Where Food Comes From 2019 Spring Issue

FOODwhere ISSUE 4 comes from Sustainability WHAT IT MEANS FOR TODAY’S FOOD INDUSTRY Plus The Statistics of Global Food Production Shipping Out: What Exports Mean to US Agriculture Just How Sustainable is Beef?

Animals. Workers. Environments. YOU CARE. WE VERIFY. Validus Verification Services, a division of Where Food Comes From, Inc. 515.278.8002 | validuscertified.com 2 Where Food Comes From SPRING 2019

Dear Food Enthusiast “What does sustainability mean?” That seems to be the question most people ask when the topic comes up. The purpose of this issue of the Where Food Comes From magazine is not really to answer that question, but to relay the stories of those who are engaged in the sustainability conversation, trying to figure it all out. When we asked our 17-year-old son what sustainability meant to him and his friends, he said, “Well I’m not really sure exactly. Maybe it is just simply that we are responsible in doing our part in leaving the world a better place for the next generation.” I’m not sure there is anyone that would disagree with that statement. Maybe it is really that simple and we all make it too complicated—missing the forest for the trees, so to speak. Every business, every industry, every person might have their own definition of sustainability and what it means to be “more” sustainable; but maybe it doesn’t matter. Maybe what matters most is that we look to engage, we look to determine how we can leave the world a better place for future generations, and we do our part in moving the needle that direction. We hope you enjoy the stories and insights about what is happening around this complex and ever-evolving topic. And, for those of you aspiring to leave the world in a better place for future generations and take actionable steps towards that goal, we applaud you. Let’s take this journey together, one solution at a time. From our family to yours, Leann and John Saunders, Co-Founders, Where Food Comes From SPRING 2019 Where Food Comes From 1

contents FOODwhere ISSUE 4 comes from 6 Sustainability Where Food Comes From WHAT IT MEANS Spring 2019 FOR TODAY’S FOOD Issue 4 INDUSTRY Plus The Statistics of Global Food Production Shipping Out: What Exports Mean to US Agriculture Just How Sustainable is Beef? back to the land 4 FOOD IN PHOTOGRAPHY The changing face of sustainability in the West. 10 appetizers 6 FOOD IN THE NEWS Plastic consumption, changing trends, and home- based agriculture. 8 THE WFCF MARKET Colorado State University and WFCF partner on forward-thinking concept. 10 BEEF SUSTAINABILITY The beef industry sets the record straight. why verify 12 PRODUCER PROFILE Micah Zeff of Montpelier Nut Company 14 EXPORTS What sending our products overseas means for business. 16 EMPLOYEE PROFILE Jeff Dlott of SureHarvest going deep 18 GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY The statistics facing global food production. feature 20 SUSTAINABILITY 20 A look at how the concept is fitting into 21st 2 Where Food Comes From SPRING 2019 century agriculture. something to chew on 26 AT HOME Almond-Crusted Tilapia Recipe 28 COWBOY POET Clyde Chess and the School Marm

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back to the land | FOOD IN PHOTOGRAPHY 4 Where Food Comes From SPRING 2019

Winds of Change LEAH HARTMAN PHOTO COURTESY OF THE COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE PHOTO CONTEST The ideas of food production and energy sustainability have certainly changed through the years, and the vestiges of the changing industry remain evident in the breadbasket of America. SPRING 2019 Where Food Comes From 5

appetizers | FOOD IN THE NEWS Home-Based GARDENING The National Gardening Association released a 5-year study AGRICULTURE in 2014 examining gardening trends in America. Here are some of the most interesting stats gleaned from their report: USDA conducts urban chicken farming study Forty-two Raising chickens in urban environments is a growing million phenomenon in the United States. Urban chicken flocks are not part of the commercial poultry industry; however, they sometimes —or one out of every three—households in the provide chicken meat and eggs to local food systems such as U.S. are now growing food. farmers’ markets. Between 2008 and 2013, spending on gardening Surveys were conducted by the USDA in four U.S. metro areas increased by 40%. From (Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York City) to describe the residents’ opinions about raising chickens in urban settings. $2.5 to $3.5 billion Throughout metro areas, chicken ownership laws and regulations vary by city, county, and neighborhood. Some cities 63% increase and homeowner’s associations have specific rules about chicken in millennial food gardening participation. ownership, and some cities, such as Los Angeles, permit chicken ownership with no limitations on the number or type of chickens. The largest increase in food gardening was seen in urban areas: Here are a few highlights from the study: • Overall, 0.8 percent of all households owned chickens. up 29% • While less than 1 percent of households had chickens, nearly 4 percent of households without chickens planned to have chickens within the next 5 years, illustrating the growing acceptance of urban farming (range: 2.0 percent of households in New York City to 7.4 percent in Denver). • Overall, about 4 of 10 respondents were in favor of allowing chickens in their communities and would not mind if their neighbors owned chickens. • Although over half of respondents (55.6 percent) believed that chickens in urban areas will lead to more illnesses in humans, most respondents believed that eggs from home- raised chickens are better for you than eggs purchased at a grocery store. PLASTICS GET POLEMIC Last October, the city council of Santa Barbara enacted an only about 1 percent of the total amount of plastic waste that’s in ordinance that would fine any restaurant employee caught the ocean overall. distributing plastic straws, cutlery, or stirrers up to $250. A second offense could result in six months jail time or a $1,000 In fact, the Helmoltz Centre for Environmental Research found fine. Predictably, the issue was both widely panned and last year that ninety percent of the plastic polluting the world’s passionately defended. oceans comes from just 10 rivers—all of which are in Asia and Africa. Here are some numbers, however, that might help put the plastic brouhaha in perspective. The takeaway? Santa Barbara straws won’t break the environment’s back. According to a recent article, straws represent only 0.02 percent of the amount of plastic waste that is estimated to go into the Perhaps more at issue here is a pervading world culture of ocean each year. What’s more, the United States is responsible for disposal-ism. Throwing things away—including plastics—that can't be repurposed is an unsustainable trend we should all avoid. 6 Where Food Comes From SPRING 2019

