Etsch Farms

Etsch Farms

Growing enough food to feed

our growing global population, making that food better, combating climate change, and solving these food challenges will require input from many sources.

Water conservation, reforestation, honey bee health and soil health are just a few challenges to consider.

Experts can be found in all areas so be sure to partner with those who are.

Conventional Farming

Plant Breeding Plant breeding allows us to

innovate in order to help farmers grow vegetables with characteristics that consumers want and maintaining produce freshness from farm to fork.

Tomatoes for instance There are two classes of

tomatoes: fresh-to-market tomatoes, perfect for earing raw, and processing tomatoes, with traits making them better for cooking and preparations like sauce or ketchup.)

Conventional Farming

agunitd.org

What are GMOs?

Genetically Modified Organisms One of many sustainable solutions that farmers can

access Plant biologists identify a beneficial trait that helps a

living thing thrive in nature, like an ability to use water efficiently. That trait is then adapted to a new plant so that it can better survive in its environment.

By growing GMO crops, farmers have larger harvests. This can help us grow our crops more sustainably.

What are GMOs?

(monsanto company)

Using natural resources more efficiently

Some GM corn crops can help protect harvests in water-limited conditions and drought-stricken areas. Other GMOs can promote the practice of no-till farming, which helps keep moisture and nutrients in the soil. No-till also means fields require fewer passes with machinery, resulting in a reduction in fuel demands and greenhouse gases emitted.

Fighting pests and diseaseSeveral GM crops have been modified to be resistant to insects and plant-specific diseases that can devastate a field. Plants modified with traits that protect roots from insect damage use water more efficiently than those with damaged roots.

Conserving natural habitatsGM seeds can help farmers around the world meet the increasing demand to grow enough by helping them make the most of their existing arable land, thus enabling them to preserve nearby habitats.

Why farmers use GM seeds

By harnessing new developments in tailored

solutions, seed innovation focuses on growing enough on each acre, reducing the environmental impact of farming, and enabling smarter decision-making and more efficient farming.

In our efforts to truly shape agriculture to benefit farmers, consumers, and the planet, we believe it is our responsibility to ensure that our innovations are made available to farmers large and small all over the world. Bayer Cropscience

It’s a choice

If the goal is to have sustainable agriculture, there are many ways to get there. Organic,

regenerative ag and conventional ag for example. But we must all agree that marketing products can be used to deceive the public about how

food is produced. This does us all a disservice. Non-GMO labeling falsely implies that what happens randomly in nature is safer than

what humans do deliberately, with care and foresight,” Val Giddings, Ph.D., senior fellow for the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation.

It is being placed on items that never were gm items, such as orange juice, GMO-free water, pink Himalayan salt, vodka, kitty litter, dish soap and even condoms (one brand of which also markets itself as certified vegan, organic, cruelty-free, ethical and fair trade). Despite none of these items containing any genetic material whatsoever, they all manage to charge consumers more for the peace of mind brought by the butterfly checkmark. Effective October 1, 2018, the Non-GMO Project administrative product verification fee will increase from $50 per product to $70 per product.

USDA – Implementation date for a regulated entity is January 1, 2020, you will see “Bioengineered” labeling on all food products that require disclosure.

Beware of Greenwashers

Work Force Financial SecurityConsumer support from neighbors (city or town or

suburban); both financial and emotional Sustainability The world needs all types of farmers producing our

food, fiber and fuel. We are lucky enough to be in America where we have choices.

Problems that urban, periurban and rural farmers share

Women in NJ: leading the way

Annie’s ProjectAmerican Farm Bureau

FederationNJ Farm Bureau – WLC,

YF&Ag ProfessionalsNJ Dept of AgNational Ag in the

Classroom (AITC)USDA-Farm to SchoolNJ Agricultural Society

County Boards of AgNOFA-NJNJ Nursery & Landscape

Association NJ Vegetable Growers

AssociationNJ FFANJ 4-HNJ Farm Direct Marketing

Association

“The world is led by thosewho show up“ Chris Chinn, Missouri,

Director of Agriculture

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