people to move from apathy to action. That spells opportunity! Perhaps agriculture can move some of its sights from the grandstanders to growing partnerships that will hit the folks in the middle.
The International Consumer Attitudes Study shows that 95% of the global population are concerned about cost, taste and nutrition. Food costs are top-of-mind as Americans look ahead at a Thanksgiving meal that will cost $5.73 more this year on average and as the world faces growing numbers of people living in food insecurity. It’s a great time to create interest with food buyers by talking about ways agriculture work to keep food prices down – and why food prices are rising. Explain it on their terms, not yours and you might be surprised at the connection you make. You can do this in a 5 minute conversation in the church parking lot, a Facebook dialogue, blog post or phone call. There’s no right or wrong place.
While I’m a huge proponent of the reach of social media has in connecting farm and food, I’ll be the first to admit that it’s easy to focus on the grandstanders in that medium. This is particularly true on Twitter. Why not make a point for the remainder of 2011 to connect with the middle? Find others interested in overcoming food apathy. Combine forces.
And maybe, just maybe we can make a dent with the majority. One of the great times to do that is with the U.S. Thanksgiving, where food traditions (and overeating) are top-of-mind. Foodthanks on November 23 is a great example of connecting with the middle. Won’t you join in – and then continue that focus for the remaining 37 days of 2011?
Popcorn is golden to Chicago kids on a combine
Monday, October 31st, 2011~guest post by Brian Scott
“I started this site to promote the virtues of modern agriculture and feature the daily operations of our farm. Please read, discuss, and enjoy!” This is the last line of my blog’s About page. As a farmer, I know I have the responsibility to talk about my farm.
Earlier this month, I had the privilege of doing both those things up close and personal with a great group of home school kids who came all the way down from the northern suburbs of Chicago. The kids are participating in the FIRST LEGO League Food Factor Challenge, and they have chosen to study microwave popcorn. The goal is for them to find a problem in the food production chain and find a way to solve that problem. I had not heard of this program until the group brought it to my attention via a comment on this site.
Part of that comment reads: This year’s challenge is called Food Factor, and our team has chosen to study microwave popcorn in the pre-packaged bags. We are just beginning our research and were hoping to learn all we can about popcorn. This is where you come in. Would you consider allowing our team, with adult supervision, to visit your farm?
The question asked most frequently by ag people like me on social media is “How can I reach beyond the choir?” One of our biggest concerns is that we spend too much time talking to people already in the industry and not including the consumer in that dialogue. With that in mind, it’s hard not to jump at the opportunity to bring these young people out so they can see a real farm in operation.
Since the group consisted completely of home schoolers, their schedule was flexible and they were able to come out to the farm on a day when we were actually harvesting popcorn. That is easier said than done because the company we grow for needs the grain delivered at a certain moisture content, leaving a small window of opportunity for a group to come out and see the entire process.
The timing worked out great and the weather could not have been better the day they came out to the farm. The kids arrived just before noon, and to show their appreciation they brought us lunch at the farm. After lunch we started on their project – this wasn’t just a farm tour. We spent quite a bit of time in the office answering questions. These kids were very well prepared and had lots of great questions for us.
Next we took a trip through the shop and equipment shed before going out into the field to look at the popcorn. This is probably the part I was most excited about because these kids got to see popcorn still on the ear, standing in the field. What better proof that food doesn’t come from the grocery store? While in the field there were more questions to be answered, and we even found a couple of ears with insect damage which would be relevant to the objective of their project. One thing to watch for with popcorn is damage to the outer part of the kernel either by insect or mechanical functions. If popcorn is damaged, it won’t pop!
After inspecting the field we walked over to the combine and covered the basics of how it removes the grain from the plant and distributes the residue in the field. And, as a kind of grand finale, we gave all of the kids and adults a ride in the combine so they could see that whole process in action.
I had a hunch they would enjoy the combine, but I had no idea how excited they would actually be. When you do this kind of thing everyday, although it is fun and I love doing it, being around it your whole life makes the workings of a farm a pretty normal thing. Not so for these kids. In case you don’t know a combine has a window in the back of the cab that allows you to see what it going on in the grain tank as it fills with grain. Everyone who got their first combine ride that day was at first fixated with the front of the machine pulling in the stalks and knocking the ears off. They didn’t even realize that window was back there unless they turned around or I pointed it out to them.
The term I’ve been using to describe the reaction of all the kids when they saw entire plants in front of them seconds later somehow turned into clean grain in a window right behind them was that “their brains exploded.” There were lots of shouts of words like cool and awesome, but the quote of they day had to be one kid who looked at the flowing grain and exclaimed, “It’s so golden!” They had been learning eagerly for a couple of hours about how the seeds get in the ground and how long the growing season is, and then in a matter of seconds that plant becomes a form of food they are familiar with. Overall it’s still a pretty neat process for me to see too, but seeing it for the first time was quite a sight for this great group.
Not only did they see popcorn in the field being harvested, on the way back to Chicago they had a tour of the Family Time popcorn facility in Valparaiso, Indiana. In one day, these kids experience popcorn on the stalk in a field be harvested, trucked away, and then packaged. What a great experience for them!
