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On Your Table Blog

October 3, 2018

What Wall Street can learn from a farmer

Lessons and values

What Wall Street can learn from a farmer
photo courtesy lchigo121212 on Pixabay

by USFRA CEO Erin Fitzgerald

In my day to day world, my average day consists of fluorescent lights and the steady 70-degree weather of a perfectly controlled climate. But recently, I had the opportunity to visit the “offices” of two South Dakota farmers. I scouted their crops, fed the animals in the barns and checked out the newest technology available in tractors. I love getting out of the office, getting my boots a little dirty and learning from our farmers.

For many of us, our jobs are primarily indoors and it’s not often that we have a chance to explore and engage with mother nature. As I write, I am on a flight to New York City to attend the Wall Street Journal Global Food Forum, which convenes leaders in the food industry to explore key risks and opportunities shaping the global business of food. Yet I am struck by the juxtaposition of these seemingly different worlds – Wall Street and farming. After all, what could Wall Street learn from today’s farmers and ranchers?

In one word: Stewardship.

Read the rest of Erin's post on the Food Dialogues blog