I often talk about how laws and government regulation impact farmers. Today I’m going to revisit a topic that will interest of nearly every American, regardless of how you make your living… food!

Federal dietary guidelines are released every five years. On January 7, new guidelines were issued to shape American’s food choices. Perhaps more importantly, these guidelines shape purchases made by meals programs offered by public schools, hospitals, prisons and the military. Even the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) uses federal guidelines to suggest what people using this program purchase.

These guidelines impact the buying decisions of millions of Americans, so they have a huge impact on entire industries like the beef, pork and eggs. When preliminary dietary guidelines were issued late last winter, the advisory committee suggested that Americans should decrease their red meat consumption for sustainability reasons. A group of “advisors,” thinking they are saving the planet, falsely think that raising meat causes more harm to Mother Earth.

Recent studies have shown that when comparing food – calorie for calorie – meat is more efficient for our environment! Fortunately, the sustainability factors were removed from the final guidelines that were released last week.

The newest dietary guidelines call for Americans to choose lean meats and limit red meat consumption. This, too, is a partial win as studies show that lean beef and lean pork can have positive benefits in a diet. Beef naturally provides essential nutrients such as zinc, iron, protein and B vitamins. Pork chops, which are nearly as lean as chicken, provide iron, potassium and other essential nutrients.

Fat, or marbling, adds flavor to meat. It not only tastes good but some fat is good for you! Fat is a necessary part of a balanced diet. Fat provides your body with energy, as well as help move the vitamins A, D, E and K through your bloodstream. Essential fatty acids play a role in brain development, blood clotting and managing inflammation.

Ironically, Americans were told for years that fat was bad. The no-fat diet became a fad, but now the “experts” are reversing their recommendation. More recent research shows that what people ate in place of fat – carbohydrates from processed foods and sugary drinks – led to more obesity and disease.

The 2015-2020 U.S. Federal Dietary Guidelines urge Americans to reduce their overall sugar intake, while also adding “good fats found in salmon, avocados and nuts” to their diets. I know these guidelines can lead to food trends, but you can bet that I won’t be replacing my pork loin with grilled fish!

guest blog post by Aaron Putze, Director of Communications & External Relations, Iowa Soybean Association

The nation’s longest-serving governor has always been ready to take on a challenge.

And as another legislative session gavels in today (Jan. 11), Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad will propose the biggest and boldest initiative he’s put forth as the state’s chief executive.

Those are his words, not mine.

The legislative proposal, to be a signature piece of his State of the State Address tomorrow, would increase funding for education and water quality initiatives without raising taxes.

Flanked by Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack, several school superintendents, farmers and farm association leaders, Branstad outlined the details of the proposal during a news conference held at the Iowa Capitol Jan. 5. It’s a proposal that has already drawn strong support from farmers, school administrators and farm organizations, including the Iowa Soybean Association.

At the heart of the proposal is a 20-year extension of the Secure an Advanced Vision for Education program (SAVE). Enacted on July 1, 2008, SAVE dedicates one penny of the state’s six-cent sales tax for school infrastructure projects, or $3.2 billion since its inception. With SAVE to sunset in just 13 years, school officials are already finding it difficult to secure bonding for needed improvements to facilities and classrooms.

Branstad’s proposal would provide stable and long-term funding to schools by extending SAVE through Dec. 31, 2049. It would guarantee schools a minimum projected base of $458 million annually plus the first $10 million in anticipated annual growth beginning in fiscal year 2017. Combined, these revenues would total an estimated $20.7 billion.

Additional revenues generated by SAVE – estimated at nearly $5 billion – would fund nonpoint water quality efforts administered by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and point source water quality activities through the Iowa Finance Authority and Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

“This plan works for schools, farmers and Iowa,” Branstad said. “It funds school infrastructure improvements over the long term and spurs greater collaboration and implementation of the state’s nutrient reduction strategy.

“The challenges associated with water didn’t occur overnight and they won’t be solved overnight,” he added. “But we can make real and meaningful progress without raising taxes.”

It’s an intriguing concept. Schools and water quality are both priorities for Iowa and several prominent school administrators favor SAVE’s extension sooner rather than later.

Dr. Paul Gausman, superintendent of schools for the Sioux City Community School District, attended the Jan. 5 news conference at the statehouse and said SAVE’s extension is critical as educational facilities continue to age. The proposal, he said, would allow schools to move important infrastructure improvements forward. That’s critical in many communities, including Sioux City, were deteriorating facilities need attention and in Waukee, where new facilities are needed.

