Some social media influencers have vocalized the idea that our current agricultural system needs an overhaul. I agree that we need to be using the best science available to improve crop production and minimize adverse effects on the environment. But pesticide use is condemned too quickly without understanding the benefit their use brings in protecting the crop.

Many agricultural information meetings are planned for the purpose of sharing the latest (hopefully unbiased) research information. However, these meetings have the potential to offer more than just technical data.

With glyphosate, many see only the risks and not the benefits. A closer look at glyphosate shows that the safety concerns are not scientifically supported, and that the benefits are worth the perceived risk.

“Why don’t we just use biologicals and toss out the conventional pesticides?” There are several reasons.

If you try to improve your farming or ranching practice and it doesn’t work, realize you had a good learning opportunity. With eyes open, who knows what great things you will learn from failure?

Have you ever walked into a movie theater, excited to be entertained for the next two hours, only to realize the film is a flop?

Do you remember Sea-Monkeys? When I was young, I saw the advertisements in the back of magazines and knew I needed to have my own Sea-Monkeys. For only $1.25, I was promised the Sea-Monkeys, a one-year supply of food, living plasma, water purifier, a fully illustrated manual on Sea-Monkeys care and a growth guarantee in writing.

How many times have you sat in a meeting and heard the speaker say something to the effect of: “The difference between these two treatments was 15 hundredweight per acre, but that difference was not significant.