Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

As I watch  these beautiful Holstein cows grazing in the pasture, I am also reminded that

 my dairy farm  family and I are working everyday

 to produce nutritious food for hungry people.

 Food security is a shared responsibility 

that dairy farmers commit to seven days a week.

I'm thankful that dairy farmers across the nation partner with Feeding America,

 the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the National Dairy Council to help

 fight hunger in America and promote healthy food choices

 not only during Hunger Action Month but throughout the year.

Celebrate World Food Day

 

 

World Food Day, October 16th,  has been celebrated since the founding of the United Nations in 1945. It's been celebrated in the United States since 1982 with sponsorship from 450 national and private voluntary organizations. 

The theme of World Food Day changes each year but all themes revolve around agriculture and the need for investment in agriculture and it's support  from  education and health. It continues to be the belief of the United Nations that " the goal of freedom from want of food, suitable and adequate for the health and strength of all people can be achieved."

One of the great challenges of the next generation will be providing nutritious, affordable food to a global population expected to grow  to 9 billion by 2050 while using fewer resources.
As dairy farmers, we recognize the serious challenges and  are committed to being a part of the solution to feed our nation.

Dairy farmers partner with Feeding America, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the National Dairy Council to help fight hunger in America and promote healthy food choices.

 

 

Future of Food 2013

Just a few weeks ago, I spent a couple of mornings giving University of Arkansas students a tour of our dairy farm. I love sharing how we work every day (that's 24/7,holidays and weekends) to produce a safe and healthy product. Part of the tour includes explaining and showing how we work to protect the environment and utilize all our resources. It's science and technology that drive efficiency today and the future of our food production system.

                     

It's a fact that one of the greatest challenges of the next generation will be providing nutritious,affordable food to a global population expected to grow to 9 billion by 2050--while using fewer resources. Dairy foods are key to healthy people, healthy communities and a healthy planet.

Discussion of the Future of Food is vital to all of us--consumers and farmers. One of these discussions is being hosted by the National Dairy Council and Washington Post Live in Washington,D.C. tomorrow (May 22) beginning at 7:30 CST. You can join in the conversation using the twitter hashtag #ThinkFood or watch Future of Food online.

                                                                            
                                                                      #ThinkFood

Farmer's #ThinkFood on the Farm

It's pure coincidence that I'm hosting farm tours for University of Arkansas nutrition students in the same week as the Midwest's Future of Food Forum takes place on October 4th. The Future of Food Forum is hosted by the Washington Post Live in partnership with the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Chicago Food and Nutrition Network. The forum will be addressing questions about how to increase access to healthy,affordable food, the impact of the drought, as well as innovations to increase agricultural productivity.



Yesterday's 'on the farm' forum presented the up close and personal view of how we work every day to care for our animals and land by using technology and science to produce high quality milk. As we stood in the feed barn watching the cows eat their balance nutritious diet, it was the perfect place to explain the connection of how science and technology enables us to produce almost three times more milk with about half the number of cows compared to 1960. Feed efficiency improves the amount each cow produces, thereby reducing the amount of feed, water and space needed, resulting in less manure. Efficiency is one of the core elements of sustainability made possible by science and technology.

Midwest's Future of Food Forum will include two panels of key public figures,experts, and stakeholders discussing an Overview on Domestic and Global Food Security and Improving Access to Healthy,Nutritious Food in the Midwest. You can be involved in the Future of Food Forum on Thursday, from 8:30-10a.m. via live webcast at http://washingtonpostlive.com/conferences/foodsecurityillinois. If you are active on Twitter, follow the conversation by using the #ThinkFood hashtag.

You can find more information about dairy farming and our connection to Healthy People,Healthy Communities,Healthy Planet at http://www.dairygood.org.

                                                                 
                                                                      #ThinkFood