My husband, Kevin, and I are 5th generation farmers. We live on our family hog farm in Missouri with our two children. Our dream is that our children will have the opportunity be the 6th generation of farmers in our family.
Here’s a video of talking about what what we grow, what a typical day looks like, the importance of caring for the environment as the farm is a multi-generational endeavor, the role of science and more. The video was produced as I sought to help put a face on my family farm and to help more people who aren’t in farm families understand what happens as we produce food for our communities.
Below is a video we did to show others what we do on our farm.
chrischinn 
Chris,
I became aware of your blog at the time of the ill-named influenza outbreak. I am writing a blog about recent writings on food as a national security issue (pegged, in part, to a piece in Foreign Policy by Lester Brown). I am interested in your thoughts on South Korea’s plan to begin buying grain directly from U.S. farmers, in effect bypassing the regular marketplace, a move sure to be copied by other nations. Do you think, as I have read from others, that trend this could pose a threat to grain availability to Americans, including livestock farmers?
Thank you,
Dave Schechter
Senior National Editor
CNN Atlanta
If I’m following your comment correctly, your concern is with Korean traders coming directly to farmers in the U.S. to buy up grain. South Korea’s overall level of demand is not likely to be significantly different buying direct as opposed to going through a broker. The grain farmer might get a little higher value for their grain and the South Korean might pay a little less for the grain as well. But somebody, either the farmer here or the importer there, is going to have to handle all the problems of freight, insurance, financing etc., that a broker is now saddled with. Transaction costs are still costs. They don’t go away just because we have end users and farmers directly dealing with each other. I do not see how this will in any way limit grain availability to our livestock producers.
Very nice! Informative and a truthful look into the care farmers take of their animals. I will place a link to this one on my site. More people need to see farmer’s dedication to food and agriculture. Thanks for the great video!
Thank you for your input and for sharing our video.
I wanted to thank you and your mother-in-law for speaking at our NAMA Boot Camp this week. It was a great discussion on the values you place in farming, family, and care for your animals, all of which you comment on in your video. I think your video is a nice showpiece. Thanks for your dedication to the industry.
Thanks Dan. We enjoyed being with everyone at the NAMA Boot Camp. It was a great crowd and we felt very welcome!
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Although we don’t know eachother, personally, we share similar values and beliefs. I’m a fourth-generation farm girl who would like to thank you for being an AgAdvocate for the American Family Farmer!
Thanks Laura! I appreciate your support!
I’ve enjoyed reading through your blog! I’ve been trying to find ways to assist farmers during this drought and have not been very successful in finding small organizations or groups that are providing immediate assistance. Do you have any ideas?
Thanks Laurie. I have not found any organization or group that is providing immediate drought assistance. I know the US House did pass a $383 million disaster aid package that gives relief to crop farmers and some livestock producers, namely cattle and sheep, affected by the drought. I don’t know what the Senate will do on this.
I’ve read your blog several times, and was delighted to see that you’ll be speaking at a meeting we’ll be attending this weekend. I look forward to meeting you in person!
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Dear Chris,
I am located in St. Louis Missouri. Our lack of abundance of corn on the table has come to the attention of many women in this area. It seems that ever since ethanol became a priority, corn for food consumption has decreased. Can something be done about this?
Thank you for your help.
Kathy
Kathy,
I have not seen this in my area, however, sweet corn is seasonal. The corn used for Ethanol is not the same corn as sweet corn though. Let me reach out to some of my friends and see if I can find someone in your area who would be willing to meet with you for coffee to visit if you would welcome that idea?
Thanks,
Chris