Looking beyond my full plate

Posts Tagged ‘Farming’

Looking beyond my full plate

Monday, November 28th, 2011

~guest post by MRS

As I was sitting down to eat Thanksgiving dinner with my family last week, I started thinking. Not about the amazing food I was about to eat (although the food was amazing), but about the 1 in 6 people in our country who regularly don’t get enough to eat.

It’s easy to stand on our soapboxes and talk about the ineffectiveness of entitlement programs, i.e. food stamps or how people just need to get a job to feed their family. It’s also easy to get caught up in the arguments about food and farming. We should all eat only local, organic foods or conventionally grown food is fine or that all GMO foods need to be labeled as such. And while I understand that these are things that people are passionate about, sometimes I wonder if we’re focusing on these “secondary” issues a little too much.

Because, seriously, there are people in our own communities who are going hungry! Isn’t it more important that people are fed than whether or not they’re eating GMO or non-GMO food? I imagine that if you went up to a parent who was struggling to feed his children and offered that parent food, regardless of what kind it was, that the parent would be grateful just to be able to feed his children. I know I would. It breaks my heart to think about even the possibility of not being able to feed my children, and yet for some parents that is a daily reality.

It took a little bit of the joy out of my Thanksgiving dinner to think that while my family had more than enough to eat, my neighbors might have nothing. And as I thought about the arguing and in fighting that seems to permeate the food & farming industries, it all seemed just a little silly to me.

Who is hungry in your community?

Why can’t we focus on making sure that there is enough, affordable food for everyone before we get caught up in the organic vs. conventional, GMO vs. non-GMO, etc. debates.

I realize that it’s a tall order to make sure everyone has enough to eat. I also know that it’s overwhelming to think about feeding all 7 billion people in the world, and that for a lot of people, myself included, it’s easy to look at that number and be so overwhelmed that I do nothing. It’s also easy to get so caught up in my own life that I forget to think about what other people might be going through. So I thought to myself, “What can I do, in my community, to help, even in a small way?” And I realized there’s a lot I can do. I can volunteer at and donate to my local food pantry. I can give money, even if it’s just a small amount, to my church’s “Care & Share” fund. Most importantly, I can stop making excuses for why I can’t do anything and instead, make it a priority.

What can you do to help feed the hungry in your community?

Tags: Agriculture, Farming, Food, GMO, hunger, hungry, mom, non-GMO, organic, Thanksgiving, volunteer
Posted in Agriculture, Food, Food & Nutrition, Moms | 1 Comment »

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.

Tags: Advocacy, Agriculture, Corn, education, farm, Farmer, Farming, food production, harvest, homeschool, popcorn
Posted in Advocacy, Agriculture, Farming, Food | 2 Comments »

Decide. Stress. Pray. Farm.

Friday, October 28th, 2011

~guest post by MRS

Passion for their work is a little different for farmers than for the average career-minded person. For instance, most farmers live on their farm. How many people actually live where they work? How many people have to worry that if their business fails or falls on hard times they might lose the house/property/business that has, often, been in the family for several generations? In addition to that, how many people operate a business where SO MANY factors are completely out of their control? It can be very stressful to say the least!

This year has been an interesting year for my family’s farm. We had an unusually wet spring and worried that we weren’t going to be able to get our corn in the ground in time. Beans seemed to go in a little more smoothly, but due to the wet conditions, it was almost impossible to get fertilizer on the crops. Then suddenly the rain stopped and the thermostat was cranked up a few degrees. It didn’t rain here in central Indiana for weeks and didn’t start raining again until right before (and during) harvest. I know that other parts of the country have also experienced crazy weather, severe floods and drought – there’s nothing anyone can do to control the weather. Farmers just have to make the best of what they’re given and trust that they made the right decisions with the factors that were under their control.

Then harvest rolls around and suddenly its time to see how the decisions they made – type of seed, fertilizer, herbicide, insecticide, etc – panned out. How did those choices, combined with the weather effect the yield? Sometimes things work out and the right decisions combined with the right weather result in high yields. Other times it doesn’t work out as well.

HandyMan and his dad spent a lot of time over the summer talking about the weather and how it was affecting the corn and soybeans. HandyMan’s dad commented several times that guys who got their beans in just a week or so before he did were getting a better crop. Then rain would be forecast and HandyMan would be glued to the radar, praying for some rain only to be disappointed when the rain seemed to break up and go around us or dissipate right before it got to us (almost every time). HandyMan would come home from work, go out into the field and come back with a few ears of corn from various sections of the field to see how the ears were filling out and then to see how they were drying up. Several times I’ve had to ask HandyMan to relax and stop stressing, to remind him that we can’t control the weather. All we can do is make the best decisions, based on the information available to us, and then pray that it all works out in the end.

So far, this year isn’t looking as bad as HandyMan and his dad worried that it would. I don’t know exactly what the per acre yield average was for beans, only that it was better than what HandyMan’s dad had thought it would be. And so far corn has turned out the same – better than expected but not as good as last year.

And you know what, I think we’ll take it!

Tags: Agriculture, Corn, family farm, Farming, harvest, soybeans, weather
Posted in Agriculture, Farm Life, Farming, Moms | 1 Comment »

Life on the Couch

Monday, June 6th, 2011

~guest post by MRS

When Michele first asked me to be a regular guest blogger on her site, she asked me to focus on farming, food & parenting and how those topics connect with each other. That didn’t seem like a task that would be very hard to accomplish, especially since I had married into a farming family, we love to eat and we had just had our first child not even a year before. Obviously food, farming & family were going to be topics I was dealing with on a daily basis.

