The History and Future of Agriculture

The ‘Know your farmer, Know Your Food’ initiative was launched in 2009 by the USDA as a way to help the average consumer understand how their food gets from the farm to his or her plate. As the vast majority of the country’s population continues to distance themselves away from “the farm”, it becomes more and more apparent that farmers and ranchers need to become more adept at answering the frequent and persistent questions from consumers about how their food is raised, and not just on the technical side of things. While scientific facts are extremely important, they do not tell the whole story of agriculture. The agriculture industry needs to help people understand not only the future importance of agriculture, but its dignified history as well, to reconnect them with their own ancestral heritage, if you will, as every family tree includes a farmer in it somewhere. In 1871 Horace Greeley wrote, “My practical knowledge of agriculture is meager - I only lay claim to an invincible willingness to be made wiser today than I was yesterday”. That’s a message still being conveyed by consumers 141 years later.