Posts Tagged ‘risk’
How a Global Pandemic could Change our Food Supply
From producers to supply chains to restaurant workers to how often Americans cook and eat at home, the COVID-19 global pandemic has caused big changes in the food supply. A few weeks ago I opened the milk crate on our front porch which holds the weekly delivery from a local dairy. I was surprised to…
Read MoreSustainability Spotlight: Large-Scale Commodity Farm
If there is one word I could use to describe Lee Scheufler, my father and the co-owner/operator of Scheufler Farms, Inc. it would be efficient. Margaret & Lee Scheufler, co-owners/operators of Scheufler Farms, Inc. “I wasn’t going to marry a farmer!” declares Margaret, wife of efficient Lee, my mother and co-owner/operator of Scheufler Farms. “But…
Read MoreSustainability Spotlight: Industry Perspective
Last December, Marvin showed up on my parents’ doorstep. Marvin works for ADM (Archer Daniels Midland Company – although nobody ever calls them by their full name) as a marketing agent who procures grain from local farmers. Grain elevators in Saxman, KS – one of the many small towns in Kansas in which the number…
Read MoreThe Next Generation of American Agriculture
My Dad was featured in the Wall Street Journal last month. That’s right, I’m basically the daughter of a celebrity. He and several other farmers in Central Kansas (like my high school classmate Mason!) were interviewed for the article: The Next American Farm Bust is Upon Us. Unfortunately, the tone of the article was less than…
Read MoreBut Where Does it All Go?
A few months ago I wrote about the volatility of the farming economy – the Invisible Hand of supply, demand, and incentive programs. Today, that picture is more evident than ever as you drive across the plains of Kansas: mounds of grains are piled high outside of elevators that have been at capacity for months. I mentioned…
Read MoreVolatility
Unpredictability is the name of the game when it comes to farming. Weather, pests, breakdowns, and (perhaps most frustrating), the marketplace. Things have been especially good this year: plenty of rain and sunshine at just the right time. Fortunately (or unfortunately?) it’s been good everywhere. The Former Soviet Union and Europe had record-breaking wheat harvests…
Read MoreRained Out: A Story of Mitigating Risk
For all of the technology in modern agriculture – the GPS device in the combine, the weather app on the phone, the wireless electronic truck scale – our food system is still in the hands of Mother Nature. It’s never more apparent how small we humans are in the universe until your game of Pegs…
Read MoreThe Quest for Sustainability
Sustainability. It’s a buzzword. It’s a fad. It’s a culture shift. But really, what is sustainability in terms of how we grow our food in the world? As a dietitian, I have had the pleasure of meeting many people who care deeply about this topic. People who buy local or organic or avoid certain products because…
Read MoreCrop Rotation
In case you hadn’t noticed, winter is upon us. Snow has blanketed the fields, temperatures have dropped, and the days are short. Getting set for the family photo… it’s cold! So what happens on a farm when the ground is frozen? More than you’d think. Like all the other seasons, winter is a thread in…
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