Farm Camp with Mercy Street Dallas - October 2016

Farm Camp with Mercy Street

Our second Farm Camp is in the books, and what an amazing trip we had!  This time, we partnered with High School girls from Mercy Street, a non-profit in West Dallas that focuses on building lasting relationships in the community and growing future leaders.

Farm Camp for Teen Girls

This Farm Camp was different than our first one, primarily because of the age differences, and also because this group of campers was all girls!  Brian Lonergan, formerly the minister to students and currently the Sports & Fitness Minister at Northwest Bible Church in Dallas, was an integral part of the weekend.  

For the first time, many of these young women were able to see a positive male role model interact with them and his wife and their three children.  Brian brought humor, depth and meaning to our time together.

As we wrapped up Farm CampMonday morning, the Mercy Street leader, Rachel Kramer, gathered her group of precious girls together to have a debriefing time.  She asked them to take a few minutes to write in their journals what they had learned and what they would take away from their time at the farm.  I wish you all could have been flies on the wall to hear for yourselves, but I took pretty good notes.  Here's what I recorded:  

• DJ said she realized how important it is to respect her body.  She listed off the areas of nutrition, purity, modesty, exercise and 'not doing harm to herself' as ones that came to mind where she wanted to make an effort to show more respect to her own body.
• NC realized how unhealthy her diet has been and how she needs to eat more healthy foods.  She added that eating lots of healthy food throughout the weekend helped her see that "It's not bad.  It tastes pretty good."  
• DH was very encouraged by the idea of "progress over perfection."  She expressed freedom to make progress in her health goals but not feel defeated and discouraged if she makes a bad choice.  She committed to "getting back on the horse" instead of being down on herself.
• SG acknowledged that spending time on the farm and seeing the effort required to plant, nurture, harvest and transport our food makes her very thankful for the food she gets from the grocery store.  
• KL was encouraged to learn that no matter what has transpired in her family life and her history, she is not limited in what she can do with her future.  Her family background does not define her.  
• KM pondered the lesson that "everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial" with regard to her food choices.  She spoke about the fact that there is freedom to drink sodas but that's really not what's best for your body so she is motivated to make more 'beneficial' choices.  

We are so encouraged by the many volunteers who gave of their time and talents to make a difference and plant seeds of hope and a new way of life for our Mercy Street Friends.  

Rice and Waterfowl

Whitaker Farms loves wildlife!  Jim and Sam Whitaker go to great efforts to protect and care for the animals that enjoy their land.  

Plants and Animals - the Natural Partnership 

Often, if a field is not conducive to their commercial agriculture plan, they will release it as wildlife habitat which means they no longer farm that section of land and choose to let it develop back into forest or brush for animals.  Also, they create shallow water habitats from all their rice fields during the winter for the waterfowl to enjoy.  As Jim says, "Rice and waterfowl go hand in hand."  The Whitakers promote this partnership in many ways.  

A Field of Millet

I joined Jim recently in a field he had leveled for a zero-grade rice field for next year.  Since he didn't have time to make a rice crop on it this year, he planted millet there instead.  You and I might call millet a common weed, but ducks and deer love to eat it.  Watch this short clip to hear Jim talk about this and other land they develop for wildlife and the natural habitats they create and protect.  

Not the Story You Hoped to Tell

Maybe you didn’t put all your eggs in this one basket, and maybe you knew better than to hang all your hopes on this one deal.  But you were really hoping this one would go your way.  You worked hard.  You analyzed all the angles.  You invested energy, money and emotion in this one.  Turns out, your ship didn’t come in.  You’re disappointed and down.  This is not the story you hoped to tell.

What Now?

Keep plugging along?  Go back to the drawing board?  Change directions? 

Factors Out Of Our Control

Matt Miles was in the middle of the best cotton season he had seen in a while.  His fields were about a month away from harvesting when the weather took an unseasonably cool, wet turn.    August, which is typically the hottest and driest month of the year, brought 14 consecutive days of rainy, cloudy weather to southeast Arkansas.  There was nothing Matt could do about it and certainly no way to anticipate the anomaly.  