Waukee Superintendent of Schools David Wilkerson disagreed with reporters who, during the news conference, said Branstad’s proposal would divert funding from education to the environment.

“We’re not taking anything away from schools because, without enactment of this proposal, there’s no guarantee that the one-cent sales tax will be renewed when it expires in 2029,” Wilkerson said.

“It’s also important to note that our schools do not exist in isolation in our communities,” he added. “We depend on a strong farm economy and our farmers. We look forward to working with them on this important issue.”

Wilkersons points are extremely valid. After all, there’s no guarantee that schools will be capable of bonding as the clock ticks down to 2029. Nor is it a sure thing that Iowa’s governor and the state legislature will renew it in 2029, or before, for that matter.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said the Governor’s initiative was a far more productive solution to improving water quality than lawsuits and finger-pointing.

“I believe that what the governor has outlined will lead to better water quality and greater collaboration,” he said.

When asked by reporters to handicap the odds that the proposal would gain favor among lawmakers, Vilsack pushed back.

“You don’t want perfect to be the enemy of good. And if someone has a better proposal, than put it on the table,” he said.

Iowa’s former governor also summoned a spirit of collaboration – one that Iowans have long been known for.

“We’re all in this together,” Vilsack said. “This is an Iowa problem and the only way it gets solved is to work together in a collaborative way. If this doesn’t get solved, farmers won’t know what to do, lenders won’t know what to do and communities will suffer. It is about being big and bold and dealing with realities of today.”

Let’s go to work.

Guests on the “Behind the Seeds” tour at Disney’s EPCOT center experience farming technologies – hydroponics, aeroponics and aquaculture – that can help lesser productive areas of the world raise more food.

Scientists also are researching how to grow gardens in space, which would allow astronauts to eat fresh food during long journeys. (SIDE BAR: I couldn’t help but think how cool it would be to incorporate the seed industry’s Tomatosphere™ program, which uses space exploration to teach students the processes of scientific experimentation and inquiry.)

The Land Pavilion at EPCOT Center offers more than a glimpse of pie-in-the-sky science… It’s living proof that large-scale food production can be achieved in small spaces. Encompassing nearly 6 acres, The Land annually produces 27,000 pounds of vegetables and herbs for Walt Disney World restaurants.

Last week my family had the pleasure of seeing where those Mickey-shaped cucumbers, specialty spices and other unusual fruits and vegetables are produced. We walked into a greenhouse where hydroponics allows plants to grow without soil. Those of us blessed with rich soils in the Midwest may find this production method disconcerting at first, but we must remember that good soil is limited worldwide. (Click here to see some amazing photos of the hydroponic gardens from The Photo Garden Bee blog.)

In addition to hydrophonics, we saw aeroponics in action. Aeroponics remind me of “food towers” where fruits and vegetables grow vertically. One potted tomato tree, vining along a trellis system, can produce thousands of tomatoes. (Literally. This tomato tree that set the Guinness Book of World Records by producing 32,000 tomatoes in one year!) Fifty-pound Winter Melons and Cinderella pumpkins even grow on the trellis system. Who knew?

The wonder continued as we stepped inside the Tropical Greenhouse, which is home to 30+ different edible crops. Some crops seen in U.S. ornamental gardens are actually used for food in other countries. Visitors can see how pineapples and bananas grow, too. (Did you know that bananas grow on a plant, not a tree? Banana plants are actually giant herbs of the same family as lilies, orchids and palms.)

There is just so much to see and learn on the “Behind the Seeds” tour! One of my family’s favorite was the Mimosa Pudica, a sensitive plant that immediately reacts to touch.  Learn more about this plant as you watch a cool time-lapse video here.

So how did my kids feel about spending an hour in the class room during winter break? My 14-year-old son, without prompting, said this was one the best tour he’s taken. Like you’d expect from Disney, this tour is engaging. We got to touch plants, sample fruits grown in the greenhouses, and feed the fish.

Disney even provides QR codes on signs along the tour route, so you can use your smartphone to learn more about the fruits and to download recipes. Today on TheFieldPosition, we’re sharing with you Disney’s recipe for Sweet & Sour Chicken. We hope you and your family enjoy a magical meal at home!

A nine-pound lemon. A tomato tree that set the Guinness Book of World Records by producing 32,000 tomatoes in one year! And pumpkins grown in the shape of Mickey Mouse’s head. I’d read all about these rare fruits and veggies, but I had to see it for myself!

