Agricultural News
Farmers & Ranchers Focus on Partnership and Collaboration at USFRA 3rd Annual Honor the Harvest Forum
Fri, 01 Oct 2021 11:16:17 CDT
The U.S. Farmers and Ranchers in Action (USFRA) third annual Honor the Harvest convening this month connected farmers and ranchers with agricultural value chain leaders in food, fiber, and energy to address the needs of the next #DecadeofAg. The 120 participants brought together 100% of the food and ag value chain for three full days of identifying and addressing specific actions to further innovation and investment that will be necessary to unlock the full potential of climate-smart agriculture nationwide.
Several key themes and action areas emerged during the plenary sessions, breakout discussions, presentations, and leadership talks including collaboration is key to moving the industry forward and the ongoing dialogue and relationships must start with the farmers. USFRA Chairman and Nebraska farmer Anne Meis said of the Forum, "The leadership we've seen, the insight and tough questions we've heard, and the focused conversations must continue."
From meaningful investment to data privacy to elevating producers to educating consumers, the Forum focused on breaking old stereotypes and meeting this critical moment with a sense of urgency. "In this pivotal time, we can be leaders in tackling the climate crisis - to be effective, we must work for farmers, ranchers, and landowners and with farmers, ranchers, and landowners," U.S Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said.
The three-day convening ended with USFRA unveiling a new short film that highlights the important role farmers and ranchers are taking in forging climate solutions with help from science, experts, investors and partners. The docudrama - The Carbon Neutral Pig - sponsored by the United Soybean Board, follows the real-life journey of Marlowe Ivey who has taken over her dad's North Carolina pig farm and is working to make it carbon neutral.
"Change has got to start somewhere" becomes a key line as Ivey encounters people online and in her community that criticize her, and tell Ivey that change is needed. The film is the second of a series telling the stories of our nation's farmers on their journey. While each film tells an individual story, together they show how they are not the only one working to make improvements.
"The need for greater transparency and collaboration is critical, to ensure that producers are valued for their ongoing contributions for our food systems," Meis concluded.
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