I’ll take the opportunity to post a photo of my main man, Pope Benedict XVI anytime. Thanks to Terry Wanzek who grows corn, soybeans, and wheat on his family farm in North Dakota and serves as a North Dakota Senator and board member of Truth About Trade & Technology, for a great letter.
In it he mentions that the Pontifical Academy of Sciences has given it’s blessing to genetically modified crops as one solution to world hunger. Here’s the first two statutes of the Academy:
The Pontifical Academy of Sciences, founded by Pius XI of hallowed memory, is placed under the exalted and direct protection of the reigning Supreme Pontiff.
The aim of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences is to promote the progress of the mathematical, physical and natural sciences and the study of epistemological problems related thereto.
Here are a couple of excerpts from Terry’s letter:
There are some people around the world who think religion and science shouldn’t get along. For some reason, they believe the men of the cloth should disagree with the men of the lab coat, now and forever.
They’ll be disappointed to learn that the Pontifical Academy of Sciences–an arm of the Vatican–has given its blessing to genetically modified crops. At a conference last month in Rome, it praised GM food for holding “a great potential to improve the lives of the poor.”
This is a welcome marriage of religion and science–two powerful forces joining for the good of all.
Farming is my profession. But it’s more than a job–it’s a vocation. The Catholic Church teaches us to show benevolence toward the poor, and to feed them when they are hungry. One of the best ways I can realize this goal is to grow as much food as possible and to make it available at the most reasonable prices. I believe it is important that all farmers, especially the resource-poor smallholders, have the right to choose the best technology available, including biotechnology when appropriate, to improve their hope of producing more food for themselves.
Are GM foods dangerous, as so many Europeans have been told? “No substantiated environmental or health risks have been noted,” says the academy. “Opposition to biotechnology in agriculture is usually ideological.”
I’m also glad to see that science and religion can agree and even in the face of extreme emotionalism with a political agenda.
It seems like more and more companies, organizations and individuals are taking the initiative to help educate our young people today about where their food comes from. Alpharma has joined the effort with it’s new 
If you won’t be attending this year’s Ag Media Summit you can still meet the AAEA intern online. She’s Leah Bigham and 
Since it’s grilling time (as if it is ever not grilling time), I want to make sure you know about 
This year’s 
This was my scene for a while this afternoon. A group of my neighbors and I bought Trimble Lake and have cleaned it, stocked it and cut a trail around it. Actually, they did all the work so far. It’s not a big lake but big enough to fish on and enjoy the scenery.
AgWired readers may remember Laura McNamara, freelance photojournalist who wrote for us and covered a number of events.