Cultivating Americans' farming knowledge

Know the difference between a Holstein and a Hereford? You’re in rare company.

According to a new survey, nearly three in four Americans admit that they know “very little or nothing” about farming. It’s a solid bet they know even less about different breeds of cattle – or the difference between the sweet corn we eat and the field corn grown on most farms.

That’s a shame. The impact of America’s farmers on the economy and the environment has never been greater – or more positive.

Americans’ lack of awareness about farming is unsurprising. Just one percent of the population makes its living in agriculture.

With such a small workforce, it’s no wonder that many folks believe that modern farming is dominated by “Big Agriculture.”

But the family farm is hardly extinct. Ninety-five percent of farms – and 99 percent of corn farms – are small, family enterprises. Even among farms with $1 million or more in gross revenue, 88 percent are family-owned.

The United States Department of Agriculture reports that the average corn farm is just 641 acres. That’s about a square mile – plenty of real estate, but hardly the stuff of a multinational corporation.

These farms bring big benefits to the economy. The agricultural sector contributes over $173 billion to U.S. economic output. Thirty-seven percent of that total comes from corn. More than 21 million people – 15 percent of the workforce – are employed somewhere along food’s journey from field to table.

Those economic benefits have been accompanied by environmental benefits, thanks largely to advances in agricultural technology.

Farming is more efficient than ever. Researchers recently compared today’s farming techniques with those of 1980. Production per acre for the most widely planted crops – like corn, soybeans and potatoes – has increased by 25 percent to 64 percent.

Greater yields per acre mean that farmers can do more than feed a growing world – they can provide it fuel and fiber, too.

Corn farmers are using 53 percent less water and 44 percent less energy per bushel. They’ve also planted 1.2 million miles of conservation buffer strips to protect the soil and improve water quality. Consequently, soil erosion per bushel has declined 67 percent – and greenhouse gas emissions per bushel have fallen 36 percent.

In short, farmers are producing larger crops with fewer resources – and thereby creating more sustainable ecosystems.

Those crops are more than just food. Corn, for instance, has more than 4,200 applications. It’s found in everything from aspirin to car tires.

Humans eat two percent of America’s annual corn harvest. Most of the rest is turned into livestock feed, ethanol and starches for paper and textiles.

Farming has also become more diverse. Old MacDonald has retired – and a new generation of farmers, many of whom are women and minorities, is taking his place.

Over 969,000 farm operators –defined as the person who makes the day-to-day management decisions – are women. That’s 30 percent of the total – the highest ratio in decades.

USDA data show that the number of Hispanic farm operators has jumped 21 percent in the past five years. The number of Asian farmers is up 22 percent. And the number of black farmers has increased 9 percent, to more than 33,000.

These new entrants recognize that there’s a future in farming.

Over a quarter million of the nation’s farmers are 34 or younger. That’s no mean feat, given the profession’s huge upfront costs. A used combine can cost over $250,000. The average acre of U.S. farmland now sells for more than $4,100. In the Midwest, a single acre of even average quality land can fetch over $7,000. To justify those hefty capital expenses, budding farmers must believe that they’ll be able to eventually recoup their costs.

One-third of farmers report that their farm has been in the family just one generation. So a substantial proportion of farmers weren’t born into the lifestyle –they chose it.

A similar percentage identify as third-, fourth-, fifth-, or even sixth-generation farmers. This combination of generational knowledge and new blood proves that farming is a dynamic industry with a bright future.

Americans want to know where their crops come from. But it’s equally important to know who is producing them.

Chip Bowling, a third-generation Maryland farmer, grows corn, soybean, wheat, barley, and grain sorghum outside Washington, D.C. He is president of the National Corn Growers Association. To learn more or get involved, visit http://www.cornfarmerscoalition.com.