monsanto water research learning center in gothenburg<\/a>. in true nebraskan fashion, the early morning air was already warm with the sun breaking through the clouds, promising a dry and sunny day. as the drive began, a glance to either side of the road revealed only endless fields of green and gold, scattered with the occasional house and barn. this sea of soybeans, corn, and wheat was periodically broken up by the establishment of rural towns and small watering holes.<\/p>\nprior to this trip, our experiences and perspectives of agriculture \u2014 and even rural areas \u2014 were varied. personally, primarily growing up in an agriculture-heavy state like nebraska, and involving myself in an agriculture college and major, this is not an area i am uninformed about. but just a handful of other students had similar backgrounds, like kansas state university student topanga mcbride, who was raised in a family working in the dairy and beef sector, and continues to pursue a degree and career in the field.<\/p>\n
while others knew only so much, knowledge primarily influenced by movies and books.<\/p>\n
\u201cbefore this trip i had a more traditional view of agriculture from what i had seen in \u202a’field of dreams\u202c,’\u201d george washington university student ilana creinin said.<\/p>\n
in what she now realizes to be a rather old-fashioned interpretation of agriculture, creinin said, \u201ci thought only men worked long hours in the field with very little technology. i had also seen documentaries about big ag, but otherwise i didn\u2019t know or experience much else.\u201d<\/p>\n
getting to hear directly from producers, exploring their family farms, and interacting with researchers from one of the world’s largest agricultural companies, all helped to inform and help many of us shape new outlooks on agriculture. mcbride stated she has always has a positive attitude toward agriculture, and getting to visit farms in nebraska has continued to help her understand the diversity and challenges that differs regionally in the industry. an experience like this helped many of the group put a face and name to what goes into producing their food.<\/p>\n
\u201ci am much more interested in agriculture now. i have much more appreciation for the hardships and discrimination they face in agriculture and their ability to manage the farm operations. i feel like i just have more background knowledge in the field than i did before the trip,\u201d creinin said.<\/p>\n
the stories that came out of this trip stemmed from the people we met, and the experiences they shared with us \u2014 from the large part technology plays in ag to the view of women in agriculture. for myself, that was learning more about the sustainable practices many farmers use today and how industry leaders are introducing new technology to help producers move forward as they are challenged by decreased resources and even just the personal pressure to be a good environmental steward. <\/p>\n
many of these students are taking this experience and lessons learned back to their schools and applying them to classes, work, and their daily lives. this trip helped all of us better understand some of the issues facing agriculture in nebraska \u2014 and also have a better appreciation for farmers and rural life. <\/p>\n
said mcbride: \u201ci see agriculture as one of the noblest jobs one can pursue, as it is a thankless job that every single person relies on. it takes a strong person to do so successfully and humbly.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
in mid-september, nine students from universities across the country met in one of america’s agricultural epicenters: nebraska. we were here to tell some of the environmental stories found in our country’s heartland.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9403,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4919,4896],"tags":[112,3864,164,498,3858,322],"storyfest_categories":[],"class_list":["post-12392","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-agriculture","category-food","tag-agriculture","tag-explorers","tag-farming","tag-nebraska","tag-pfinnebraska","tag-storytelling"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
students went to nebraska looking for stories, but left with much more - planet forward<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n