TOP 10 GOOGLE FOOD-RELATED SEARCHES IN 2018 1) Unicorn Cake 3) CBD Gummies 5) Keto Cheesecake 7) Keto Cookies 9) Keto Brownies 10) Gochujang 2) Romaine Lettuce 4) Keto Pancakes 6) Necco Wafers 8) Keto Chili Trending Now GET READY FOR ‘EM • Peeps-flavored coffee creamer by International Delight • Buttered popcorn-flavored Oreos • Pringles has 28 different flavors of their tubular potato chips FOOD ALLERGIES Researchers estimate that up to 15 million Americans have food allergies, including 5.9 million children under age 18. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention reports that the prevalence of food allergy in children increased by 50 percent between 1997 and 2011. THAT’S GOTTA BE A FISH STORY Japanese sushi restauranteur Kiyoshi “The Tuna King” Kimura paid $3.1 million for a giant bluefin tuna at Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market last January. It weighed around 612 pounds. NON-RESTAURANT RESTAURANTS Food has always been a way for people to connect. Now, a wide variety of companies are incorporating cafes into their space to encourage foot traffic. The nationwide bank, Capital One is making the most waves with their ad campaign, but AT&T, Crate & Barrel, Where Food Comes From (see page 10) Restoration Hardware and a bevy of movie theaters are following the trend as well. 7

appetizers | WFCF MARKET A Degree in Gastronomy Colorado State University Opens the Where Food Comes From Market The Where Food Comes From-Colorado animal harvesting process, fully equipped What Is a Land Grant U? State University ties run deep. Leann with a livestock arena, Temple Grandin The idea of the land-grant university Saunders, who with her husband, John, designed holding and harvesting areas, arose in the middle of the 19th century founded the company, is a CSU alumnus. a research and development center and around a set of converging social and sensory analysis room, lecture hall, and cultural changes in the United States. Among her many relationships as a meat demonstration classroom. In an era of economic, social, and student at CSU, Leann ranks Dr. Gary political turmoil, U.S. Representative Smith, known as the “dean of meat science And, opening April 9, 2019, the Where Justin Morrill, a Vermont native and professors” as a personal and professional Food Comes From Market—a retail store son of a blacksmith, proposed the mentor. Not only did he help guide her featuring products being produced locally, notion of federal government land- studies, he serves on the company’s board meat from CSU and products that are using grants to support practical public of directors. the Where Food Comes From verification education for the working classes. This services. mission was in contrast to the historic So when Colorado State University—a practice of higher education to focus land-grant University—­ announced plans “We hope the Center—as well as the on an abstract liberal arts curriculum. to renovate the existing Animal Science Market—give students and the public a true The idea was to fund educational building and construct the new JBS Global understanding of where food comes from institutions by granting federally Food Innovation Center in honor of Gary and the unique role that everyone plays in controlled land to the states for them and Kay Smith, John and Leann Saunders the process.,” Leann Saunders says. “We’ve to sell, to raise funds, to establish, knew they had to be involved. always seen ourselves as the link between and endow \"land-grant\" colleges. the producer and consumer, educating both Plans include a complete livestock and sides about the needs of the other.” President Abraham Lincoln signed meat processing center, spanning the meat- the first Morrill Act into law on July 2, 1862, creating a perpetual endowment to support colleges of agriculture and mechanic arts. (The origin of the original name Colorado “A&M” and mascot, “Aggies”). The signing of the second Morrill Act in 1890, the Hatch Act in 1887 (to establish Agricultural Experiment Stations), and the Smith- Lever Act of 1914 that created the Cooperative Extension Service formed the basis of the land-grant university model as it exists today. Ultimately, most land-grant colleges became large public universities that today offer a full spectrum of educational opportunities. 8 Where Food Comes From SPRING 2019

