Why We Need Public Research in Agriculture

Since the Department of of Government Efficiency (DOGE) began maneuvering government funds in an effort to find waste, I’ve been worried for our land grant universities. No one can look at the way things used to be and honestly argue that government bureaucracy was without flaws. In some cases, layers upon layers of regulations had long outstripped their purpose and had become an unfair burden to farmers.

We need rules for food safety, for keeping rivers, lakes, and oceans free from major contaminants, and we need to make sure the chemicals we use do not harm more than they alleviate pest pressure. Those noble goals ended up buried under mountains of rules contradictory to one another, and with multiple entities assigned to enforce the conflicting rules.

It was and is a mess.

Last year, I visited a grower who told me one authority came to his farm with lawyers to discuss improving food safety. I can’t remember if it was a state agency or a major retail customer.

In preparing for them, he pulled out every regulation manual he had to follow on food safety. It created an impressive pile on his conference room table.

The lawyer began going through one of the thick manuals, with line after line of regulations.

“You do all of this?” he asked, shock coloring his voice.

“Yes,” the grower replied simply.

They left with a better understanding of what growers go through and deciding to not add even more burden to them.

But the cost-saving “efficiency” methods we’re seeing are doing more harm than good, especially to our land grant universities.

Some may argue that public research can and should be handled by the private sector. That’s a short-sighted view. Public research responds to public need, not future profit. As such, it often works to fulfill needs that won’t profit any individual company.

I chose to highlight one of these projects in our May cover story.

Short-day onion harvesting is much more labor intensive than long-day onions. They’re softer, so current mechanical harvesting causes too much damage to be economically viable. That’s why these researchers are finding a way to allow mechanical harvesting.

Which company is going to take on research like this? Onions rank No. 5 for the most vegetable acres harvested. And short-day onions are a subset of that category. If you’re a CEO looking for investment opportunities and pouring money into research, would you go after on practice related to a subset of a No. 5 crop? Would you think you had a good chance of earning the research dollars back with a strong profit?

As important as vegetables are to the national diet, the category frustrates investors. Even the huge leafy vegetable ranches grow at least 10 crops. Most vegetable farms grow more than 20 different crops. And those crops range from root crops like onions to bush crops like tomatoes to stalks like sweet corn. The narrower the focus, the less profit there is for private companies.

The vegetable industry is especially dependent on quality public research. And I’d argue that private companies are, too. Their R&D departments take up aspects of what public research uncovers and find ways to profit from it. It provides one more piston in our national economy.

I urge you to read this month’s American Vegetable Grower cover story and share it with your representatives and senators. Share how you depend on the Extension system to keep you informed of new pests, methods that reduce inputs and research on new pests. The Trump Administration is fond of farmers. If you speak up, you have a good chance of saving our land grant system supporting vegetable farmers.

Oh, One More Thing

Here is a sampling of agricultural practices that land-grant universities vetted and shared with growers.

Regional Crop Evaluations

Rather than growers risking their livelihood, university research stations take on the burden of seeing which crops grow best in the unique climate of that region. Growing conditions and local pests make a big difference to how specific varieties perform year-to-year. In fact, universities have bred varieties specially for a region, either alone or in concert with breeding companies.

Minimal Processing Temperatures

From meat to produce, coolers have minimum cool temperatures to keep crops from spoiling and keeping harmful bacteria from developing. Several studies over the years discovered those minimal temperatures, along with how long farmers can store without harming the crops or meat.

Coordinating with Multiple Crop Protection Companies

Public ag researchers regularly work with all crop protection companies in evaluating the best treatments for various pests, weeds, and diseases. They act as a trusted third party who will deliver honest assessments to both growers and chemical companies alike.