October 2024: We Eat Because Farmers Take the Risk

by | Oct 5, 2024 | Newsletter

A farmer plowing a fieldFall has officially arrived! While some of us have been experiencing summer-like temperatures or changing fall colors in the Rocky Mountains, others are reeling from the recent destruction of Hurricane Helene along the eastern part of the U.S. These floods remind us that what we eat is still controlled by weather, and farmers are the ultimate risk managers.

As we celebrate the upcoming National Farmer’s Day, we are reminded that farming has never been for the “faint of heart.” In this issue of The AgriNutrition Edge Reports, Jesse Horn, one of my University of Kentucky alum farmer friends, joins me in shedding insights on the risk reality and other commonly held myths about today’s agriculture.

With the end of September, we bid farewell to National Family Meals Month, but let’s remember that sharing meals with our family and friends beyond our own table extends the benefits of mental and physical health. Take the time to share food and memories.

Finally, understanding the origin of food has always fascinated me, especially when I find these stories in my own backyard (literally)! Read on about the plight of an indigenous fruit that is trying to move from the native woods to the marketplace with a resurgence of research and consumer interest.

Regardless of what and where we eat, eating together has health and social benefits. Could our connections to food also improve our understanding of our family history? Everything we eat has a story … and that story usually starts on a farm. Happy Fall!

Read this issue of The AgriNutrition Edge Report