We often hear how people have an emotional and passionate relationship with their food. And, they should.  Food brings us together with our families and our friends, it evokes fond memories of flavors and aromas and helps us honor our cultures and remember our heritage.

However, it is important to remember that the people who are growing and nurturing these crops are also passionate, proud and emotional about the food they grow.

Farming is hard work, it can be frustrating and sometimes devastating, it is unpredictable and it is constantly being critiqued by others.  But it is also motivating.  Seeing the first bloom on fruit trees, watching vineyards emerge from dormancy, seeing newly planted seedlings sprout.

And, it is rewarding.  Watching the harvest, walking into a store and observing a mom with her kids buying your products, knowing that your produce is being shared and enjoyed by families across the country.  This is why farmers keep farming despite the constant challenges.

The determination of farmers is why those of us who have chosen to work for them and on their behalf are also passionate, proud and, yes, emotional about what we do.  I’m a citrus farmer’s daughter. I grew up playing and working on that farm.  There is nothing better than smelling orange blossoms at night, walking out and eating an orange right off the tree or listening to farmers talk and share their troubles and ideas.  Those childhood experiences are why I proudly and passionately represent farmers of fruits and vegetables.

Today I still live in an agricultural community and I’m privileged to engage with farmers constantly.  I see firsthand the care and commitment of farmers and farm workers to grow a safe and affordable supply of fruits and vegetables.  And, I get emotional, and sometimes angry, when I think of how certain groups actively and inaccurately disparage this work.  Or when I hear consumers express fears about the safety of produce because this misinformation has caused misplaced concerns about residues.

This is our motivation at the Alliance for Food and Farming – to help provide information about farmers and farming in order to reassure consumers about their choices.  We support consumer choice by encouraging them to buy organic and conventional produce with confidence – both are safe and eating more is always the right choice.  After all, fruit and vegetable farmers are growing the only foods that health experts everywhere agree we should eat more of every day.

This year, many farmers suffered devastating crop losses due to severe freezing weather.  Thinking about the past losses sustained by my own family due to freezing weather, my heart went out to those farmers, their families and their employees.  But, I know those farmers won’t give up unless absolutely forced to.  They will overcome the damage and return to growing the fruits and vegetables we all enjoy and love.

And, that level of dedication increases our motivation to keep working passionately on behalf of farmers to share their commitment to produce healthy foods, the impressive safety record of fruits and vegetables and the science based production practices used by farmers today.

Teresa Thorne, AFF Executive Director