Basic Botany

While we all learn in elementary school that plants need water and sun to thrive, farmers know first-hand the effects of minor changes in the weather.  The young cotton bolls on Matt’s plants were at an early stage of development that requires consecutive hot, sunny days to expand into the full fluffy cotton that can be used in so many products.  Instead, there was damp, cool weather that stalled the bolls’ development and even mold and rot on the stem.  Matt lost 30-40% of his cotton.  In just a few short weeks, his year changed.  

Reaction

Matt’s response:  Grateful and Hopeful.  Of course he is disappointed.  He had invested the same time, money and energy as always into the 2016 crop and had high hopes for a big harvest.  But he is also grateful for the excellent crop he had on his farm that was able to withstand the unpredictable weather.  And hopeful because he knows what it means to recover and “farm through” difficult years.

Long-term Perspective

This seasoned farmer has known disappointment like this before.  He's a courageous leader who has surrounded himself with good financial and scientific counsel.  Matt understands that a farming operation is not defined by one year:  not one good year or one bad year.  He has the perspective of time that has taught him to look at a 5-10 year business model to determine success.  

Looking Ahead

Matt’s a fighter.  He has been all his life.  He will survive.  He will trust.  He will get back on the horse and plant again next year.

Unexpected Joy

What about you?  How do you respond to disappointment?  Maybe you throw a tantrum or reach for your favorite comfort food or binge-watch Netflix.  Maybe you run it off at the gym or give yourself a timeout to regroup.  Whatever the strategy, we all must figure out how to push through disappointing seasons.  It’s often in these hard times that we remember our priorities and we rehearse the truth that it’s our response to our struggles that strengthens us not our avoidance of them.  That's the unexpected joy of maturity.

Changing with Grace

Change is often gradual and subtle. 

Right Before Your Eyes

You hardly realize the growth and development that is happening before your eyes.  Plants, animals, and even skylines are constantly changing with grace and beauty all around us.  

Crops Transform

A cotton plant grows deep roots and a sturdy stem.  The next thing you know, you see white blooms, then they turn pink.  Next, the bloom falls off to make a way for an emerging boll of cotton.

Time to Harvest

You drive by a field every day and one day you realize the bolls are opening and fluffy white cotton can be seen throughout the field.  Suddenly, it's harvest time and change is upon us again.  

Neighborhoods Transform

Our established, urban neighborhood here in Dallas is busy with renovation.  For years we have driven down the same residential streets and seen the same homes full of character and stories.  Lately, we drive down a familiar avenue and see a cleared lot where a bulldozer has just finished tearing down one of those old homes. 

Within a few weeks, a foundation is poured, a new home is built and a moving truck is unloading the new owners’ possessions.  The neighborhood changes again.  

Missed Opportunity

So many times in my life, change isn’t received with grace.  I often resist and work against the development.  I continue to try to stick to the old processes, digging in my heels, so things will stay the same.  In doing so, I miss the character that deepens in the process and the improvements that are enjoyed from the results.  

Be Kind to Yourself

By design, seeds must die before they sprout new life.  Leaving the old ways behind so that something new can sprout in one's life sometimes feels like death.  We have to shift our minds and emotions and bodies to align in a new direction for the fruits of change to blossom and bloom.  I know in my head that change is good and brings new opportunities.  But in hard moments of growth, I don’t always give myself grace for the journey.

Worth the Hard Work

Modern farmers can’t afford to dig in their heels and resist change.  They must stay on the cutting edge of science, conservation, technology and marketing in order to stay afloat.  “How can we do this better?” is a question they must ask themselves daily.  By regularly asking this question over the last 30 years, agricultural professionals have developed practices that conserve water, enrich the soil, reduce chemicals, and produce more yield with fewer inputs.  Now that kind of change is certainly worth all the hard work! 