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appetizers | BEEF SUSTAINABILITY JUST HOW Sustainable IS BEEF PRODUCTION? Beef Research—funded by The Beef Checkoff—recently released a series of 15 fact sheets and animated infographics regarding findings about the sustainability of the beef industry. The series tackles questions such as how U.S. beef’s carbon footprint compares globally, how much water beef production actually uses, if removing beef from the diet would actually reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and how carbon sequestration affects the sustainability of beef. Many of the recent claims made against the beef industry are refuted and/or explained in context. Moreover, the series helps consumers understand the beef production model and how the farmers and ranchers raising beef are using both traditional and progressive methods to keep and make beef sustainable into the future. What Cattle Already Do What Cattle Could Do Some highlights of the series include findings that show Perhaps most enlightening is a look at the global North American beef production systems (including the cattle herd. Currently, there are 1.56 billion animals, U.S.) were found to have a 10 to 50 times lower carbon which produce 160 billion pounds of beef. If current footprints as compared to many countries in sub-Saharan U.S. productivity levels were implemented globally, the Africa and the Indian subcontinent. herd would decrease by 62% and overall greenhouse gas emissions would drop accordingly. Cattle also contribute to global food security by acting as upcyclers, upgrading human-inedible plant proteins (90% And if soil organic carbon in agricultural and grasslands of the beef diet consists of these plants) and plant-based could be increased by 10% through sequestration over the leftovers (distillers grains, cottonseed, beet pulp) into high- course of the 21st century, carbon dioxide concentrations quality protein and micronutrients. Plus, cattle produce 19% in the atmosphere could be reduced to near pre-industrial more human edible protein in the form of beef than they levels. consume in their lifetime as feed. Finally, the U.S. has 770 million acres of rangeland that is unsuitable for cultivation The bottom line is American agriculture’s continued but is suitable for cattle grazing and can sequester as much efforts of increased productivity and efficiency have carbon as forests. resulted in a more environmentally-sustainable industry and improved global food security. To see all the animated infographics and download the fact sheets, visit www.beefresearch.org/sustainability. 10 Where Food Comes From SPRING 2019



why verify? | PRODUCER PROFILE MICAH ZEFF MANAGING DIRECTOR MONTPELIER NUT COMPANY, DENAIR, CALIF. DESCRIBE MONTPELIER NUT full time with my dad and his business partner since 2005. COMPANY’S HISTORY AND CURRENT Montpelier Nut Company is a little OPERATIONS. different from many of the processors in the state. We’re on the smaller end of the We have an almond orchard medium-sized processors. So, basically everything that’s going through our management company. My grandfather facility is coming from an orchard that’s managed by our company. A lot of the and his business partner started larger handlers are taking in almonds from many different growers. developing almond orchards in the late SO, GIVE US AN IDEA OF HOW THE 1960s. My father and my grandfather’s ALMOND GROWING SEASON WORKS. partner’s sons started working under At our almond orchard management company, we handle all the tasks in the their fathers in the 1970s. In the 1980s, orchard ourselves. So, with almond trees you typically plant an orchard around the they started their own almond orchard first of the year. (Trees enter production between the third and fifth year after being business and started buying ranches. planted.) Then you get the orchards ready for bloom—sometime in late winter, early In 1996, they started Montpelier spring. The beekeepers are bringing the beehives into the orchards. We perform Nut Company. There’s an orchard some bloom sprays during bloom—an application of fertilizer and fungicides. We management work with our beekeepers to minimize the impact those sprays will have on the bees. side of the After bloom, it’s basically just irrigation and prepping the orchard for harvest. \"HAVING RESPECT FOR THE business and Harvest begins in early August and it’s a LAND AND OUR COMMUNITY there’s the mechanized process. A machine shakes processing the trees, the nuts fall to the ground, we sweep them into windrows and then a AND EMPLOYEES AND ABOUT side of the pickup machine picks the nuts up off the RESPONSIBLY MANAGING business. On orchard floor. We have a huller/sheller the processing that removes the hull and the shell from OUR NATURAL RESOURCES side of the AND MAKING SURE THIS business, we INDUSTRY IS PROFITABLE AND are producing natural, PEOPLE CAN CONTINUE TO brown-skinned GROW ALMONDS HERE IN almonds. We’re not blanching CALIFORNIA IN THE FUTURE.\" or slicing or doing any value-added steps to the product. That’s been our focus for a little over 20 years. I’m third generation, I started working out on the orchard as a kid—during harvest in the summers—and I’ve been back working 12 Where Food Comes From SPRING 2019

