AgWired

It is a beautiful day in mid-Missouri. Sometimes you just have to stop and smell the roses. Or in today’s case, the wild onion. I took time to do a midday run on the Katy Trail and this guy was getting his soybeans harvested. There was a lot of wild onion around the edges and when he cut through it you could smell it quite a ways. I love that smell too!

The picture is from my mobile phone. Not bad, eh? Anyway, it’s the kind of a beautiful fall day that makes you glad to be alive and thankful for all you have. At least that’s my feeling today. I hope it is with you too!

World Food Day will be celebrated October 16. The big ceremonies will take place at FAO headquarters in Rome. I got to observe them a few years ago and it’s a very interesting event as they bring in people from so many countries. They have to have good interpreters so you can listen to all the speeches. It all seems to work though.

More than 150 countries around the world will observe the day with special events, seminars, conferences, contests and media campaigns. World Food Day is celebrated every year on October 16 to mark the anniversary of the founding of FAO in 1945. The World Food Day theme this year, “Agriculture and intercultural dialogue”, recalls the contribution of different cultures to world agriculture. Civilization is founded on agriculture. Throughout history, the intercultural movement of crops and livestock breeds revolutionized diets, improved nutrition and reduced poverty.

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While we’re still seeking ways to help hurricane Katrina victims here in the United States there’s also tremendous need for the victims of the Pakistan earthquake. I don’t know if you’ve seen much coverage of this tragedy but it’s immense.

The Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has just issued a call for $7 million to help farm families in the region.

FAO has launched an appeal for $7 million to help farm families affected by the earthquake in northern Pakistan resume their agricultural activities over the next six months. Following the immediate rescue and relief activities and as soon as conditions permit, FAO will field assessment missions to determine the impact of the earthquake on agriculture and to work with the Government to prepare a plan for reconstruction of the agriculture sector, the U.N. agency said.

There are a number of organizations who are accepting donations for relief efforts for earthquake victims. Please keep them in mind as you consider your charitable giving this fall. If you’re unsure of where you can provide help I recommend a Google search and you’ll find lots of choices.

Update to this post:
It was just brought to my attention by the folks at U. S. Wheat Associates that there is a very good web resource that provides links to many organizations that are responding to this disaster. It’s called Network For Good.