Across much of the U.S., schools are back in session and education is top of mind for families and growth-minded professionals. That makes it a perfect opportunity to take stock of your own efforts as a leader in regenerative food and agriculture. What are you learning, and what are you hoping to study next? Education isn’t everything, of course. Too often, we lean heavily into change-making initiatives with the assumption that if we teach it, they—whether farmers, ag retailers, fellow sustainability professionals, etc.—will come. We all know that’s not true, no matter how much we’d like to squint and believe it. The same is true for our own learning as business professionals. It’s great to consume media, read email newsletters and attend webinars. Yet nothing beats time on the farm, in the soil, among the animals, learning how farming and ranching happens in the real world—and better gleaning how we as value chain leaders can support. It’s amazing what spending time with farmers and asking questions can accomplish for one’s own knowledge base. I once had the privilege of sitting in on a Q-and-A session with the legendary CBS News anchor Bob Schieffer. How did he manage to scoop people? His answer proved shockingly basic: Ask the questions everyone else thinks are too simple or obvious. As summer winds down toward fall, I’m challenging myself—and you, dear readers—to ask the questions and seek out the intelligence that can help us accelerate and improve our delivery of conservation agriculture to farmers and ranchers. Data, technology and innovation will be essential to that future. Yet so will the basic building blocks of human existence: Forging relationships. Spending time with one another. Asking questions, no matter how small or simple. As Indianapolis urban farmer Sharrona Moore—a Conservation Steward with America’s Conservation Ag Movement (ACAM)—shares in this week’s edition of the newsletter: “In order to alleviate hunger in the United States, we must grow farmers. It's not just enough to grow food." What will you learn in the month ahead that can help grow more farmers? Connect with me at nbirt@farmjournal.com. Until next week,
Nate Birt
Vice President, Trust In Food™ | 