June 4, 2015
Have you ever been on a long drive staring out the window, thinking “I wonder what it was like for the first settlers to visit this spot?” Growing up in California’s Central Valley, I come across this thought every time I see an old farm with its tired oak trees speckled over unleveled land. And while this thought would take most people on a journey of nostalgia for how it “once was in agriculture,” it reminds me how thrilled I am to be a young professional engaged in today’s food and agricultural sector.
Agriculture in the U.S., and the technology to support it, has come a long way since the first European settlers arrived. In fact, I believe food and agriculture is in a time of great discovery. Not necessarily the type where “never seen before” inventions are arising per se, but where technology, people, processes, and resources are being connected in ways that were previously uncommon, unnatural, or seen as impossible. I was able to see this first hand on a recent tour of the Bayer CropScience facility in West Sacramento, California, where a growing team of scientists are working to connect naturally-occurring biological microbes to solve some of agriculture’s largest weed, pest, and food security threats. Learning more about this space of biologics validates my excitement for the future of agriculture and its ability to tackle the grand challenges of future generations.
Edward Silva visits the Bayer CropScience facility in West Sacramento, California on May 21, 2015
Not only is the access to these resources becoming more democratized, the platform for people to engage, connect, and build around these ideas is becoming a core need for sustainable progress to happen. Therefore, I am incredibly excited to participate, learn, and connect through the Bayer Youth Ag Summit and the platform it provides.
Follow me on Twitter at @hellohenlight and stay connected to the #youthagsummit conversation by following Bayer CropScience on Twitter, tumblr, and Instagram!
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