Earth Day

Earth Day.  A day where the world comes together to help protect the planet.   It’s the one day of the year that we have to remind people of the natural resources around us.

Hi, I'm Ryan and I'm the vice president of Marion County Farm Bureau. I grew up on a small farm in Rush county and have spent my career dedicated to the agriculture industry. After graduating from Morehead State University, I spent three years in state government promoting and working with livestock farms. Then, I worked as the ag coordinator for Red Gold and currently, I am the manager of a livestock and grain farm in Greenfield, Indiana. My wife, Juanita, and I are expecting our first child in September. 

From a farmer’s perspective, every day is Earth Day.  As a farmer, we rely on the land, and its natural resources, to provide for our family’s livelihood every day. We work to take care of the land, and in return, it takes care of us.

Water quality and soil quality are of the utmost importance on the farm.  Every day, we must rely on our natural resources to provide for our crops, and our livestock. We cannot afford to take it for granted.  If we do, we will not be able to provide for our families or the livestock that are raised on it.

Over time, new practices and new techniques have been implemented to provide for a sustainable future.  Conservation buffers, technology, and biotech – which has enable farmers to use less herbicides and pesticides.  Which in turn allows for less compaction to a field. 

As we approach the 46^th anniversary of Earth Day, it is hard to believe how far we have come in helping to protect our most vital resources.  But we must always continue to improve our techniques and methods that are used to protect our environment.  After all, we didn’t inherit our planet, we are just borrowing from the next generation.