Features Agriculture

The dual challenges of climate change and a growing global population profoundly impact every aspect of life on Earth, shaping the future in unprecedented ways. To alter the current trajectory, urgent and efficient action is paramount. Agriculture stands at a pivotal juncture – after all, few industries are as dependent on natural resources and as […]

To Joe Miller, it’s not an issue of whether the chicken or egg comes first. It’s an issue of ensuring that Rose Acre Farms of Seymour, Indiana, produces eggs and egg products, such as tortilla shells, humanely and sustainably. Miller is the first general counsel Rose Acre Farms has had. Last featured in Vanguard in […]

“If an orange doesn’t say Sunkist, you don’t know what you’ve got.” So said a long-ago TV commercial that made everyone’s favorite type of citrus synonymous with the California-based agricultural cooperative. While that hook was something of an exaggeration—a baby dinosaur emerging from what a child mistook for a non-Sunkist orange—there’s still much to set […]

Why is that scarecrow taking pictures of the soybean crop? Well, maybe it’s not a scarecrow. But why’s that robot taking pictures of the soybean crop? Provided by Google as part of its presence at the Landus Cooperative Innovation Center, the robot, nicknamed “GROWver” is just one of the technologies Steve Nielsen’s team is showcasing […]

For Anderson Chang, making an impact is what he’s devoted his professional career to. It’s a lofty goal, he says, but whether working on a campaign to reelect a progressive governor or supporting a company trying to make farming more profitable, efficient and sustainable, Chang is passionate about helping the planet. “If we can get […]

Perhaps the last thing Ana Torreblanca expected during the COVID-19 pandemic was to find a renewed sense of spirituality, but that’s exactly what this Mexico City native discovered in those emerging quiet spaces that crept into her life amidst the chaos inflicted on society and business. Forced to work remotely during the pandemic as a […]

Turns out, when it comes to spearheading a long-overdue societal change, persistency and passion are necessary—if by no means sufficient. Ryan Hurley has been fighting the good fight for well over a decade, trying to relax Arizona’s still-stringent marijuana laws so that recreational possession and use—with regulation and taxation—can be as legal there as in […]

Mike Traxinger’s world went whizzing by him at the age of 13. Sliding across the 4-H showgrounds on his belly, he had a mouthful of dirt and was desperately clinging on to other end of the rope around his prized heifer as she dragged him back to the barn. The moral of the story, of […]

Behind every small, sweet, perfect cherry tomato on a plate is a human story. A person supporting a family played a role in that plant’s development—whether it was carefully planting a seed, watering a vine or handpicking the perfected fruit. At least that’s how Skip Hulett, the first vice president and general counsel of NatureSweet, […]

The first trip was to Thailand where she met with the Asia Pacific team to ensure a smooth transition for the company’s upcoming acquisition. A few weeks later, she was in Sao Paulo, this time to help build a similar plan for the company’s Latin American operations. Not long after that, it was on to […]