the kernel. Then they’re placed in bins and a third generation grower—and a large we receive them at our processing facility. percentage of the almond growers are After harvest, we do an irrigation, apply family farms that are owned and operated compost, then pruning and removing dead by third and fourth generation farmers— limbs and fallen trees from the orchards. for us, sustainability means earning a living and having an industry that our WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT children and grandchildren can also be THE SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS a part of. From a consumer perspective, THE ALMOND INDUSTRY IS they want to see growers producing a UNDERTAKING? product in a responsible manner that is respectful of natural resources, neighbors, The Almond Board of California has and the community where they operate. a program called the California Almond It’s about achieving a balance. To me, Sustainability Program. They worked it’s responsibility and respect. Having with Jeff Dlott at SureHarvest to set up the respect for the land and our community sustainability program with nine different and employees and about responsibly modules that cover all of the activities on managing our natural resources and the ranches. It gets into your irrigation making sure this industry is profitable and practices, your fertilizer practices, your people can continue to grow almonds here pest management practices, and it’s a in California in the future. tool that helps us tell our industry’s story about all of the things we’re already THE INDUSTRY HAS SOME PRETTY doing. It’s also a way to measure how SIGNIFICANT GOALS TOO, RIGHT? your company and your practices stand compared to other growers in the state. The Almond Board recently put out We use it as a tool to constantly improve their goals that we set for ourselves for and to think about all our activities, 2025. It talks about reducing the amount of what we’re doing right and what we can water we use by 20%, it’s about achieving improve on. zero waste in our orchards, putting everything to optimal use, reducing THE DEFINITION OF SUSTAINABILITY dust so we’re responsible neighbors, and HAS SURE CHANGED SINCE YOUR also responsibly managing pests in or GRANDFATHER STARTED YOUR orchards. Our industry has a commitment COMPANY, HASN’T IT? to sustainability and we’re challenging ourselves to meet these goals by 2025. It’s That’s absolutely right. It’s a word going to be an exciting time in our history that has many different meanings to see what kinds of new technologies and to different stakeholders and that practices allow us to meet these goals. definition is changing and evolving. I’m SPRING 2019 Where Food Comes From 13

why verify? | EXPORTS It’s a Small World How United States Agriculture Depends on Exports The importance of the export business for the sustainability of U.S. agriculture cannot be understated. World population and world economic base continues to grow, while the U.S. population is not expanding, meaning the export business becomes even more vital to the U.S. farmer and rancher. In a time of political grandstanding and international posturing, here’s a look at what’s really at stake when it comes to the export business for agriculture. HALF OF U.S. SOYBEANS GO ABROAD, WITH ¼ OF THEM GOING TO CHINA. Between 20% and 35% of 95% farm INCOME is based on exports. of the world’s THE UNITED consumers live STATES RUNS A OUTSIDE the United States. $15-$20 BILLION TRADE Over a 20 year period (1993- 2016) broiler export value SURPLUS IN THE quadrupled. AGRICULTURE SECTOR. 30 Beef export value doubled TOP UNITED STATES EXPORTED PRODUCTS IN BILLIONS 25 in the past 10 years. AGRICULTURE PRODUCTS 20 15 SOYBEAN CORN: 9.2 TREE BEEF PREPARED FRESH AND PORK WHEAT: 5.1 DAIRY POULTRY 10 PRODUCTS: BILLION NUTS: 7.6 AND BEEF FOOD: 6.1 PROCESSED AND PORK BILLION PRODUCTS: MEAT & 25.4 BILLION BILLION PRODUCTS: BILLION FRUIT: 6.1 PRODUCTS: 4.6 BILLION PRODUCTS: 5 6.1 BILLION 5.6 BILLION 0 BILLION (EXCLUDING 3.8 BEGILGLS)ION $129.7 BILLION is the total value of U.S. agriculture exports. 14

