Aug. 11 — Lima — Lt. John Husted of Ohio made three stops in the area on Wednesday to learn about new educational opportunities, business techniques and agribusiness concerns.
First, Husted stopped by Rhodes State College to learn a little more about the agricultural technology program starting August 22nd. Her final destination was Cooper Farms, north of Van Wert, where she heard members of her agribusiness community share their views on current and future trends.
Rhodes State University introduced Husted to a new agribusiness program the university is offering for the first time, and 22 students enrolled in the class in the fall.
“Technology creates productivity, creates opportunities for science to be integrated into agricultural and food processing practices, reduces costs, delivers affordable food to consumers, and is highly environmentally sustainable. You can do it in a way,” Husted said. “What we are trying to do in this state is to integrate innovation and talent into core industries, including agriculture, to improve the quality of life for all.”
The message shared was that the farmers of the future must be able to use technology and analyze data to farm more efficiently. Agricultural workforce will increase significantly as data experts will be required to interpret the data.
“When I was born, more than six percent of us were in agriculture,” said Duane Stateler, owner of Macomb-based Stateler Family Farms, in Rhodes. “Today, it is less than 1%. The only way to keep up with everything will be to rely on advancing technology.”
Husted’s second stop was Hydrofresh in Delphos. It was there that Husted saw the new technology at work. Hydrofresh uses high pressure processing. High-pressure pasteurization uses cold water and water pressures up to 87,000 PSI to remove potential food and beverage spoilage pathogens, such as E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria, without the use of chemical preservatives. process. Unlike heat pasteurization, which destroys nutrients and can alter a product’s flavor profile, autoclaving extends shelf life while ensuring quality, taste and texture.
After a short tour, Husted next met with members of the agribusiness community at Cooper Farm, north of Van Wert. During the meeting, Husted learned that one of the problems facing farmers was his lack of CDL drivers. The new regulations affect family farm members aged 18 to 21, restricting where grain can be transported. Husted asked for more information so that we could gather more information about the issue.
There were also concerns about the future fossil fuel deprecation suggested by the Biden administration. Husted commented on future energy issues and climate change.
“Therefore, the transition to low-carbon forms of energy will require a responsible, rational and rational approach over time,” he said. “But we can do it. It takes time. And it doesn’t have to be an adversarial approach. There are many ways we can change our environmental impact for the better.” It’s devastating to the economics of what we’re doing.”
Please contact Dean Brown at 567-242-0409.
Comments
Post a Comment