influencers Archives - Best Food Facts

A Conversation About Sustainable Farming

Best Food Facts — Tue, 29 Sep 2020 18:42:26 +0000

Farmers are developing new and innovative technologies to improve the sustainability of crop farming, influencers learned during the 2020 Best Food Facts TASTE tour.

We hosted nine digital influencers for a virtual tour in July. The tour, originally planned to be in-person in central Iowa, was reformatted into three virtual discussions on these topics:

Sustainable Crop Farming with a focus on crop practices and environmental stewardship
Sustainable Food with conversations about food waste, processed foods, biotechnology and food affordability
Sustainable Egg Farming, providing dialogue on hen housing and impacts on animal well-being, food affordability and natural resources

Brent Renner, an Iowa farmer, spoke to the influencers through a video call from his tractor to discuss the techniques that he uses to grow crops in the most sustainable way.

“Along with GPS, the monitor that steers my tractor is also capable of a lot of other things,” Renner said. “In regards to sustainability and trying to do more with less, which is another way to put it, is applying the perfect rate of whatever product you’re using, whether it’s chemical, fertilizer or insecticide, on the exact spot that it needs to be targeted.”

Dave Walton, who also farms in Iowa, said farmers have been funding research to find practical ways to make crop farming as sustainable as possible.

“We’re going to take that to a level that would boggle your mind,” he said. “Instead of using satellite imagery, which is kind of the standard now, we’re going to get to the point where you’re going to see little robots maybe the size of somebody’s little toy truck. There’s going to be a hundred of them running up and down the field taking pictures of plants in real-time and looking for leaf disease or insects or something that creates a stress on that plant. This technology is going to get down to the plant level, so we can treat one plant if that plant’s affected or 10 plants in a row if those 10 plants are affected.”

The influencers found the information presented by the farmers and other experts during the virtual tour very informative as they and their followers consider sustainable food choices. Other experts who took part in the tour were Shannon Tolliver, social responsibility and environmental sustainability manager for White Castle Systems, and Janet Helms, DVM, global sustainability developer Inter IKEA Group.

“My main takeaway was really about how they are constantly striving to be on the cutting edge of technology and striving to have the most efficient ways of farming both for their bottom line but also for the sustainability of their farm and the environment in the long run,” said Lisa Longly, who blogs at Wine and Glue.

Jocelyn Brubaker of Inside Bru Crew Life said she was surprised by the level of technology that farmers use.

“I’d say the thing I want my readers to know the most would be that farmers are always trying

to learn more. They want the land to continue. They want to be able to pass this land down to

future generations their kids, their grandkids, so they’re always doing more,” she said.

Farm tours have given Lynne Feifer, 365 Days of Baking, a greater awareness of the work that agriculture producers put into their work.

“It’s a 24/7 job and if we didn’t have farms, honestly, we would not have food. It’s important that we support these farmers. I feel that they are the backbone of America, and we need to keep them going. It’s so important,” she said.

The tour was part of Optimizing Sustainability, an initiative of The Center for Food Integrity that supports understand and prioritize factors to decisions that are most sustainable. In addition to the tour, Best Food Facts examined sustainability impacts and the topics of grass-fed and grain-fed beef, pesticides and GMOs. Learn more about the project and read all of the influencers articles.

The post A Conversation About Sustainable Farming appeared first on Best Food Facts.

2019 Best Food Facts TASTE Tour Recap

Best Food Facts — Wed, 25 Sep 2019 19:45:56 +0000

Best Food Facts recently invited nine influencers to Ocean City, Maryland, to tour to discover all they could about soybeans and soy foods, from tofu and edamame to vegetable oil.

Best Food Facts TASTE Tour influencers were challenged to discover where the foods came from and how the processing happened. Touring farms, soy processing facility, influencers witnessed sprawling fields of produce, met the farmers, and watched soybeans be processed to make different products.