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why verify? | EMPLOYEE PROFILE JEFF DLOTT SUREHARVEST VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS AS THE FOUNDER OF SUREHARVEST, HOW DID YOU ENVISION THAT WHAT WAS YOUR BACKGROUND INFORMATION BEING VALUABLE? AND WHAT DID YOU SEE IN THE INDUSTRY THAT YOU THOUGHT YOU I thought this information would be COULD ADDRESS BY FOUNDING THIS valuable to farmers in terms of where they COMPANY? grow and how they grow. Way back then, the idea was to build a tool growers could I started my professional career in the use, but that information they could sell early 1990s as an agriculture scientist—a later. I realized that to sell that, you have researcher. I received my degree in to monetize that. The way I approached it entomology and worked in the Central back then was through a series of patent Valley of California: the fruit, nut and applications. I’m the lead inventor of 16 vegetable capital of the world. I worked on patents in the area of collecting farm data peaches, plums, and nectarines on organic and turning it into valuable information that farms looking for ways to control pests that would flow down the supply chain. were challenging to organic farmers: the proverbial worm in the peach. I worked with The idea is that farmers produce more some really terrific farmers in the early days than food: clean water, clean air, improved of organics. Very progressive and thoughtful diversity. There are all kinds of things folks. During that experience what I realized that farmers produce, but the only way to was that very little information—basic market that is to capture the data and turn it diagnostics—was being collected out in the into a currency. field. I had taken the approach of: how do you do an assessment of a field and what HOW HAS THE COMPANY GROWN IN are the measurements you want to take on a THIS MISSION? regular basis to judge the health and wellness of a field? Solving problems is so much Usually a farmer produces something, harder than preventing problems. There but the value gets lost in the supply chain. were very few electronic tools for collecting How does the carrot farmer get paid for data and even knowing what to collect was what they do that is special and unique? The lacking. I left academia to found SureHarvest way I still tackle that is through information in 1999, which is a software and services technology and systems. Fast forward to company farmers to collect and manage and today, for the last 20 years that has been our utilize this really broad set of information: core mission and vision. How do we help irrigation, fertility, quality metrics, yield farmers collect information that is valuable metrics, weather information. We asked and useful to them and then use that questions like, What were the measurables information that can create additional value farmers had access to and how do you pull in the supply chain? Now that’s certification all that together into an integrated software programs, we work on greenhouse gas system? Then, how do you produce that calculators, water footprint calculators, and information that farmers could actually use? sustainability. Part of that was defining what sustainability meant. For us, that’s data. Critical information, best practices and 16 Where Food Comes From SPRING 2019

metrics around “what matters.” The devil is the program and today it’s grown. They in that detail, but over time we’ve seen across use our software tools. More than 70% of all buyers and academia that people want to California wine has been certified under this know about water quality, they want to know sustainability certification. Value-wise, wine about soil health, they want to know about is one of the most valuable commodities. My preventing and sequestering greenhouse guess is the total wine industry is like $34 gasses, they want to know about biodiversity, billion and so the companies we represent depending on the crop there might be other sell over $20 billion. things, air quality for example. In almonds, we’ve worked with the THE DEFINITION OF SUSTAINABILITY Almond Board of California for 10 years SEEMS EVEN MORE BROAD THAN THAT, now, and they’ve increasingly invested in THOUGH, RIGHT? a sustainability program as part of their platform. I think this is critical because Then there’s the whole people side almonds offer a healthy, plant-based, of it: human resources, communities, dense protein. Now, we’re working very environmental resources, so we develop hard to make it as a sustainable product. and manage best practices around those We are working with the almond board and types of practices. At the very highest their growers and handlers to collect data on level, the ideas of people, planet and water efficiency, bee health and pollination, profit are the three pillars of sustainability. pest management, air quality, water quality People: workers, neighbors, do more good and other areas, so we can know the state of and create more good jobs. Profit: that all these practices in the almond industry. used to be a dirty word, but now there’s recognition that you have to make money That’s what SureHarvest does: We’re the doing this. Not just breakeven, but profit back end data guys. We do the collection so you can reinvest in new equipment and analysis, and are the independent and software or train your people. We’re party that says, yes you can say this, or much more vocal about that now than no, we’re not there in this other area. Our we used to be. Without profit, the rest customers trust us to give them science- is done. We’ve been able to work with based good advice so they can tell real and our clients to get them comfortable that authentic stories. that is an important part of the story. And of course, the planet. Our systems HOW DO YOU FIT UNDER THE WHERE \"OUR SYSTEMS COLLECT collect information around those areas. FOOD COMES FROM UMBRELLA? INFORMATION AROUND How much water do you use? How THOSE AREAS. HOW MUCH much energy do you use? What are your We were initially focused on farmers. WATER DO YOU USE? HOW practices for human resource? That has Over time, we got more and more involved MUCH ENERGY DO YOU been the translation of the ideas into the in the supply chain—like what Where USE? WHAT ARE YOUR programs around sustainability. Food Comes From does. Our board and PRACTICES FOR HUMAN investors knew that if we wanted to get RESOURCE? THAT HAS IN WHAT INDUSTRIES HAVE YOU to the next level, we had to work with a BEEN THE TRANSLATION FOUND YOUR BEST SUCCESSES? bigger company that had that experience. OF THE IDEAS INTO THE And our board and investors were farmers PROGRAMS AROUND Of the longest-running programs--with and felt we really needed to become part SUSTAINABILITY.\" longevity as a measure of commitment of something that was centered around from people to continue to invest time this area of where your food is grown. So, and money—is the whole Wisconsin it was really a natural fit. It has been a nice Potato and Vegetable Association. That mix. We’ve been increasingly working on was a formative start for SureHarvest projects together, one of which is a project and me professionally. There’s a group in with the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Wisconisn that have been on the leading Beef. That’s an example of the cross- edge of this—and have best practices— pollination. It’s science-based consensus since the 1990s. It’s relatively small in building. We’re doing some work with acreage and value, but a pioneer. American Grown Flowers to manage a sustainability audit called Bloom Check. The other two, which are much, much In the long-term world, we’re the back- bigger, are the California wine and almond end consensus builder on the science industries. The California Sustainable and system and then the audits and Winegrowing Alliance started a program in certifications is within the Where Food 2001 and contracted SureHarvest to design Comes From umbrella. SPRING 2019 Where Food Comes From 17