Life is Messy

The process may not always be graceful to the outsider, but I like how Sam Whitaker speaks about their farming operation.  Whether it’s new farming practices they implement or financial growth strategies they analyze, Whitaker Farms looks at a five year picture of development to get accurate numbers and comparisons.  This perspective allows time get the kinks worked out of a new strategy.  Many of the steps along the journey will probably look messy to an outside observer— and maybe even to you.

Choose to Focus Ahead

Change is hard for some people, but hard doesn’t mean bad.  It’s in the challenging seasons that we build character, grow gratitude, increase perspective and strengthen perseverance.  Set your mind on the prize ahead and the journey will be worth it.  

The Most Sustainable Rice

Thanks to scientific developments and innovative practices Jim Whitaker's rice is some of the most sustainable rice in the country.  

He partners with many others to document and prove that his rice uses less water, reduces methane gas emissions and releases cleaner water back into natural habitats.  As a result, he will be one of the first recipients of carbon credits in the field of agriculture!  

Watch as he explains the specific practices that benefit us all.

Let's Talk about the Good: Using Social Media to Spread Awareness

Difficult, sad and tragic stories come through our news outlets every day.  If that’s the only place you receive information, you may be tempted to believe there’s nothing good happening in the world.  But let me assure you, there is.  Let’s talk about the good that’s unfolding in the world of social media and CCTF.

The "Good" of Social Media

Since we live in the age of information and globalization, problems in our neighborhoods and around the world no longer escape our awareness.  We can learn about the underserved among us who have gone unnoticed for years.  With the help of social media, people now have the ability to magnify the voices of the hurting like never before.  And the best part—action is being taken by a broader audience than any other time in history!

orphans in Kenya 

Near and Far

Groups form to give shoes to orphans in South America, provide jobs for ladies in India, and insure clean drinking water for communities throughout Africa.  Local organizations are forming to combat issues in their own backyard like human trafficking, homelessness and food insecurities.  We are doing it!  

fresh produce served at Farm Camp

Mobilizing 

While we will never solve all the world's problems, the generations living today are chipping away at the needs of their neighbors, whether nearby and across the globe.  Courageous people are speaking out for others and pooling resources to meet needs that have been unknown and unmet for years.  

learning from a farmer

The "Good" of Modern Farming

Connecting City To Farm began with a desire to promote healthy food choices for all budgets by highlighting the nutrition and environmental sustainability of non-organic agriculture.  Throughout the last 30 years, concerns have come about regarding the safety and sustainability of familiar practices.  As a result, scientists have partnered with agriculture professionals to implement improvements that are significantly safer for our consumption and the environment.  The system is working. 

Creative Ways to Do "Good"

In only a few short months of being on this journey, we have seen good happening all around.   Some friends are developing organizations that will protect the environment through the lens of youth sports.  Other friends are creating programs that will train underserved children to value healthy lifestyles.  Some colleagues are mentoring those plagued with homelessness, teaching them how to make the next good decision.  Other colleagues are creating a space for refugee women to learn sewing skills and how to sell their products to provide food for their children.  And one new friend is on a mission to spread the good news about all of it!  Emily Thomas founded The Honest Consumer to discover and highlight all the “good” she sees happening around her.  

Join the Party!

Fear sells, so the headlines are always going to be full of terror and tragedy.  But take a minute to look beyond the breaking news reports.  Dig around on social media.  Find a cause to investigate and support.  Develop the passion that’s itching to come out by working hard for something outside your own bubble.  Volunteer.  Give.  Broadcast.  Participate in the good.  You may be surprised what you will *receive* in the process!

Plants and People are Growing

Did you know the world's population is growing at a tremendous rate?  

In 2010, there were 6.5 billion people on the earth.  It is projected that 9.5 billion people will be alive in 2050.  What are all these people going to eat and wear?  American farmers are answering that question by responsibly squeezing every drop of efficiency out of our natural resources while protecting our environment so the next generation can continue to thrive.

Watch Robb Dedman's short video about how farmers take their role as conservationists seriously and work hard to meet the challenges of feeding and clothing the world.