But lately I’ve been struggling.

I wasn’t able to be involved in planting season at all due to pregnancy complications and bedrest. I wouldn’t have been in the tractor planting or working ground, but I probably would have helped move equipment (by that I mean moving the farmer so he could move the equipment). I would have taken meals to HandyMan & his dad while they worked in the fields, I would have taken Blue to the field to catch a ride/nap in the tractor. I could have driven into town to get parts when the planter broke down, things like that, that seem small can really help when the farmer is working against a deadline (rain) to get the crops in. Instead I did nothing.

I can’t really write about food, because although we’ve been eating plenty, I haven’t been buying or cooking any of it. I have not done anything more than make toast or use the microwave in over 2 months. And I miss it. I had big plans for taking Blue to pick strawberries or blueberries, to help HandyMan in our garden and really enjoy the fresh fruits and vegetables that are available in Indiana during the summer, but so far that hasn’t happened. We’ve still been eating plenty of fruits and veggies, but it’s just not the same, having my mom buy them at the grocery store for us versus picking them fresh and enjoying them at their best. But I am thankful that we have the option to buy them at the store, because that is better than nothing!

Blue trying to be like Daddy.

As for parenting, that has been the hardest for me. Obviously I’m still Blue’s parent, but during the past 10 weeks our relationship has changed. Blue no longer comes to me when he needs something. He has learned that mommy is stuck on the couch and someone else has to refill his drink, change his diaper, prepare his meals, etc. Basically Blue wants me only when he wants to watch Elmo videos on YouTube (because the laptop & internet become your best friend when you’re on bedrest). And that’s just so sad to me. I had big plans for us this summer. I was looking forward to playing outside with Blue, taking him on walks or to the pool. I was looking forward to taking him to the park to play and watching him learn how to swing or go down the slide. It’s been hard to watch other people get to experience those things with Blue, but I’m glad that Blue isn’t missing out on those experiences.

I know that bedrest is just a short season in our lives and I know that before long I’ll be back to my “normal” activities – taking care of Blue, planning, shopping for & preparing our meals, and I’m sure I’ll be able to help when harvest rolls around. By that time our, hopefully full-term, healthy baby, will have arrived and I’ll be trying to figure out how to do all those things while chasing after a toddler and caring for an infant. But until that time comes I’m stuck on the couch, doing what I can to give our baby girl the time she needs to develop & prepare for life on the outside.

Tags: bedrest, farm, Farmer, Farming, Food, Parenting, Planting, pregnancy, spring
Posted in Farm Life, Farming, Food, Moms | 5 Comments »

Innocent Questions or Skepticism about the Farm?

Tuesday, May 17th, 2011

Last fall my family held an open house to celebrate our newly constructed confinement hoop barn for our feeder cattle. We went out of our way to invite non-farm neighbors, members of our church, acquaintances, and the broader community in general. We learned that some questions are just that – and that’s important to not respond defensively.

“So, the cattle don’t ever go outside?” was a question I received from one of the attendees. She had no farm experience. Now, I am all too familiar with the nasty accusations that can be hurled at certain farming practices. I have been attacked on my blog for some of the practices used on our farm. There are individuals who feel it is cruel to keep an animal under a roof while it is being fattened for market – and they are none too hesitant to share their feelings. I’ve been round and round with people, and despite my best efforts, some minds just can’t be changed.

Liz Nieman is a full time mom of three, wife to Justin, and a farmer who resides in northeast Iowa.

I’ll admit, my defenses immediately went up at the asking of this question. I assumed that she disapproved of the practice. For a second, I considered a snarky response. Then I took a step back. She was simply asking an innocent question, and if I responded with a short answer, I would have the absolute wrong effect. I explained that, yes, the cattle get to spend the rest of their lives being pampered in this barn, with fresh bedding added weekly and daily balanced meals delivered right to their feed bunk. They would be monitored closely for health and comfort, as a happy calf is a productive calf. I told her if she wanted to learn more, she could follow our farm on my blog.

In face-to-face conversations, and online comment threads, I have occasionally seen a different scenario play out. A producer will become defensive in explanations of the practices they use on their farm, and will resort to an accusatory tone, especially if the individual they are talking with disapproves. The conversation spirals downward from there, and neither party is working to find common ground. While I understand this reaction to criticism, I also realize that becoming defensive is counter-productive when sharing the great message of agriculture.

My philosophy as an “agvocate”, is to remember that most of the people I talk to, even the ones who disagree with me, are simply looking for information. It’s my job to provide that information while finding common ground. I don’t have to agree with someone in order to respect them. I let my commitment to my work show, check my attitude frequently, and build a bridge.

I may never know what the lady was really thinking when she asked that question, the day of the open house was crazy and I only had a few seconds to give to one person. I do know that I conveyed a positive message that showed the commitment we have to the livestock on our farm. Hopefully she went home and looked up my blog. Which is much better than a snarky response. That would have only put both of us on edge and closed her ears.

When engaging in discussions about agriculture in food production, remember to ask yourself, innocent question, or skepticism? When in doubt, treat it as an innocent question, show the other person that you are a respectable human being, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll begin to build that bridge.

Iowa farm mom talks agvocacy Liz’s family has a diversified farming operation that includes beef feeder cattle, a cow/calf herd, wean-to-finish hogs, corn, soybeans, and hay. She agvocates about family-corporate-agribusiness farming at her blog: http://iafarmwife.com. She’s also on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/lizzynieman) and tweets from @farmwifeforlife.