Tapping the Trusted Adviser Network
It has been a busy month of conferences and presentations in the world of sustainable agriculture. Last week, I had the privilege to present – in person! – at the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers meeting. In October, I was with the Ag Retailers Association talking with their members about what Farm […]
Not Acres, But People
Regenerative ag targets aren’t about changing acres – they are about changing people. It is no secret that our world faces an immense crisis surrounding climate change and the degradation of natural resources. Realizing the potential positive impact that their supply chains can have, major companies are making headlines by announcing “regenerative ag” commitments with […]
Change Is Human
We must prioritize the humanity of farmers in our change programming. Before they put their dirty boots on in the morning, farmers and ranchers are humans first. If we want to empower our nation’s agricultural system to be more regenerative, sustainable, equitable and inclusive — then we are talking about empowering them to do so. We […]
The Importance of Communicating Your Sustainability Story
During Farm Journal’s 2021 Sustainable Produce Summit that took place earlier this month, a key theme of effectively communicating sustainable food and agriculture stories to consumers came through again and again. As specialty crop growers and food retailers make changes to meet both environmental needs and consumer requests, there have been hits and misses in […]
Four Specialty Crop Sustainability Insights From My California Trip
At the risk of hyperbole, literally everything about California agriculture is different from farming in any other part of the U.S. Well, maybe not everything. In fact, after spending a few days this month traveling across the mid-section of the state—including the San Francisco Bay area, Salinas Valley and the Fresno area—I’m convinced that while […]
For Immediate Release: Farm Journal Launches Trust In Beef™ to Accelerate Beef Industry’s Sustainability Work
New program from Trust In Food and Drovers boosts beef industry outreach to consumers. Trust In BeefTM is a new effort to empower beef producers on their sustainability journey and provide consumers with real-life proof of the continuously improving environmental performance of American beef. The program is led by Farm Journal‘s social purpose initiative, Trust […]
How Sustainable Agriculture Benefits From A Swiss Army Knife Approach
It’s strange to say that sustainability can be a controversial topic. There are so many potential holes to fall in when discussing what sustainable agriculture means in practical terms. The fact of the matter is that while there are generally agreed upon best practices, there really is no single definition. Each week, Trust In Food™ […]
The Carbon Hype: Three Reality Checks
Carbon is getting so much attention that one would be forgiven for believing it had cured cancer and achieved world peace. Obviously, reality is different – but how different is it? Over the last month, I’ve had the opportunity to travel from coast to coast in different meetings and conferences, sharing what we’re seeing in […]
Farmer Insights Drive America’s Conservation Ag Movement Peer-To-Peer Learning Communities
In the not-too-distant past, a paradox of some U.S. sustainable agriculture activities was that too often, farmers and ranchers weren’t at the table. Alternately, farmers and ranchers were invited to the table to clean up the leftovers—after the big decisions were made. Such an approach understandably left many farmers and ranchers with a bad taste […]
Emerging Trends In Sustainable Beef
Three major takeaways from NCBA’s 2021 cattlemen’s convention. Last week, the cattle industry gathered in Nashville for the annual NCBA Cattlemen’s Convention. The event draws thousands of cattle industry members from across the value chain – producer to retailer and every link in between – to discuss emerging trends in the industry as well as […]