Let’s Talk About the Ag on Your PlateAre farm businesses owned by corporations?
Have you ever seen one of the hybrid signs next to a corn or soybean field? The “Agrigold” sign in the picture almost makes it look like Agrigold owns the field. Agrigold is an 80-year old company that concentrates on seed research, which begs the question of why a company owns a corn or soybean field in Illinois.
Agrigold and other seed companies don’t own the fields, the local farmer does. The seed company is “showing off” their product to other farmers in hopes that in the next growing season the farmer will plant their seed. It’s the same thing that a landscaping or roofing company might do when they place their company’s sign outside of a house they’ve just completed.
In Illinois, over 94 percent of farms are family owned. At our family-owned greenhouse, family members make long-term and short-term decisions. Also, like many other family-owned businesses, we employ non-family staff members who work closely with family members to assist customers, prepare plantings, and fill orders. Family-owned farms, like ours, are committed to the future.
Have a question? Submit it to [email protected]. We’ll share questions with our farmers and publish their answers as space allows in upcoming issues of The Co-Operator.