Rising to the Challenge.

Agriculture has changed drastically from its beginnings with hunter-gatherers to what many call industrialized agriculture today. Agriculture became a leading industry and continues to advance through a desire to feed a growing population, become a self-sufficient society and support continued economic growth. The land grant university system continues to be an integral part of this success, which has led to a continued decrease in the inputs required to produce an edible product, and thus a continued evolution of our food system. As a result our rural population has significantly decreased, leading to a growing urban population that relies on the agriculture industry to meet its every day needs for sustenance, clothing and shelter. This transformation has led some to question its effect on the health of our society and the ecosystem in which we live. The primary challenge for agriculture and land grant universities is to reconnect with their communities through the tripartite mission of teaching, research and education and begin to better understand the issues in our food system and develop solutions. Forming partnerships, understanding and defining the issues and developing achievable goals are paramount to the continued evolution of the agriculture industry, the land grant university and the health of society and the ecosystem. As a university public garden we have the opportunity to help establish and guide these partnerships to foster the discussion of issues like GMOs, preservation of germplasm, inorganic and organic fertilizers, soil ecology, pesticides, precision agriculture, urban agriculture, food and nutrition, public health, sustainability, agro-ecology and climate change.