Andy Vance

I remember as a boy hoeing weeds in our corn fields and pulling weeds in the bean fields. I recall the plant damage that our corn suffered from root worms and corn bore. Along came biotechnology and genetically engineered seeds. The weeds are gone and the corn stands straight and strong. We have been successfully [...]

Editor’s Note: The following is an open letter to agriculture stakeholders from Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. Complexity surrounds American agriculture today. With the recent announcement of USDA’s final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for genetically engineered (GE) Roundup Ready alfalfa and the subsequent meeting to bring together diverse stakeholders for a dialogue, USDA has taken [...]

If I spent all my time at our farm in Illinois, it wouldn’t be as revealing to me. I wouldn’t get this dose of reality that makes me sit up and take notice when I go there. It would just be the same old, same old thing. I’ve been on the farm this week – [...]

by: Steve Foglesong, President of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association There’s a reason U.S. beef is the best in the world. For decades, U.S. producers like me have invested in genetic improvements and herd-management practices that have allowed us to add value and enhance the quality and safety of our products for consumers in the [...]

Thanksgiving is the time when Janet and I, like millions of families all over Ohio, stop and reflect on our Heavenly Father’s grace. This year in particular, I know Ohioans are struggling and are worried about the short- and long-term ramifications of the current economic crisis. But times of scarcity and hardship tend to make [...]