By Mike Barnett

When it comes to new machinery, new cropping methods or new herbicides and pesticides, farmers and ranchers are on top of their game.

No doubt that’s why American agriculture is the most progressive in the world.

Not so much, though, when it comes to communicating. We have work to do. Farmers and ranchers have talked about “educating” the public for all of my 30-year career in Farm Bureau.

Truth. The public doesn’t want to be “educated.” They want answers. To their concerns about food. How you grow it. And what you do to ensure their family’s safety.

By Mike Barnett

Innovation. Foresight. Technology. Know-how. It took equal parts to put a man on the moon. It takes equal parts to put food on your table.

A challenge that has never been shirked by the American farmer. It’s not easy feeding 321 million Americans three squares 365. At a cost that continues to rise, but by no means breaks the budget. And have enough left over to feed millions more.

It’s an immense test. And responsibility. Because failure means food insecurity. And a hungry nation.

By Mike Barnett

Family farm. Two words Americans love. With good reason.

Family means many things. Loving. Caring. Nurturing.

All apply to the family farmers I know. Too bad there are many misconceptions about what family farms are and aren’t.

Could be many of us are far removed from farm life. Some think of family farms as idyllic—a small place where the sun always shines, with chickens and cows, a patch of corn and a vegetable garden.

By Julie Tomascik

Turkeys, cows, kids and community activities. It’s a full load, but nothing Darrell Glaser can’t handle.

In fact, he prefers it that way.

His farm isn’t an 8-5 job with vacation and holidays. But it’s a family business he’s proud to be a part of. And a job he takes seriously.

Agriculture is in his blood. He has a master’s degree but chose to come back home to the family farm. He’s putting his college degrees to work, though, raising healthy turkeys and beef for you and me.

By Gene Hall

Organic. Conventional. Natural. Modern. Local. Grassfed. Grainfed. The choices are endless for consumers when it comes to food and the farmers and ranchers who grow it.

Confusion often reigns as some with evangelical zeal turn up their noses at how you like to eat. Scare tactics are used by everyone from multi-billion-dollar corporations like Chipotle, fond of slamming modern agriculture in their marketing efforts, to animal rights groups like the Humane Society of the United States with their vegan agenda, to scores of individuals who use the Internet as a platform to advance some flavor of the month cause.