Agricultural News
Iowa Farmer, Justin Jordan says Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are the Right Pair to Lead Rural America to Sustainability and Prosperity.
Wed, 12 Aug 2020 15:16:44 CDT
Justin Jordan, an Iowan Farmer, Pens an Op-Ed in Support of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris Plans for Rural Communities. He Writes in the Des Moines Register;
"I spoke with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris before the caucuses. They're the right pair to lead rural America to sustainability and prosperity.
I join a growing number of farmers and rural Iowans who support the Joe Biden/Kamala Harris ticket because we share their vision for the kind of agricultural leadership rural Americans can provide.
I descend from a long line of Iowa farmers. Following in their footsteps, I started my own farm right out of high school. Like many Midwestern commodity farmers, I also have an off-farm job and have been slowly building my farm since I purchased a piece of land in 2000.
Initially, I farmed the way the previous generations had taught me. Then I realized a need to improve on these farming practices. Year after year, devastating rain events were washing away soil and vital nutrients off my farm. I began implementing changes to protect my soil, while making my farm more economically and environmentally sustainable. I employed conservation practices such as cover crops, no-till farming, and prairie restoration. I enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program to rest and build up the soil and to create a habitat for pollinators and local wildlife. I came to view the soil as a living organism rather than just a medium to plant seeds and increase my profits.
I had the privilege to spend the afternoon with Vice President Biden and his wife, Jill, at my neighbor's farm in November. I shared my insights into how my farm can assist in climate change solutions. Biden genuinely listened to what I had to say. He understands that climate change is creating many challenges for our country and the world. He will provide the compassionate leadership this country needs to advance solutions to climate change.
I was also honored to join in a roundtable discussion on agricultural issues with Sen. Kamala Harris last August. She asked great questions about how to empower families like mine to innovate and lead on our farms. She, too, promotes agriculture as part of the solution to climate change and included farmers in her powerful climate plan for the people during her Iowa caucus campaign.
Now both Biden and Harris are advancing the Build Back Better plan which includes investing in farmers, ranchers, and rural Americans to help solve the climate crisis. I'm confident that their leadership will create new opportunities for my farm to be more sustainable and successful.
The shift from simply maximizing annual yields to a long-term sustainability approach has been valuable. In time, my soil benefited from better water retention, a reduction in erosion, and an increase in organic matter. Healthier soils also led to greater crop yields. I have witnessed firsthand how, when given the opportunity, nature can heal herself, but I had to first address the damage I was doing and then innovate solutions to improve my farm.
The same can be said concerning the home we all share: Planet Earth. Climate change is harming our planet. As Iowa farmers, we can play an important and unique role in finding and implementing solutions to the climate crisis. Finding a leader who will unite us in the campaign against climate change is paramount. As a nation we stand on the cusp of a pivotal election. I believe this Democratic presidential ticket provides the leadership we need right now for rural America.
When I vote for Biden and Harris, I'm voting for my family to securely continue our long lineage as family farmers. I'm voting for my community to become economically stronger. And, I'm voting for farmers, ranchers and other rural Americans to lead this country in solving the world's biggest problems. Biden and Harris have a vision for rural America that I'm proud to embrace."
Justin Jordan is a central Iowa farmer.
(pic is of Justin Jordan with his family and Democratic Vice Presidential Candidate, Kamala Harris courtesy of special to the register)
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