going deep | GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY Current statistics point toward an unsustainable future feeding the world. Here are the cold, hard facts for natural resources and human population on the planet. But there is plenty of hope, and throughout the rest of this issue, you’ll meet people doing their part to turn the tide toward a more sustainable future in agriculture. In the meantime, here’s state of the planet picture of worldwide food needs and the agricultural efforts to meet them. BIG PICTURE STATS Less 7.7 BILLION than people currently live 3% on planet Earth. of the world’s water is fresh (drinkable), of which 2.5% is frozen in the Antarctica, Arctic and glaciers. Humanity must therefore rely on 0.5% for all of man’s ecosystem’s and fresh water needs. More than 800 million people today remain “food 2 insecure,” which means they are periodically hungry. The state of hunger is serious or alarming in 52 BILLION countries. The worldwide level of hunger has fallen by 27% since 2000. people in the world are Each year, an estimated 1/3 of all food produced— overweight. equivalent to 1.3 billion tons worth around $1 trillion—ends up rotting in the bins of consumers and retailers, or spoiling due to poor transportation and harvesting practices. 18 Where Food Comes From SPRING 2019

Global agriculture has grown 2.5–3 times over the last 50 years. This has let food production keep pace with human population growth so that, overall, there are enough calories produced per capita. GLOBAL AG STATS Agricultural production may need to increase by an estimated ABOUT 12% 70% (4 MILLION ACRES) GLOBALLY BY 2050 of the world's land area is used for agriculture. in order to keep pace with population growth and shifting diets. Agriculture accounts for 70% of all water taken from aquifers, streams, rivers and lakes. SPRING 2019 Where Food Comes From 19

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ustainability is tricky—and not they consume. just to implement, but to define. Dlott takes this idea even a step further, “People From a 1946 Funk and Wagnall’s New Practical Dictionary, sustain expect change and improvement. It’s baked in. is defined as, “to maintain in Everything gets better, faster, cheaper. Your car, any condition by rendering aid or your computer, your phone, your hiking shoes. furnishing needed supplies; to keep up or That’s the world that consumers are in.” maintain; prolong.” Surely, that’s exactly what the original American Not only do consumers demand information, agriculturalist strived for in their endeavors. When they expect more and more for their money all westward expansion began, many in the east had the time. In the agricultural world, consumers are already enjoyed generations of farming success. demanding efficient use of natural resources (no Those coming West simply envisioned mimicking wasting water, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, what their forefathers had done before them. treating animals ethically) and treating people fairly And, by a traditional definition, any farm or ranch (no unfair labor practices to produce my food). that has been in business for more than a quarter century would probably be viewed by most as “This is hard for a lot of grower groups because sustainable. there’s an assumption that, ‘We’re not doing In recent years, though, the term sustainable anything wrong, so why do we have to improve?’” has become a buzzword in the agricultural Dlott says. community—and it’s meaning has expanded and morphed into something more than just staying in Dlott cites the technology sector as an example business. of how a company—or industry-wide—culture of improvement leads to their growth. people, planet, profit Jeff Dlott is the vice president of operations for SureHarvest, (see page 16). For more than nearly three decades, the company has been among the leaders in defining what sustainability is— especially in the vegetable, fruit, and nut markets in California—and develops software to help measure sustainability practices and promote them to consumers. Perhaps no one has thought more deeply or more practically about what sustainability means in the 21st century. “At the very highest level, the ideas of people, planet and profit are the three pillars of sustainability,” he says. From Dlott’s perspective, to be a sustainable farmer includes doing right by your neighbors, customers, employees, and even yourself; doing right by the natural resources you control, and making a worthwhile living while doing so. There’s no question that the American consumer has more access to information at their fingertips today than ever before in human history. That fact has led to a feeling among consumers that they have a right to all the information they desire about anything. From an actor’s entire life story to a business owner’s politics to the origins of the food 22 Where Food Comes From SPRING 2019