The Combine and Other Farm Equipment

When I was young I loved riding on the combine with my dad.  

friends in front of a combine ready to harvest rice

Impressive Equipment

My mom would pack a small ice chest of goodies and we would take it to my dad who was harvesting in the field.  I brought our lunch and got to stay with him for the afternoon.  Sitting on the arm of his seat or in his lap, I helped him drive that enormous piece of equipment!

from the cab of a combine harvesting corn

Times Have Changed

Today, combines are equipped with state-of-the-art GPS technology that guides the operator down each row and ensures the combine remains on the correct path so none of the grain is missed.  Before GPS, however, it was imperative that the operator of the combine stay completely focused on the edge of the header so he wouldn’t leave any grain in the field and yet still have the most efficient use of the equipment.  

rice harvest

Focused

So, as I would chat with my dad and show him my treasures, he would say “I can listen, but I can’t look.  I have to watch the rice.”  Even though he would spend those long days in the cab not being physically active, he was mentally exhausted from the focus required to efficiently harvest the crop he had been patiently growing all season.  

a combine harvesting corn

Dozing Off

The warmth of the sun coming in the window, the steady rumbling of the engine and the mundane staring at the rice would put me to sleep every time.  As I began to get drowsy, I crawled on a little shelf right behind my dad and curled up for an afternoon nap.  It was kind of like a truck driver who sleeps in the cab of his truck.  My dad and I still enjoy those memories and wonder how I ever slept in such a small space.  I still doze off in the strangest places.  

a combine harveting rice

Factors Out of Our Control

Many professionals today are able to get work done at all hours of the day and night.  Some people say their most productive times are during odd working hours.   With farming, however, the natural conditions most often control a farmer’s productivity.  When his crops are mature and ready to harvest, the farmer would love to work around the clock to get them out of the field to avoid any storm damage that may come.  Unfortunately, there’s a window of time each day when the crops are too moist to harvest because of the dew that develops.  The farmer must wait until the sun rises and dries the crops before he can begin harvesting each day.  

a combine harvesting soybeans

Into the Night

The dew doesn’t develop until late into the night, so I remember my dad and brothers turning on the headlights of the tractors and combines and harvesting until after midnight during the rush of harvest season.  Those were the days when the school year didn’t begin until after Labor Day and everyone was still on Summer Break when a majority of the harvesting was done.  

It Is Finished

Harvest is a time of accomplishment.  After all the planning and nurturing, the time has come to cross the finish line and complete the season.  What kind of yields will they make?  What about all the small decisions the farmer made throughout the growing season:  when to water, what fertilizer to use, what to do if it doesn't rain for weeks?  So many paths that could have been taken and now to see how it all turns out.  For the farmer, this is the most critical and exciting time of the year!

Cooling Off

Do you have trouble cooling off in the hot Summer months?  

So do the crops in the fields.  Watch today's video to hear Layne Miles explain the science behind plants needing to rest and how farmers can help them cool off during the extreme heat of Summer.  

Extra money on organic produce?

Are you confused about the messages encouraging you to spend extra money on organic produce?

Watch today's Visit With a Farmer to hear Sam Whitaker of Whitaker Farms explain the safety of non-organic foods and the benefits we all receive because of the improved practices in modern agriculture.  Urbanites have freedom to pursue dreams and create new technologies while farmers feed the world and protect the environment!

Early Rice Harvest: So What's the Big Deal?

I’ve been posting all week about Jim’s early rice and you may be asking yourself “So what’s the big deal?  His rice was ready early, he harvested it and now it’s over.”  You’re right.  Those are the facts.  But like so many things we glimpse from the outside, there’s so much more going on if we take a closer look.

rice harvest:  coming out of the field being transferred into a hauling truck

Field Testing

Jim’s field represents 40 of only 2000 acres spread over 4 states in the southern U.S.  Crop Production Services, a company that uses their scientific knowledge to develop and test new varieties of seed, strategically selected a small group of trusted farmers from the mid-south to provide a sample of how this seed will produce in a variety of soil types.

