Sage Advice

The Commodity Classic, held in Nashville earlier this month, is and I quote “America’s largest farmer-led, farmer-focused convention and trade show”. Soybean, corn, wheat and sorghum farmers and ag leaders from around the nation get together for this once a year event to discuss the past, present, and most importantly the future of agriculture. This was a record year with more than six thousand attending. Sustainability was the predominant topic of discussion this year, with several companies touting teams of people who were there solely to share their findings on innovative ways to do more with less. That could mean anything from increasing recycling programs, using less fossil fuels or natural resources, to initiating more wildlife friendly programs. Nick Hamon, Head of Sustainability for Bayer CropScience shared that a classic definition of sustainability is “Living and doing business in a way that meets the needs of the present without compromising the abilities of future generations to meet their own needs.” We could all stand to follow that bit of advice, whether or not we’re involved in the agriculture industry.