ICYMI, soy is a plant-based source of protein that is in many favorite dishes. But grocery shoppers still have questions about soy. Does it contain estrogen? Has soy been linked to breast cancer? These are just a few of the many questions the 2019 TASTE Tour aimed to answer. With the help of experts — including Julie Garden-Robinson from the BFF expert network — bloggers went home with not only a refreshed outlook on soy and soy foods but also an inspired approach on how to incorporate more soy into their daily lives. Want to know more about the experience? Check out this video:

#BestFoodFacts

Spending three days in Ocean City, Maryland, bloggers followed soybeans from the farm to the processing plant and beyond to the dinner table. They had the opportunity to taste, hold, interact and eat soybeans. Bloggers learned about the growing and harvesting process, saw where the soybeans arrived at the processing facility to be processed, refined and turned into oil. They also enjoyed gourmet meals that featured soybean products.

Scroll on to hear more from the influencers themselves about their #BestFoodFacts TASTE Tour experience:

I had such a great time in Maryland learning about soybeans. It was not something I really knew about before this trip. Now I’m excited to incorporate more soy products into our diets. It is such a great source of protein, which should definitely help me fill up my growing teenage boy!– Erin Sellin, Dinners, Dishes & Desserts
I’m not proud to admit that I truly knew very little about soybeans, what products are derived from soy, and the health benefits before my trip. My mind was BLOWN and I’ll never look at a little soybean plant the same way again. Soy is such an under-appreciated source of vitamins and minerals, and has zero cholesterol. It’s truly heart healthy, and is so much more than just soy sauce. – Becky Hardin, The Cookie Rookie
I love cooking with soy. I grew up eating foods like tofu, Asian-style soy milk, tofu skins, edamame, and miso. They are my comfort food. Although I’ve eaten soy practically my entire life, I had little knowledge about how they’re grown and processed. That’s why I was incredibly excited when Best Food Facts invited me to their 2019 TASTE tour in Ocean City, Maryland, to learn more about soybean farming and production. – Lisa Lin, Healthy Nibbles
On my two-day soybean tour, I learned a TON. My head is still processing all the things that I learned about soy farming and the technology that is used to make it such a sustainable and healthy food source. – Lisa Longly, Wine and Glue
Up until this point, I hadn’t ever really given soy much thought. However, it’s been another food source I have taken for granted until now. – Lynne Feifer, 365 Days of Baking & More
One of my favorite parts of the trip was learning about the many health benefits of soybeans. They’re naturally cholesterol-free and high in protein and fiber. They’re also rich in B vitamins, phosphorus, and iron. The nutritionist we met with was able to put to rest some of the myths and concerns surrounding soy, and I can absolutely say I’m excited to introduce more soy into my cooking! – Cathy Trochelman, Lemon Tree Dwelling
I grew up eating soy as a child and as an adult, I do have a lot of soy in my diet. From soy milk to tofu and soy sauce, it’s in my regular cooking. I had an awesome opportunity to work with Best Food Facts. – Julie Tran Deily, The Little Kitchen
Before my trip to Maryland, I did not know very much about soy and the many health benefits that it provides. I am excited to incorporate more soyfoods into our family meals and snacks. – Jocelyn Brubaker, Inside BruCrew Life
Soy is good for you! It is a delicious, wholesome plant, that has gotten a bad rap, but that has been consumed for centuries by some of the world’s healthiest populations and has a lot to offer nutritionally. – Rachael Yerkes, Eazy Peazy Mealz

Looking for more content about the tours? Check out these posts:

Lynne Feifer, 365 Days of Baking & More

Becky Hardin, The Cookie Rookie

Edamame Recipe with Everything Bagel Seasoning (Everything Edamame)

Rachael Yerkes, Eazy Peazy Mealz

Lisa Longley, Wine and Glue

Julie Tran Deily, The Little Kitchen

Vegetarian Dumplings

Lisa Lin, Healthy Nibbles

Spicy Roasted Edamame

Jocelyn Brubaker, Inside BruCrew Life

Erin Sellin, Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts

Cathy Trochelman, Lemon Tree Dwelling

The 2019 Best Food Facts TASTE Tour was sponsored by BestFoodFacts.org and United Soybean Board.

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