Uniquely Designed

This rice seed was designed to have a couple of unique characteristics:  1.) a large, fluffy kernel that many American rice mills and consumers prefer  2.) a shorter growing season for the farmer.

flooding a rice field 

Is Faster Always Better?

In our microwave society, we often think “faster is better”, but often for the wrong reasons.  For this new variety of rice, the shorter growing season results in the rice being ready to harvest sooner which allows the farmer to put fewer total inputs (like water and fertilizers) AND another window of time to gain from the same piece of land.  So, in this case, faster is better for lots of good reasons.

my kids walking in a ratoon rice crop

To Ratoon or Not to Ratoon

However, Jim’s choice will bring deeper gains for his farming operation, but they won’t immediately increase his profits.  When I first heard about Jim’s early rice, I assumed he would try to harvest a rattoon crop, which is a second harvesting of a field that grows and produces again after it has been harvested once.  With minimal financial input, Jim has the opportunity to harvest and make another crop on the same land using the same seed that was planted in the Spring because there’s plenty of warm weather left in the year. 

For the Bigger Good

However, Jim is choosing a higher purpose for his field.  Rather than make a little extra money this year from an additional rice harvest, he plans to plant a cover crop that will be better for the soil, the environment and the waterfowl that will come in the winter.  

a radish from the cover crop 

Off Season Work

A cover crop is planted in a field during the off season in order to control weeds, sequester carbon, replenish the nutrients in the soil and establish paths for the roots of the primary crop.  Jim has developed a unique mixture of eight seeds each with a particular purpose:  add nutrients, increase soil health, or provide food for the ducks and geese in the winter.

taken from the cab of a combine harvesting a zero-grade rice field

Crop Rotation Returns

When a field is precision leveled to be a zero-grade rice field, there is no opportunity for crop rotation in that particular field because the land is leveled in such a way that only rice will thrive there.  By planting a cover crop, Jim will now be able to provide the natural enrichment to his soil that crop rotation brings.  

ducks enjoying a flooded rice field in the winter

Natural Partnership

Millet, a small-seeded grass grown around the world for cereal, will be part of the cover crop mixture, which will mean the wildlife will have plenty to eat during the winter months.  Rice farmers and wildlife have a great partnership.  While the waterfowl are enjoying the food and water left over in the harvested field, the soil is receiving their natural fertilizers so the crops in the coming Spring will benefit greatly.

Answer

So what’s the big deal?  Jim is choosing the long-term benefits to his soil, our environment and the wildlife over the short-term benefit of extra profit this year.  This is just one more example of how agriculture professionals are prioritizing and preserving our natural resources and our food safety.  They are intentionally making decisions because “it’s the right thing to do.” 

Harvesting in July: Whitaker Farms

Most people who think about harvest time associate it with Fall.  However, Whitaker Farms has never been limited by what most people think.  In 2016, they are harvesting in JULY!  

first hopper full of rice in 2016

Watch today's video to learn about all the reasons Jim Whitaker accepted the invitation to participate in a trial crop of this new rice seed with a shorter growing season and how his plans will benefit their soil and the waterfowl that will visit their farm this winter.  

Farm Camp with Cornerstone Baptist Church in Dallas - July 2015

We wrapped up our very first Farm Camp, and it was such a huge success!

We took 12 kids and 2 leaders from South Dallas.  We taught them about nutrition and physical activity.  They took turns preparing, serving and cleaning up heathy meals for each other. 

Plenty of unstructured play time was allowed for them to play frisbee golf, soccer, kickball, and even plan and dig an elaborate water flow system from the irrigation water in the cotton field beside the farm house! 

Jim and other farmers came to give us tours of their rice, corn, soybean and cotton fields.  Kids clearly heard the gospel of Jesus which will give them eternal healthy life with Him!  

Most of them said they would eat more vegetables, cut down on sodas and be more active when they returned home.  Those sound like great seeds that were planted in their minds and hearts!

