Andy Vance

Sometimes I’m convinced people just need to have something to be against, because they lack something to be for. Pardon the grammatical horrors of that last sentence. It’s just that I’m scratching my head over the recent “March Against Monsanto” that allegedly attracted 2 million participants in some 400+ cities. What exactly are you mad [...]

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 [...]

My friends at Monsanto launched a great campaign this year called America’s Farmers Grow America. The theme carried from their radio and print advertising messages to a great philanthropic program called “America’s Farmers: Growing Communities.” I commend them for helping tell the story of the farmers who feed so many of our needs. This video [...]