\"At the very highest level, the ideas of people, planet and profit are the three pillars of sustainability.\" -jeff dlott “Is an iPhone 9 going to be good when the iPhone industry that Dlott has worked with for years 10 comes out? No, it’s outdated, it’s old,” he says. might prove as the best example for a successful “You have to make the commitment. And, apparently, sustainability program. those companies that have an internal commitment to improvement are doing pretty well.” The Almond Board of California hired SureHarvest to help monitor its vital practices and help producers where’s this thing going? move to more sustainable model of farming. And it is working. While a full-blown sustainability conversion is not feasible for every producer, many are feeling “California is the largest ag state by far and more and more compelled to be on the leading edge almost 100% of the almonds grown in the U.S. are in of their commodity’s trends. Organic, natural, and California,” Dlott explains. “It is the most valuable sustainable food companies are posting the highest crop in California at $7 billion in farm gate value. growth metrics and being sought-after as new A quarter million acres in production, and that has purchases. doubled in size in the past 10 years.” “Fewer ingredients, more natural products, and Armed with both data and a story, the Almond of course, now the marketplace is demanding it,” Board of California has invested between $30-40 Dlott says of the new trends on the horizon. “All million each year working on market access in the traditional CPG (consumer packaged goods) Europe, Asia, and South America. What they’ve companies that produce food are tanking from a done—simply—is produce a product that anyone growth perspective. Go through the list and it’s not a can feel good about consuming. It’s healthy, its hard discussion to have anymore. Because big food is producers are not exploiting their workers as many in trouble, stock prices are down, leadership changes, other nuts produced abroad do, and its impact on and layoffs ripe; all this stuff that is indicative of an the environment is well-measured and constantly aging, non-innovative industry. Where are their new improving. products?” “If you want to build a new snack bar, you can SureHarvest’s history is in the fruit, nut and go with hazelnuts,” Dlott says as he lays out a vegetable sector of California—and the almond hypothetical scenario. “But they come from Turkey and there’s a high chance of child labor. If you’re a SPRING 2019 Where Food Comes From 23

\"One step company, do you want a story about child labor? are certain characteristics Dlott has noticed from at a time. No. How about cashews? They’re grown in India those who make it through the process. and there’s a lot of indentured servitude. Not People good. California almonds? What about those guys? “You feel like you can make the world a better who get California, the highest regulated state in the US, has place, but that’s coupled with deep pragmatism,” frustrated a sustainability program, they have data, we can go he says. “One step at a time. People who get don’t make talk to them, we can find all the stuff online. Boom! frustrated don’t make it. You need to be passionate It’s a no-brainer. It’s why almonds are the No. 1 about food and agriculture and have a respect for it\" introduced item in new snacks.” the day-to-day of what producers have to do. A lot -jeff dlott of folks get stuck on rocks instead of having a clear- Now, here’s the rub. Without all the work eyed persistence and the ability to be comfortable SureHarvest did for the almond industry, they with what is, but the optimism to ask how we can would still probably be the best, most sustainable make it better.” option. But consumers aren’t taking producer’s words for it anymore. Remember the joke from Once the desire to make a change exists, Dlott the Chris Farley movie, Tommy Boy when they outlines three conditions that must exist in order were discussing putting a guarantee label on their for the dream to become reality. First, there has product? Farley retorts that the label is unnecessary, to be an element of industry leadership toward using a colorful turn of phrase: “I can get a good a more sustainable model. Next, people need to look at a T-bone by sticking my head up a bull’s know it can be done—so there must be examples a**, but I’d rather take the butcher’s word for of producers making a sustainability program it.” Funny, but in today’s world, that attitude is work. Finally, producers must be willing to actually outdated. (The movie is 24 years old, by the way). document and measure what they’re doing to Now, people don’t want to take anybody’s word create baseline data to then improve upon. for it. They want to stick their head up there. They need data, not just a story. “We don’t work that much in corn, wheat, soybeans and we're just learning about cattle,” Dlott’s best example, again, comes from the almond Dlott says. “There’s real concern about people business. coming back to the farm. But you can have a pretty nice life if you’re a successful veg, fruit, or “The almond industry just got hammered over how nut grower. You can do well by doing that. There’s much water it took to grow a pound of almonds,” a lot of 20-somethings coming back and farming Dlott says. (Sound familiar, beef producers?) “We had and enjoying it. It’s profitable, it’s a product you data around what growers were doing that changed can believe in, and people can feel good about the conversation. They could change the conversation eating more of. Sustainability provides a bridge to to say California almond growers are doing these connect through the generations and gives them a things to help with water consumption. They would feeling they are part of the future.” say, ‘How do you know?’ We could answer that, have the statistics, a valid data set that is approved by the Indeed, time marches on. On dictionary.com, USDA. That transformed the discussion. What we do typing in the word, “sustainability” reveals an is a fraction of the cost of what a crisis management, entirely new definition from the one in the dusty, PR firm would be. We’re the best insurance you could printed dictionary. The result reads, \"the quality of possibly buy!” not being harmful to the environment or depleting natural resources, and thereby supporting long- how do i get there? term ecological balance.\" The idea of implementing a sustainability The culture has already changed what it means to program is always easier than the reality, but there be sustainable. The question is, which food producers will follow suit? 24 SPRING 2019

