The lack of understanding about American agriculture, the foundation of the food system, begins around most dinner tables—including my own. I recently asked one of my sons, “How many dairy farmers do you think there are in this country? How many corn, beans and wheat growers?”

“Ten million,” was his swift answer. The correct answer is 24,000 dairy farmers and 400,000 growers. And according to our internal estimates these figures will soon fall to just 21,000 and 300,000, respectively.

In total, we have only 28% of the farms we had 90 years ago.

This summer, I’ve been spending time out on farms across the country. And as they step toward the harvest season, I celebrate their joy and anticipation of seeing the rewards of their hard work. But this year, I also heard concern—a somber, but r

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