After cashing in years’ worth of Reward Points earned from purchases made using my Disney Visa card, I booked a one-day park hopper pass for “Latham Party of 5.” Two days after celebrating a White Christmas in Iowa we arrived in Orlando, eager to enjoy all the Sunshine State has to offer.

Our first stop was Animal Kingdom because our animal-loving daughter had her heart set on taking the Kilimanjaro Safari. One advantage of taking this tour in the morning is the animals are more active earlier in the day. We saw hippos out of the water, which our guide says is unusual. Giraffes were feeding. Elephants were playing, and lions were sunning themselves on the rocks. (TIP: If you aren’t at the park when it first opens, get a Fast Pass. You’ll want to experience this attraction, but you’ll enjoy it a lot more if you’re not waiting in line for an hour! Click here for more tips on how to make the most of your first hour at Disney.)

After surviving Expedition Everest, it was time to travel to EPCOT for our “Behind the Seeds Tour” of four greenhouses. (EPCOT stands for the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, which helps explain some of the sustainable farming methods being implemented here.)

The tour began in the biotech lab where our college-aged intern explained how, through Integrated Pest Management (IPM), good bugs are used to take out the bad. We also learned how scientists used biotechnology to create Mickey’s Mini Gardens, or the dragon fruit souvenir.

Interestingly enough, dragon fruit was as close as our tour guide got to talking about GMO foods. This would be a great opportunity to educate Disney guests, who may have questions about GMOs simply due to misleading headlines and activist campaigns, but who would appreciate learning GMO facts like:

1. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are developed through plant breeding. A GMO is a plant developed through a process whereby a copy of a desired gene or section of genetic material from one plant or organism is placed in another plant.
2. Pesticide applications have decreased largely due to the adoption of (biotech) insect-resistant crops. Herbicide-tolerant crops allow farmers to participate in no-till methods that preserve topsoil and prevent erosion.
3. GM foods have a safe track record with 20+ years in the marketplace. GMOs have not caused or contributed to a single illness or death.
4. Numerous studies have shown no nutritional differences between commercially available GMO and non-GMO foods.
5. Only nine GMO crops are commercially available: Alfalfa, Canola, Corn (field and sweet), Cotton, Papaya, Potatoes, Soybeans, Squash, and Sugar Beets. Artic Apples won’t be mass marketed before 2017. Because it won’t turn brown when sliced, the Artic Apple will potentially reduce food waste.

In the future, GMO crops could lead to more nutrient-dense foods and enhanced dining experiences for people with food allergies. Genetic modification can actually improve the nutritional content of some foods; Low linoleic acid canola oil, for example, can reduce transfat content.  Golden Rice, a genetically modified rice, could help prevent vitamin deficiency in poor countries. Severe Vitamin A deficiency results in blindness, and nearly 50% of the half-million children who are blinded by it die within a year. Modified peanuts could reduce the risk of peanut-allergy reactions.

How cool it would be if Artic Apples and Golden Rice were added to the crops being grown in the 2.5 million square feet of greenhouses at EPCOT!  are some really interesting crops being grown using innovative techniques here. Read more about them tomorrow in Part II of “Behind the Seeds at EPCOT”!

RELATED LINKS:

• 10 Things You May Not Know about GMOs
• What Consumers Want to Know About GMOs

• What Affect Do GMOs Have on Human Health?

• Do GMOs Have Side Effects on Unborn Children or Pregnant Women?

• How do GMOs Affect the Environment?

• Frequently Asked Questions – GMOs
• Say “Yes” to Science and “No” to Anti-GMO

I’ve read that 99.9% of all species have become extinct! Extinction happened before man had anything to do with “climate change.” The difference in our present age, however, is the fact that man thinks he is in control. Now we want to control climate!

Some folks believe that adjusting how we create energy will save the planet. Fewer carbon dioxide emissions, they say, will stop climate change. The truth is, one major volcanic eruption can make more “pollution” than was made throughout history by all mankind!

Every time an attempt is made to change one thing, other things unexpectedly get changed – most times these unexpected changes are not for the better. Take the spotted owl for example. With the passage of the Endangered Species and the National Forest Management Acts, the logging industry was basically shut down in the Northwest.

