Straight from the Horse's Mouth

Duane A. Lienemann, UNL Extension Educator, Webster County December 26, 2009 Edition Can the year 2009 really be about over? I just got used to writing 2009 and now I will have to learn how to put down 2010. I for one am glad that this previous year is about done. This has got to go down as one of the strangest years that I can remember based on the weather, precipitation, cooler than usual weather, crops, pastures, politics, etc. You name it, we had it this year. Last year started in our area with a definite lack of snow and that seemed to be an omen for the rest of the year with the rains following the same pattern as the snow. At least it appears we are in better shape this year with the snow. I know, I like everyone else, don’t necessarily like the snow – other than for a White Christmas, but I look at it as moisture and believe me we need all we can get to replenish our subsoil moisture profile. If winter snow brings spring rains – bring it on! It has at least given me a chance to use my 2-stage snow-blower that I didn’t get to use the last couple of years. After a little priming it really did work and it beats the heck out of the old grain scoop! This year also brought more attention to agriculture and particularly animal agriculture that anyone would have anticipated. Unfortunately a lot of it was negative attention. One only has to mention the words or acronyms like PETA, HSUS, Prop 2, EPA, Vegan, Environmentalist, Global Warming, Carbon, Greenhouse Gas, Cap & Trade, Particulates, Clean Air/Water Act, Animal Rights, Antibiotics, and even Atrazine to name just a few, and you can become overwhelmed if not nauseous. I have done my best to try to keep up with all of this, but one column a week does not give the latitude to explain, let alone educate on these issues. It comes down to individuals to keep up on the very things that can negatively affect your life, business and even bottom line. Fortunately there are several organizations that have been started that helps offset some of the negativity that for some reason has barraged our very way of life. Through all of this, there are actually some bright spots that have appeared that I wanted to center on with this writing. There are actually some good things concerning agriculture that has been on the news lately, unfortunately however it may not have made the evening news or major airwaves. The one that really caught my attention is a recent talk that was given on agriculture on probably one of the last persons you would think of, Bill Gates. That’s right the founder/owner of Microsoft. It turns out that Gates was a big fan and follower of Dr. Norman Borlaug, the Nobel Prize–winning plant scientist who probably did more than anyone in history to fight hunger. Gates commented that “He is a genuine hero, and his story should make us optimistic about the future.” Borlaug, 95, died this past September. Gates was invited to deliver the keynote address in his honor at this year’s World Food Prize Symposium in Des Moines, Iowa, the annual conference where the prize founded by Borlaug is awarded. Gate’s take-home message from the symposium was that we must use agricultural technology to feed humanity, improve the environment and reduce the incidence of disease. That message has been delivered by many before, of course, but this time the message came from a powerful, yet benevolent voice and probably the world’s wealthiest man. Gates has indicated a high degree of interest in helping fund a new green revolution, and he’s telling the world it should be “greener than the first.” I can tell you one thing. This makes it a lot easier for me to buy Microsoft products! Through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, hundreds of millions of dollars have been targeted toward health and food programs for some of the poorest people in the world. But Gates’ vision is even greater. In his first major address on agriculture, Gates called on governments, researchers, environmentalists and others to “set aside old visions and join forces” to help millions of farmers. He also announced a $120 million package of agriculture-related grants to nine institutions around the world. Now here is the part that really caught my attention. Pay attention to what he says. According to Gates, “Environmentalists are standing in the way of feeding humanity through their opposition to biotechnology, farm chemicals and nitrogen fertilizer.” He argues that the “ideological wedge” between groups who disregard environmental concerns and groups who discount productivity gains could thwart major breakthroughs that are within reach because it’s a false choice, and it’s dangerous for the field. It blocks important advances. It breeds hostility among people who need to work together. And it makes it hard to launch a comprehensive program to help poor farmers. “The fact is, we need both productivity and sustainability — and there is no reason we can’t have both.” Gates said the environment can benefit from increased productivity because when productivity is too low, people start farming on grazing land, cutting down forests, using any new acreage they can. When productivity is high, people can farm on less land. The world needs to develop crops that can grow in the world’s harshest conditions and survive drought and floods, while producing higher yields. He called on research companies to use technology they’ve developed for big agriculture and adapt it for the needs of small farmers. He also called on food companies to use their buying power to create markets for small farmers. All I can say is WOW! With his visibility, personal wealth and commitment to combating disease and hunger, Gates has just become modern agriculture’s greatest proponent. Let’s make sure the world hears his message. The preceding information comes from the research and personal observations of the writer which may or may not reflect the views of UNL or UNL Extension. For more further information on these or other topics contact D. A. Lienemann, UNL Extension Educator for Webster County in Red Cloud, (402) 746-3417 or email to: dlienemann2@unl.edu or go to the website at: http://www.webster.unl.edu/home