Out of the mouth of babes - quotes from our Farm Camp Kids:

"What are those?"  (pointing to blueberries)

"Is ALL this food for us?"

"Being out here...it just feels free."

"The showers...really?  Is it hot water??"

"What is corn on the cob?"

"What do you mean by 'play in the dirt'?"

"Does this tractor have a honk?"

"Every bite is delightful."

"That was my first s'more and it was great."

Only a Spectator

To be a spectator means you watch an activity without taking part. Even though I become emotionally invested in my sons’ baseball games, I am still only a spectator.  I’m not actually taking part in the game. 

Questioning the Coach

So many times, I have watched a game from the bleachers and questioned the coach in my head: “Why doesn’t he teach him to swing at a perfect pitch like that?” only to find out later that my son was doing exactly what the coach gave him signs to do.  By “taking a pitch” and not swinging, the batter allows his teammate to steal a base and get on second, or at least it works that way in youth baseball.  

Leave it to the Expert

The coach has a plan.  The coach knows more than I do about baseball.  The coach has analyzed the game and all the risks and consequences involved.   Good coaches combine their experience and knowledge to create job security and better opportunities for themselves and their players.

Is Farming a Spectator Sport?

With concerns about food safety and the environment being highlighted today, it seems as though farming has become a bit of a spectator sport.  From the sidelines, many who are removed from agriculture are wanting farmers to go back to the processes used in the twentieth century because they assume they're safer and better for the environment.  Some call for no irrigation so we don’t continue to deplete our water supply.  Others suggest that farmers should never, under any circumstances, use pesticides.  But in the words of Sam Whitaker:  “Everyone would have to grab their hoe and come back to the farm if we revert to the way things were.”  

How Things Were

In the 1900’s, farmers represented 38 percent of the American population, on an average of 147 acres of land.  Today, farmers represent just 2 percent of the American population, on an average of 440 acres of land.  Where did all the farmers go?  The same place I did…. to the city.  

The Faithful Few

Farming practices are continuing to develop, so thankfully the two percent of the population can keep feeding the rest of us.  By perfecting the balance of farming and science, agriculture professionals allow us to continue pursuing our interests and creating new ones.  

Willing Partners

Accountability is a good thing.  As Matt Miles said on his recent video, farmers are implementing better practices today than they were several years ago because the public has asked questions and raised concerns.  

Thoroughly Invested

While this accountability has brought about obvious improvements, as a spectator and one who is not actually taking part in farming, it helps me to remember that the farmer knows more than I do about what is and what isn’t possible in his operation.  He has more experience than I do, and his own natural resources are what he’s investing in order to succeed.  It’s his livelihood.

Farmers are doing their part

Jim Whitaker has developed a section of his rice farm that is irrigated solely by runoff and rain water so he is not using any water from the underground aquifer.  Farmers are quick to tell you that they must follow strict, regulated prescriptions for all fertilizers or chemicals applied to their crops.  Any product they use has been thoroughly tested by the FDA and standardized at a level that is set to be conservatively safe for human consumption.  This process is very similar to the regulations placed on medications here in America.  They keep us safe and healthy.  

Trust the System

The experts are qualified for a reason, and we can't all be experts at everything.  Whether it’s a farmer or a doctor or a coach or a plumber, they are more experienced and better educated on the subject than I am.  They aren’t perfect, but they are professionals who combine their knowledge and experience to benefit all of us.  

Unique Office Space

What if this was your office view every day?  Are you the type of person who would enjoy this unique office space?  Watch today's video to hear how Robb Dedman has carved an intriguing  niche for his profession within several farming operations and how he enjoys his commute.  

The First Farm Camp

What is Farm Camp?  It is the action piece of Connecting City to Farm.  Following our mission to promote healthy food choices for all budgets, we are beginning a new program in our organization, and there are only seven days until our very first Farm Camp!

