b'Can Pivotal Science Yield More Premium JIM SCHWEIGERT Quality Seed? PRESIDENT, GRO ALLIANCE @jim_schweigert jim.schweigert@groalliance.comMICHELANGELO SCULPTING Astatue ofGroAlliance.comDavid from a solid block of white Italian marble and a seedsman producing bags of seed from a truckload of field-run soybeans have something in common: they are both removing the unwanted parts to reveal something beautiful and more valuable than their beginning material. They areIs the World at War With Agriculture?making pivotal decisions about how to use their tools, about which little pieces to keep, and about which bits to discard. They each need to keep anWELL, 2019 HASbeen quite a yearfor the land, the animals and the open mind to know what their equipment can do.so far! It started with epic floodingfuture of the food supply. Farmers For the seed conditioner, it is a pivotal science and the wettest spring on record.and ag business have the opportunity This year, Mother Nature presented some unu- It descended with high yield andto directly connect with the non-sual conditions that affected the quality of soybeansplanted acre estimates from the U.S.farming public through social media harvested for seed. This year we received moreDepartment of Agriculture (USDA).or face-to-face interaction and speak questions than usual about how to adjust condition- It was again rocked by tariffs andto the concerns folks have. ing equipment to minimize the amount of gooddestruction of foreign demand for ourThe pressures farmers, ag busi-seed being discarded with the bad. The processcrops all while the world was beingnesses and seed companies feel begins by knowing how to observe and tell thetold to stop eating meat and that ourall stem from the growing divide difference between what to keep and what to toss.dietary choices had lit the worldsbetween those who produce food Then it is simply a matter of observing and knowinglungs on fire. Oh yeah, and the plan isand those who consume it. Our story how to adjust the knobs on the equipment.now to take away rural voting powerresonates when told through the lens Knowing which knob to turn is a pivotal science.by abolishing the electoral college. Itsof the farmers battle to feed a grow-There is a cause and effect to each adjustment.hard to believe that 2019 was just oneing population in a changing climate Each change means more or less good will be dis- year. So much potential for economicwith limited land resources and more carded. Reevaluate last years settings. The moreand life-altering changes usuallycostly inputs. The work we do is nec-machines you have that clean and handle seeddoesnt happen over the course of aessary and noble. differently, the more flexibility you have to makefew years, let alone from spring to fall! There are openings for this adjustments and the better-quality seed your facil- A natural human reaction is todialogue. More urban residents are ity will deliver. In a year when every seed counts,feel overwhelmed and retreat intoexperimenting with home gardens. having an open mind and the ability to be flexiblea friendly corner of the Internet andConsumers will pay more for food can be the difference between profit and loss. vent about how the world has no ideawhen they have a connection to the No two seasons or seed lots are the same, youwhat its talking about.farmer. People are thinking about cannot set your equipment and forget it. Not evenThis moment, however, calls us tohow food production practices jive for a day. do just the opposite. Taking actionwith their lifestyles. This is where you wont change the weather or USDAcome in! You are the best messenger numbers, but it has the potential tothat ag has. You dont need to be a elevate our major issues and garnerKardashian to have an impact, and it public support instead of angst.doesnt have to be on social media. Ag has long been comfortableShare your story at the grocery store, talking to itself and reluctant to takeat your kids sporting events, at the its message outside the farmingneighborhood BBQshare it every-community. Farmers are some of thewhere. Ag can only overcome the STEVE DEJONG most trusted humans on the planet.hum of negative noise if we use our PRESIDENT,Despite the rancor about killing bees,voice. You, as imperfect a messenger PROFILE INDUSTRIES, INC. polluting groundwater and mistreat- as think you might be, are that voice. steve@profile-ind.coming animals (all of which is misguided),Let the world hear it and lets turn the www.profile-ind.com/ the public does believe farmers caretide into 2020!ProfileIndUSADECEMBER 2019SEEDWORLD.COM /51'