'America Needs Farmers' sends message
By Jean Caspers-Simmet
simmet@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 12/15/2011 10:52 AM
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IOWA FALLS, Iowa — Franklin County farmer Larry Sailer was living what University of Iowa football coach Hayden Fry was trying to draw attention to when he created "America Needs Farmers."
It was the throes of the 1980s-era farm crisis and Sailer and many farmers were struggling to hang on.
Fast forward to 2011. Sailer is still farming. Through hard work he regained some of what he lost in the 1980s, but today he said he feels the stress of regulations and public opinion tugging at him as he tries to grow crops and raise livestock.
He is pleased that the Farm Bureau Federation is collaborating with the Hawkeyes on efforts to help consumers understand the challenges and opportunities farmers embrace. Fry's initiative during the farm crisis is embraced today by the Hawkeyes football coach Kirk Ferentz.
"Anything you can do to start a conversation with consumers about food and agriculture is good," said Sailer. "We want to know what questions they have about what we do and why we do it. And in a high profile event, like an Iowa Hawkeye football game, it's literally a new way to show them this whole new playing field of modern agriculture."
"What Hayden said is as true today as it was 26 years ago: Iowa and America does need its farmers," said Ferentz at a press conference the America Needs Farmers partnership held in August. "It's impressive that we lead the nation in growing more corn, soybeans, ethanol, hogs...it's important to keep that going. Agriculture is a part of the fabric of who we are as Iowans."
As part of the ANF partnership between the Farm Bureau and the University of Iowa Athletics Department, the Oct. 15 football game at Kinnick Stadium between the Hawkeyes and the Northwestern Wildcats was designated ANF Day. The game featured a host of activities celebrating why America Needs Farmers, including a pre-game autograph session with former Hawkeye stars Jared DeVries, Tim Dwight, Marv Cook, Ed Podolak and Gary Dolphin.
The organizations jointly donated $20,000 to the Iowa Food Bank Association in recognition of the America Needs Farmers and Farm Strong initiatives.
Fry knew the farm crisis touched many of his players and most of the fans in the 1980s. He was rebuilding the Hawkeye football legacy and wanted to show the nation that the strength of his team could also be measured in its character. He put an America Needs Farmers decal on the helmets.
Fry introduced America Needs Farmers when his No. 1 ranked 1985 football team traveled to Ohio State for a nationally televised game against the Buckeyes. Iowa took the field with a yellow circle with the letters "ANF" affixed to the right side of their helmets, immediately above the Tigerhawk logo. It was a topic of local, regional and national conversation the remainder of the season, a year that e brought the Hawkeyes to Pasadena, Calif., as the Big Ten Conference's representative in the Rose Bowl.