Amaranth: Food or Fiend?

As usual, I spent a portion of my day grocery shopping. I have become more intrigued by different products being marketed that people are eating, so I now will walk more isles to see what options are out there. Today, I had to stop dead in my tracks while in the organic section. I don't usually buy organic because

1) I know how it is produced and don't typically care about the difference

2) Am not into the whole "surplus marketing" thing 

3) What I eat is just as healthy anyways.

But, nonetheless, I wanted to see what was on the shelves. One product I found today gave me a little surprise. Within the grain and cereals section, there sat some bags of Amaranth.

Think like an economist

This weekend, I had another meeting in Kansas City for AFA. This trip focused on conference prep, but as always, personal develop. With that, we conducted a lunch visit with UMB Bank. I have become more adapt to reading the financial articles on LinkedIn and the occasional Wall Street Journal. But when talking with businessmen and futuristic economists like Peter DeSilva and Mike Hagedorn, they brought in a whole new perspective about the agriculture industry.

AFA Student Advisory Team at UMB Bank.

Sometimes, you need to think like an economist. That is why many farmers are doing to be profitable and successful business people. Today, many farmers are specialized. One example is my father. Nearly 10 years ago, my dad transitioned from conventional to organic farming of his corn, wheat, soybean and hay crops. For reference, my dad has been farming since the age of 15 and attained personal acreage at age 18. In his mid-50s, this was quite a change from the usual farming routine he had for over half of his career.

Meeting market needs 7,000 acres at a time

Don is showing us an onion he pulled out of the field.

Many consumers underestimate the demands that agriculturalists meet on a daily basis. It isn't just a matter of making the highest dollar.

Farmers and ranchers must meet the market needs while providing the best care for their crops and animals. They typically choose between production methods like organic or inorganic, conventionally stalled or free range and other variations. However, one farmer in Helm, Calif. isn't just picking one way to grow his crops. He has chosen to follow the market demands when planting his 7,000 acres.

These are some grapes used in making Gallo wine.

Don Cameron is the general manager at Terranova Ranch, Inc. This ranch is run with 75 employees and 150 laborers to gross $20 million a year. That is not accomplished by pure size. Don is savvy about agricultural production. He doesn't just know how to grow crops, but he has the brains of a businessman when selecting his markets.

Helm is within the San Joaquin Valley -- dry, arid lands with little water to be found. On average, California receives 7 inches of rain per year. That is a tough opponent for any farmer! However, because of irrigation practices, the state is powerful in agricultural production.