SureHarvest SPRING 2019 Where Food Comes From 25

something to chew on | AT HOME SMOKED ALMOND TRI-TIP Total Recipe Time: 30 minutes. Makes 6 servings. INGREDIENTS INSTRUCTIONS 1 ½ lbs tri-tip Trim tri-tip if needed. 3 cups smoked almonds (crushed) In a mixing bowl, mix, rosemary, fennel, seeds, bread Dijon mustard as needed ¼ cup rosemary (fresh, minced) crumbs, and almonds. Spread Dijon mustard over the tri- ¼ cup fennel seed (dried, ground) tip to cover. Sprinkle and pat the herb and almond mixture 2 cups bread crumbs (panko) on top of the mustard to coat. Season with salt & pepper. Salt and pepper as needed Roast in the oven at 350 for 20 min, until med rare 125 With a side of Green Beans: degrees internal. Let rest before cutting. 1 lb of green beans (haricot verts) trimmed 1 ½ Tbsp butter Trim green beans. Combine with 1 Tbs of water in ½ lemon, juiced a microwave safe bowl. Cover with a damp paper towel and microwave for 1 1/2 to 3 minutes depending on the thickness. Toss green beans with butter and a squeeze of lemon juice. Season to taste with salt. Slice thin cross ways. Serve with the side of green beans. PAIR WITH LANGETWINS 2017 ESTATE MOSCATO Aromas and flavors of fresh white peach, apricot and orange blossom are balanced by a little sparkle, giving the wine a light body and refreshing finish. It is a classic light Moscato with natural sweetness and crisp acidity. All LangeTwins products are Certified Lodi Rules for Sustainable Winegrowing. 26 Where Food Comes From SPRING 2019



something to chew on | POETRY WINNER IMI GLOBAL'S COWBOY POETRY CONTEST At the recent Cattle Industry Convention and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Trade Show, IMI Global sponsored the Cowboy Poetry Contest. The winner, Clyde Chess, is a rancher from Rush, Colo. His winning entry, “The School Marm” is below. 28 THE SCHOOL MARM Well, that ol’ spotted cow was anything but tame, But this is how it come about ol’ School Marm got her name. Bill and Glen unloaded them cows, and watched them down the chute. Then they unloaded baby calves; they was sorta cute. When they had all paired up, Uncle Bill throwed back the gate This ol’ spotted cow shot outa there like she was runnin’ late. Her baby calf was right beside her, his tail up o’er his back; They was driftin’ south like two buck deer, ‘cept they didn’t have a rack! They reached the neighbor’s fence and cleared it without breakin’ stride. Bill just looked at Glen and said “I believe I’ll sell that cow to Clyde.” Well the neighbor’s kid showed up on a shiny motor bike. He said “I’ll go get her and bring her back here if you’d like.” Bill shrugged his shoulders, and says “Guess you can if you want to.” “Then you boys stand back, right here is where I’ll bring her through” He revved her up, popped the clutch, he stuck the front wheel in the air “I’ll learn her a thing or two!” and roared outta there. He was squirtin’ dirt and blowin’ smoke, that bike could fairly scream. His back wheel was flippin’ back and forth like a fish swimming up a stream. He was gone in nuthin’ flat – that boy was carry’n the mail They could hear his horn a beepin’ like the Roadrunner with Coyote on his tail They couldn’t see the commotion, but they could hear the motor cry, It was deathly silent, when they heard the motor die. There was nary a sound as Glen just looked at Bill Two ol’ hands was mighty curious what had happened o’er the hill? The motor screamed back to life! The noise loud and shrill! The neighbor’s kid was sorta pale when he popped back o’er the hill “She charged me!” he said with eyes opened wide “and sent my shiny motor bike a sprawlin’ on it’s side! Don’t worry about that cow; you can get her after bit – She’s over yonder hill with a K 2 Bar on her hip. Now, momma’s cooking supper, I don’t want to be late – And when you fellers leave, would you mind to shut the gate.” Then he revved up again, and he just vanished among the dust and din Well, Bill just sorta smiled and made this remark to Glen “I reckon that kid was right about learnin’ a thing or two, He was just mixed up about who would be teachin’ who!” The ol’ spotted cow was never known for bein’ exactly tame, But that’s just the way it happened the day ol’ School Marm got her name! Next day, Bill brought a horse to see if she had settled down just yet – They brought ol’ School Marm home and never broke a sweat. Bill sold that cow to Clyde, I kept her several years I still have her offspring, they’re still a raisin’ steers I sure liked that cow, though she wasn’t very tame And I have to chuckle as I recollect how School Marm got her name! Where Food Comes From SPRING 2019



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