Growing up on a farm that raised primarily beef, dairy, and hogs, Thanksgiving was the special holiday when we went to a local farm and purchased a turkey (this was in the days before pardoning turkeys came into vogue). Our entire extended family would gather, and as I look back on it with older eyes, feeding a baker’s dozen of relatives a nearly endless array of side dishes and a massive turkey that barely fit into that small farmhouse kitchen must surely have been a trial for my mother, who didn’t drink, in the days before anti-anxiety medication was widely available. But it always seemed to work. My memories are playing football with my cousins (more interesting than watching the Lions beat our Bears…again), eating the feast, doing chores, repeating the feast, and somehow waking up in bed the next morning. It was, I’ll admit, a pretty magical way to grow up, and it’s one of the things I am always thankful for as this season rolls around.
And as we enter this season of giving thanks, it’s also a good time to pivot from memories and to think about the future of the food on our tables. The abundance we celebrate on November 23 (and with leftovers for days after), comes from the hard labor of farmers and producers and the land that supports them. And even as we grapple with a changing climate and fewer resources, those same farmers and producers will be working to feed close to 10 billion people around the world by the year 2050. In the U.S., this is done with 1/2 a million fewer farms and 1.5 million fewer farmed acres than was the case four decades ago.
To prepare for that future will require more than gratitude. Among the most important tools we have in preparing for this challenge are the dreams and aspirations of young people, and it’s imperative that we invest in those dreams through education and opportunities beyond what we have done to date. We need more scientists, researchers, and farmers – whether they come from Alberta, Chihuahua, or the San Luis Valley – who can help to solve the big problems we face in agriculture and foster a new generation of collaboration across institutions, industries, and international borders.
The North American Agricultural Advisory Network (NAAAN) was formed precisely for this reason in 2019 – with the leadership of the top agricultural officials from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The Colorado State University System hosts the NAAAN Secretariat in Denver, as a reflection of our Land Grant mission and commitment to educating the next generation of leaders in agriculture.
The reasons for creating the NAAAN are evident. In 2022 alone, agricultural trade involving the United States and Mexico surpassed $73 billion, and trade with Canada was almost as high, reaching just under $70 billion. Trade between Canada and Mexico, meanwhile, exceeded $5 billion. These numbers speak to the financial impact of collaboration in North America. Underlying these figures are the stories and experiences of countless people who make our food systems function. The NAAAN is working to highlight, connect, and promote this work across Canada, Mexico, and the United States through networking, learning, knowledge sharing, and advocacy for agricultural education, extension programs, and service providers.
The NAAAN’s work also feeds into a global conversation about extension and rural advisory services through a web of international networks. In October, the NAAAN hosted the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS) Annual Meeting here in Denver to share the stories of the farmers, producers, extension workers, rural advisory service providers, and others making an impact today – and to talk about what it looks like to build a foundation of food security across North America and worldwide. This landmark meeting, held for the first time in the U.S., brought together nearly 200 participants from more than 40 different countries and Native American Tribes. The CEOs of 4-H and Future Farmers of America were there. The group toured six farms in Colorado, and one participant noted in amazement that one of those farms was larger than her entire country…a stark illustration of the enormous role that Colorado and U.S. agriculture can play in leading the future of global food security.
What came out of that intensive three-day meeting was a commitment to building new pathways for international cooperation and engagement – and for educating and preparing the workforce that will carry on the fight to feed our planet. NAAAN itself will be launching country hubs across North America to build on existing work, research, and relationships.
But ultimately, it’s not the meetings that matter. We celebrate abundance while acknowledging food insecurity, turning that juxtaposition into action via the variety of food drives and meals that also punctuate the season. That reminds us of the continued and unwavering recognition that we are stronger in partnership than separately, that the issue of food insecurity transcends plenty – and borders – and that we are united in our conviction that everyone born on this planet deserves access to a safe and reliable food supply. All of that is reason to feel thankful as we celebrate together this November. That, and the fact that the Bears don’t get to demonstrate their ability to the entire nation this year.
Happy Thanksgiving! – tony
Tony Frank, Chancellor
CSU System
This message was included in Chancellor Frank’s November newsletter. Click here to subscribe to the Chancellor’s monthly letter.