Brian is a 31 year old husband, father and 4th generation farmer from Northwest Indiana operating 2300 acres of corn, soybeans, popcorn, and wheat with his father and grandfather. He has a degree in Soil and Crop Management from Purdue University and worked off the farm before returning home. In addition to family and farm, Brian is an automotive enthusiast and classic rock/metal fan. Find him on Twitter or Facebook, or check out The Farmer’s Life Blog.
Pass the Cheetos & drop the Food Guilt
Monday, October 24th, 2011I love Cheetos. I’ve been known to eat more ice cream than a 200 pound man. My sweet tooth sometimes results in a meal made of desserts. And look out if you ever wave a piece of milk chocolate in front of me!
My food. My diet. My lifestyle. My choice. I don’t need the guilt trip running rampant in food claims today. I also adore cucumbers, get really excited about fresh fruit and grow at least 10 kinds of vegetables in our garden. Our little girl delights in telling her classmates that her favorite food is raw spinach and keeps a cow employed with her milk consumption. We get fast food at times because it’s quick – and it’s better than being hungry. I refuse to accept the guilt trip that it makes me a bad mother. One fast food place we won’t stop is Chipolte’s – because they lay on the food guilt thicker than sour cream with their claims and labels that are an insult to our upbringing.
I also don’t need food guilt in the grocery. Food is natural, whether it’s written on a label or not – if you don’t know that Cheetos aren’t natural, more than a label is needed. By the same token, absence claim labels are ridiculous – they were started by retailers with an interest in niche marketing. Do you really think those labels are there with your best interest in mind or to create a seed of self-doubt? The self-doubt will lead to you feeling guilty that you’re not doing the right thing as a parent or “eating right,” resulting in a change of buying behavior.
Food should be fairly simple – you choose it, you eat it and you take responsibility for the results. In other words, if I eat like a cow and gain weight – I have to spend more time on the bike or throwing bales. My weight gain and health condition is not McDonald’s fault, it’s not the company’s fault who made the Cheetos (yum) and it certainly isn’t the corn, cane or dairy producers’ fault. The food on my fork is my responsibility.
Before you judge me as a food slob, consider this; I work out at least three times a week and am not known for sitting still. I serve home-cooked, low fat meals to our family and carefully monitor our balance of protein, fruits and veggies. Except when we’re on vacation; then we eat Cheetos with cookies on the side and ice cream for breakfast. Based upon conversations with my girlfriends, we’re fairly normal. You’re welcome to judge that all you want – but spare me the guilt.
October 24 was Food Day, put together by an activist group that specializes in guilt trips, the Center for Science in the Public Interest. How about this? We celebrate World Food Day by stopping the food guilt. Celebrate the opportunity for people to make food choices by saying no to the guilt thrown at us in every venue about food and farming. Unless you’ve visited modern day farm yourself, don’t call a farm a factory just because it looks different than your Charlotte’s Web book. Take responsibility for your own junk food addictions and don’t blame marketers or producers. If you don’t feel great because of your diet, learn more about healthy foods from a registered dietitian (thank you, American Dietetic Association for not endorsing any food guilt claims).
And consider that sustainable farms are those that can survive as a business – meaning it’s O.K. if they make money. I’d hope the most important measure of a sustainable farm and Food Day (#FoodDay) is meeting the needs of a growing population. 9 billion mouths is a lot to feed by 2050. It will take a variety of farms, a reduction in food politics, modern agricultural practices and less of the food guilt to draw in the folks “in the middle” who could likely make a real difference in a food movement. Join me in standing up against the food guilt!
Let’s talk about food
Sunday, October 16th, 2011Food is fundamental. It should not elicit feelings of guilt or elitism. Food is sustenance. As a mom, a farm girl, a cook – and a consumer – I believe we should applaud our food origins, whether it’s Blog Action Day 2011, Food Day or any day. I made this video to celebrate the many faces in our food system – and while it’s not perfect, let’s embrace the progress we’ve made.
Food does not need to be political – nor should it be about posturing. Especially in a time where one in five are hungry – in the U.S. alone. The problem worsens internationally. If you’ve ever looked into the eyes of a hungry child, you’ll gain a new perspective on what’s important with food. I know because of my travels to developing countries such as Egypt and South Africa, as well as the Ukraine and Baltics shortly after communism fell.
People deserve for agriculture to be at its very best. People also deserve choice in the food system, which means we shouldn’t be wasting Food Day or Blog Action Day posturing about our opinions on organic or conventional, small or large, animal or grain. Instead, let’s honor the incredible diversity of our food system – at many levels, not just on the farm.
Celebrate Food Day and Blog Action Day by reaching a hand across the food plate. If you don’t know a farmer to reach a hand to, please check this list – there are many who will be glad to chat with you. And if you are a farmer, take a look around the Blog Action Day activities for some hands to reach out to. Let’s talk about it – and reach across the plate so we can all improve!
Other blogs you might want to check out for #BAD11 (Blog Action Day):
Organic vs. Conventional Dairy
Volunteering to Help the Harry Chapin Food Bank in Feeding America
