Agriculture

I grew up in a suburban neighborhood in Maryland. The closest farm was about a 3 minute drive from my house, and only consisted of a single field, where they usually grew corn, selling it at a much lower price (and with better quality!) than the grocery store. There was another farm about 5 minutes from it, which has grown into an important source of fresh, local foods for the area. It sells its produce to local restaurants and to anyone who stops by. When I think of agriculture, this farm, Gorman Farm (pictured at left), is what I think of. It is family owned and operated, and strives to produce and distribute quality, organic food. It's a wonderful place to interact with the community, and activities such as pick-your-own-strawberries and school tours of the facility help to bring the community together. While I'm sure many don't think of agriculture this way, this particular farm helps me to see agriculture as something that nourishes not just people, but a community, helping it to strengthen and grow. Agriculture, in this way, can easily become a central part of peoples' lives, and I'm very interested to learn on Monday how advertising can aid in this!