Want to go back to the days of farming 40 acres with a mule or horse? I doubt it but there some who think that would be a good thing. That's Okay if they want to spend those long, back breaking hours digging out a subsistence kind of living. But let's don't try to put everyone in that mold.

We have at least two kinds of food production in this country and around the world. There are the traditional or conventional farmers and the organic growers. Differences in the systems are considerable but there is a place for both of them in our country.

Conventional and organic farmers should be able to live side by side and work with each other. There is interest in both kinds of farming. If folks are more comfortable with organics and want to pay the added price for their food, that's certainly their privilege. At the same time, the conventional farmers produce most of our quality food and it is just as good and safe as organics at a lower price.

So it is a matter of choice and both systems have their place in our society. But a problem comes up when there are those that want to make their farming practices a "cause" at the expense of others. When one group says the food produced by the other is not good or safe, then both groups suffer.

Given the number of anti-food groups and individuals calling themselves experts, all of agriculture needs to be together. To say that our food is laced with chemicals, hormones and harmful bacteria is counter productive and just plain not true.

Back in 1931 the average corn yield in the U.S. was about 25 bushel on an acre. Last year it was 160 bushels. This was done with high-yielding hybrids, along with other technology and innovative farmers. This has allowed us to feed a lot of hungry people and still allow the growth of organics for those who want and can afford those foods.

It is unfortunate that a vocal few don't want us to use pesticides on our farms. All pesticides that are used have gone through extensive testing to be sure they are safe at the recommended rates. This testing has taken years and costs millions of dollars before getting federal government approval.

We also need to remember that even if no pesticides are used, our crops still have some chemicals on or in them. These can come from the air, the ground and naturally from the plant. So no food is actually "chemical free" but are and have been safe for thousands of years.

Use of biotechnology developed seeds that provide crops with a built in resistance to insects and diseases has reduced the use of pesticides dramatically on farms. But some groups believe there is something "evil" about these seeds. They base their ideas on emotion rather that facts.

So when we put this all together, we recognize that 40 acres and a mule just won't feed us. In this country of ours, there is a place for the traditional family farm and for the organic farms. For one to be negative about the other is not a good idea. We don't promote our agriculture by being negative. We do it by being positive about all of agriculture.

Looking at both conventional and organic agriculture together broadens our understanding of all of agriculture. We need to understand and respect each other. Sometimes that is hard to do when we see negative information coming out about conventional farming.