The agricultural media company Farm Journal announced a new effort to promote conservation, sustainability, and stewardship across all segments of agriculture — an effort that includes a major installation about U.S. agriculture. The agricultural exhibit will be the focus of a media event July 26 hosted on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and the nearby Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
“U.S. Agriculture Through the Voice of the Farmer” is an interactive learning experience set amid a garden of commodity and specialty food crops on display on the National Mall through October 2020. The briefing will also announce the launch of “America’s Conservation Ag Movement,” designed to be the largest public-private partnership dedicated to the adoption of conservation ag practices. A panel of experts will discuss how consumer demands are driving change and opportunities across agriculture. USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Undersecretary Greg Ibach will provide closing remarks.
“The Voice of the Farmer” is a project of the Farm Journal Foundation in cooperation with the USDA, the National Corn Growers Association, and Trust In Food, an initiative to bridging the gap between consumers and agriculture with bi-directional communication along the food continuum. The installation is adjacent to the USDA’s Whitten Building, at the entrance to the Smithsonian Metro stop. Screen-based kiosks, onsite ambassadors, and a mobile app share the voices and video stories of working farmers and ranchers across the nation. The garden also showcases technologies that are critical to producing affordable, wholesome food and maintaining healthy wildlife habitats.
“America’s Conservation Ag Movement” challenges the agriculture community, long proud of its history of good conservation and stewardship, to rise to the next level of safekeeping of soil, water and air. The program is a partnership of public, private and non-governmental organizations designed to more widely share data, research, educational and engagement tools to help all segments of agriculture meet the expectations of the public. Communication, education, online resources and on-the-ground peer-to-peer sharing in watersheds across the nation will support multiple and diverse efforts to improve the environmental outcomes of agriculture and build a more sustainable food supply.
To register for the July 26 event or learn more about the America’s Conservation Ag Movement, go to www.TrustInFood.com.
