So one thing is just sort of maybe our core
basic job in agriculture, which is very, very
simple, and is to provide unbiased research-based
knowledge to farmers, to help them make better
decisions and improve their prosperity.
Now that comes with some pieces, one of those
pieces is to make sure that we're also aware
of what the needs of the industry are through
our connection with agriculture out in the
countryside and out on the farms to make sure
that our researchers back on campus have a
focus, not just on a lot of grand paradigm-shifting
research, but they're also focusing on the
needs of the industry.
And then once those needs are met, we can
transfer that research-based information back
to farmers and continue to work with them.
I feel that one of our missions, if you will,
is to continue to connect the public to their
food supply, continue to connect the public
to the great things that happen in agriculture.
And that I see for agriculture to continue
to be successful from the standpoint of the legislature,
and the philanthropists and
even how our administration views us on campus,
we need a public that is supportive of what
we do and a public that does not take their
food supply for granted, as so many people
do.
One of the great things that we have in Extension,
thankfully, is some ability to take all of
that, the knowledge and then all of our people,
and put together educational programming that
I think can really help educate the public
and really get them to understand that there
is a reason why you have scientists work
in the agricultural industry.
That food is incredibly important and having
fewer farmers on less land, providing food
for a growing population on this planet is
no small task and it cannot be taken for granted.
It should not be taken for granted.
And I want to be part of the education that
takes place for the consumers to understand
that they should never take their food supply
for granted.
So there's a lot of exciting things happening
on the research side within our college.
Our collaboration with research from the standpoint
of not only providing ideas back to the researchers,
but also being able to work in a way that
we could be testing as we go along and to
see the potential for how it could impact
agriculture.
And it's not just to put more toys on farms,
it's not to put more things in front of farmers
that cost money, it's all about profitability.
Putting something in front of them that means
something, that makes a difference, that allows
them to stay in business, allows them not
to be in that situation that I was talking
about earlier, the dark side.
We want to move away from the dark side, and
we want to move towards a place where our
technology and our new technology can really,
really help farmers be profitable and to stay
in business and keep that land in their families
and provide opportunity for generations to come.
Having a diverse population from the standpoint
of where people live, what they like to eat,
the amount of money they have, how they like
to shop, whether it's a CSA, or a farm stand,
or a farmers market or a supermarket, farmers
in states with population centers can take
advantage of that kind of marketing.
And so we recognize that our local foods program
and smaller farmer programs are geared a little
bit differently, and the customer base is a
little bit different.
But those customers that come from other states
to North Carolina and don't move to rural
areas, move to urban areas.
There's a group of people there that we can
serve.
If we can get our farmers up to speed about
how to serve that population, then there's
a whole other segment of the agricultural
community that can do well.
I guess understanding that, one of those old
sayings, the last seven words of any dying
organization are, "we have always done it that way."
And I think if you're going to survive and
do better and be impactful, you need to recognize
when you need to do things differently.