Saving one species of bird was put ahead of mankind, but the desired results were not accomplished. The number of spotted owl didn’t increase, and now scientists believe the aggression of barred owls has actually led to the decline. Not only were logging families devastated and entire regions suffered economic hardship, but the “untouched” forests grew a massive amount of combustible material. Without man’s management of the forest, massive forest fires occur every year and create massive amounts of air pollution. Are we saving that birds or old forests… or are we just making huge mistakes?

Mankind has been given the power to make decisions. We have the ability to make a difference. In my chosen career of farming, we have made huge advances in producing food. The U.S. free market system has been the biggest catalyst, yet man likes to step in and interfere. As our society has grown, so has the amount of government intervention.

Government officials are always trying to make things better. My question remains, “What will be the 100 after-effects of trying to fix one problem?” Are we better without coal? Is green energy the answer or will it cause unknown problems for the future? Can government involvement fix the problem by breaking one industry and replacing it with another?

Taxes, regulation and rule by force interferes with the free market. Taking land from private individuals – like the Hammand family of Oregon and Texas ranchers like Ken Aderholt for “the public good” will have long-term effects. The examples of government overreach and the use of eminent domain just keep on growing, and I’m genuinely concerned about losing the freedom to operate here.

It’s time to return power to the people!  Our country was not made great by a president overpassing congress and ignoring the constitution. In fact, our forefathers were very intentional in how they formed our government because one person was not supposed to have that kind of power.

We have an election bearing down on us. Are the candidates saying what they think you want to hear, or are they laying out a plan for a better future? Are they promising “free” stuff? Remember, free stuff will have hundreds of effects because someone has to pay for it!

Now is the time to learn the issues and examine how the candidates really think. Whom we elect makes a difference!

Guest blog post by April Hemmes, Franklin County Iowa farmer who is also a board member for the Iowa Soybean Association and the United Soybean Board

Goooood Mooor-Ning Vietnaaam!

The moment the sun rose over Ho Chi Minh City, my mind replayed the voice of Robin Williams as funny radio host Adrian Cronauer in the 1987 hit movie Good Morning Vietnam.  Ho Chi Minh City, population 8 million, is located in southern Vietnam by the delta. With so many people living on a land mass that’s slightly larger than New Mexico, you see scooters everywhere. This was my view every morning.

I had the pleasure of traveling July 30 through August 7, 2015, to Ho Chi Minh City with nine other soybean farmers from across the United States plus four United Soybean Board members. We were hosted in the regions we visited by U.S. Soybean. Through a global network of international offices, the U.S. Soybean Exports Council builds a preference for U.S. soybeans and soybean products. This group also advocates for the use of soy in feed, aquaculture and human consumption, as well as promotes the benefits of soy use through education. The number of aquaculture feed mills in Vietnam using U.S. soybean meal in aquaculture has risen dramatically in recent years, so our delegation was sent to provide more technical information about the superiority of U.S. Soy compared to soybeans of other origins.

Our first stop on this tour was a feed mill and malting plant, located along a deep channel of the river to allow shipments by boat. This particular malting plant is expanding due to an increase demand for beer in Vietnam. Vietnam ranks third for beer consumption in Asia, behind China and Singapore. The highlight for me was seeing Panamax ships, the mid-sized cargo ships that are capable of passing through the lock chambers of the Panama Canal, being unloaded. One was full of grain and the other was filled with containers. It’s very hard to explain how big one of these ships is, but it takes 4 days to unload it!  The containers can be filled with anything from cars to soybeans or electronics to raw goods for the textile industry.

We also had time to stop by a market. Markets play a crucial role in Vietnamese life as that’s where people find essential items from clothing and shoe to foods, drinks, spice and fruits. The range of produce grown in the area and available at market is amazing! Although it’s rare to find someone here who speaks a foreign language, we did enjoy our visit.

During our “See for Yourself” marketing mission, we watching many presentations and learned a lot of facts about Vietnam. One in particular that struck me is that well over half of the population is under the age of 25.  Amazing! Less than 20% of the population is over age 55, so they have no memory of the war here.

Honestly, I came home from this See for Yourself program feeling optimistic! There is much optimism in Vietnam. Although the economy has grown through agriculture and manufacturing, the average annual income is $2,000. Vietnamese can earn more by moving to the city and getting either a manufacturing job or service industry. Generally speaking, these people are happy and they believe life is only going to get better.

It’s hard to describe the sense of duty I feel because people around the world depend on the quality of the crops we produce in America. I highly recommend that farmers “See for Yourself” what the checkoff’s role is in developing and maintaining worldwide markets. Click here to apply for the 2016 See It Yourself Program by April, 1 2016.