Inception of an Idea

In May of this year, we joined many concerned Dallas leaders at the “Tipping the Scales for Children” event, hosted by The Cooper Institute and SMU's Maguire Center for Ethics & Public Responsibility.  After learning more about the overwhelming problem of childhood obesity (which affects 50% of children in Dallas County), we knew we had to do our part to make an impact in the lives of these children! 

What Is It?

Farm Camp is a three night learning adventure for kids living in underserved neighborhoods in Dallas.  We will travel to my family’s original farm house in Arkansas where these kids will be launched into a healthy lifestyle.  While our time will be full of agriculture-related activities, such as riding tractors, running free in cotton fields and meeting local farmers, the curriculum we’ve prepared for our young guests will focus on a complete healthy lifestyle.  

Curriculum of Complete Health

During mealtimes at Farm Camp, short lessons will be taught on the long-term benefits of good nutrition, physical activity, healthy relationships, moral character, unique purpose and sustaining faith.  The age-range will vary with each camp, with the youngest group being 8-10 year olds and the oldest group being high school kids.

Small Changes Bring Big Results

Our hope is to create an opportunity for children to see where their food is grown, what farmers do to raise crops, and how small changes in their food choices can make a big difference for generations to come.  

Pilot Program

We will host our very first (pilot) program July 18-21 with a small group of kids and leaders from the South Dallas community.  Several generous donations from families and small businesses will support gifts, meals and activities, such as souvenir water bottles, t-shirts, caps,  smoothie bowls for breakfast, tuna wraps for lunch, grilled chicken for dinner, water balloon fights, a glow night and tractor rides.

Planting Seeds to Grow More Beauty

Look for upcoming posts and pictures about how this exciting opportunity is unfolding as we plant seeds in the lives of these precious children.  Collaboration is welcome, so comment below with your ideas.  We wait expectantly to see how our joint efforts can make significant differences in the lives of many growing youths.  

Willing Partners

Some teams are not always made up of willing partners, but today's agriculture professionals are inviting the input of urban families who have concerns and misunderstandings about where their food is grown.  

Watch as Matt Miles explains how the two voices can continue to develop the best methods for feeding all budgets while preserving the environment for the future.  

Stages of Growth

During the spring planting season as a child, I remember thinking harvest seemed so far away.  “I will be in the second grade by the time the rice will be ready to harvest!  How can Dad spend all that time thinking about one thing?!”  All the stages of growth seemed long and slow.  It felt like the crops would never be ready to harvest.  

There Must be a Better Way

In our microwave society, it’s easy to think that every process can be done quicker if we just put our minds to it.  It sometimes seems as though our knowledge of science should be able to provide short cuts so we can get to the finished product faster.  

young soybeans

You Can't Be Where You're Not

But faster doesn't mean better.  Growth takes time.  There’s no way around it.  Whether it’s physical growth in a plant or intellectual growth in a person, you just can’t be where you’re not ready to be.  When learning a new skill or beginning a new project or entering a new stage of parenthood, it often requires every ounce of mental energy we have to think through decisions.  Nothing comes easily because we don’t have the experience and confidence under our belt to anticipate the results.  Patience is required for ourselves and others to live through situations or get to know new clients or fail at a few tries before we can move forward in confidence.  

stages of cotton:  blooms white,  the bloom turns pink, the boll develops, cotton opens the boll

Every Stage Has Value

We, like plants, have to go through all the stages of development.  A cotton plant can’t skip the blooming stage because that’s what brings out the bolls of cotton.  Likewise, a young athlete can’t skip the strengthening stage because that’s when strong muscles and discipline are developed through the hard work.  

a developing cotton boll

Don't Rush the Process

If a farmer tried to harvest cotton before the bolls were fully developed, it would be a mess.  His time and money would be wasted driving the cotton picker over the field getting no results and destroying the maturing plants.  If a gardener tried to harvest cucumbers before they were fully developed, it would be a missed opportunity.  He would waste his time picking off the young produce to get a small, hard, tasteless vegetable that no one wanted to eat.   We can’t rush the process.  Even though these are obvious sceneries, I sometimes find myself rushing the journey through seasons of maturing in my life and the lives of others in an equally absurd way.  

