Page 17 - Farm and Food Policy Strategies for 2040 Series

Butz, who grew up on a small Indiana farm and graduated from Purdue University during the
depths of the Great Depression, understood that farmers would need to change to stay in
business. He didn’t advocate for farmers to necessarily get larger but maintained they would
need to adopt new business models to be more efficient. During his lifetime (he died in 2008 at
the age of 98), Butz witnessed significant advancements in plant and animal breeding,
mechanization, specialization, the advent of biofuels and the rise of organic agriculture, as well
as increased urbanization and globalization – just to name a few trends.

Indeed, throughout the last century, U.S.
farmers have adapted in response to market
demands, new technologies, government
decisions and the weather.

"Agriculture is getting incredibly more
sophisticated," notes Barry Flinchbaugh,
Kansas State Professor Emeritus. "You have
no choice but to adapt and change with the
times if you are going to survive." He also
foresees "less and less commodity
production" and "more crops grown with
specific attributes desired by customers."

www.Agri-Pulse.com 15