harvesting cotton

Multiplication for All

After the plant has sprouted, established a deep root system, grown a strong stalk, and developed fruit, it’s time to mature for harvest.  The multiplication process benefits many. 

harvesting soybeans

It’s the same for people.  After we step into a new project or season of life, learn new processes to establish a strong root system, and weather storms to gain confidence, we are ready to produce fruit.  We are ready to multiply our efforts to benefit others.  

kids playing on a truck full of harvested rice

Stretch Your Brain

The hard work invested in the process pays off in the end.  Patience is rewarded.  Crops bear fruit and multiply and so do people.  We are never too young or too old to start new projects or tackle new skills.  It's good for our brains to be stretched and challenged-- to remember how to learn something new.  And all those around you benefit from the overflow!  What new things are you learning?  Is there something out there you have always wanted to master?  Take the first step, grow through the process and enjoy the benefits.  You can do it!

Conserving Water through Irrigation

Watch today's video to hear Sam Whitaker explain how Whitaker Farms is saving water by using innovative technology to manage and control irrigation.  They are balancing the art of farming with up-to-date scientific discoveries to develop better ways of lowering water usage while still feeding the world.  

Orange Crop Damage: Asian Citrus Psyllid

Oranges at Risk

According to a recent article in Farm Futures by Mike Wilson, orange growers in Florida are caught in a tough situation that could cost them their livelihoods.  A terrible pest called the Asian citrus psyllid is spreading a disease that is plaguing the state’s citrus groves and moving west to Texas and California as well.  

Damaging Disease

This nasty little guy lands on the leaves of the citrus trees and infects them with a bacterial disease.  The disease incubates in the root system and spreads through the trunk, cutting off the flow of nutrients to the fruit.  Obviously, the starving fruit suffers.  It ends ups dry and sour.  That’s definitely not the way consumers have become accustomed to enjoying their delicious Florida oranges.

Good News!

Scientists at Texas A&M University are developing a genetically engineered solution from a spinach gene.  This gene can be inserted in an infected orange tree to create a resistance to the bacteria’s destruction and, therefore, significantly decrease the pesticides that are currently being sprayed on the groves to combat these invasive pests. 

Consumer Confidence?

An extensive report came out recently from the National Academy of Sciences confirming once again the safety of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).  So consumers will be thrilled to continue their regular consumption of oranges, right?  Farmers sure hope so!  Despite numerous endorsements and assurances by the science community, the public still seems tentative to let go of  their concerns about GMOs.  Agriculture professionals around the country are spreading the word about this most recent report.  And after reading this thorough report, Mark Lynas, an environmentalist and former anti-GMO activist turned supporter, recently proclaimed "The GMO debate is over -again."  The truth about the  confirmed safety and continued good that are developing from the revolutionary science behind GMOs is slowly seeping out from under the pile of confusion and misinformation.  Scientists, farmers, and environmentalists remain hopeful for long term answers for our environment and our growing population!

Scientific Advancements 

The science behind GMOs is innovative and ingenious.  After watching this short clip, I learned that by isolating individual chromosomes, scientists can speed up and refine the process of managing nature, which people have been doing for thousands of years.  Instead of randomly cross-breeding or blasting plants with radiation and chemicals to break down the DNA, scientists are now able to replace one particular problematic chromosome with a beneficial one and keep the rest of the plant’s DNA intact.  These replacement chromosomes, taken from other naturally occurring organisms, can infuse the plant with characteristics to withstand environmental hardships such as insects, weed competition or even risks from drought and flooding.  

How To Proceed?

So what is a Florida orange grower to do?  His current choices seem to be either  1.) continue pouring money and chemicals into his groves with little results, or  2.) risk consumers’ rejection of a safe product because of misinformation.  What would you do if you were one of these farmers who is caught between a rock and a hard place?