FINDING COMMON GROUND

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT ON THE FOOD WE CONSUME

Family farms in North Dakota, and across America, have helped build the safest and most affordable food supply in the world. Women from these rural farms play a vital role in running the farm and growing the nation’s food supply. That’s why North Dakota soybean and corn farmers continue to support the movement CommonGround in North Dakota.

CommonGround is a grass-roots movement to foster conversation among women — on farms and in cities — about where our food comes from. The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), the United Soybean Board (USB) and their state affiliates developed CommonGround to give farm women the opportunity to engage with consumers through the use of a wide range of activities. USB and NCGA provide support and a platform for the volunteers to tell their stories. CommonGround is now in 17 states and growing.

“The CommonGround program grew out of a new demand from consumers for food information,” says Karolyn Zurn, farmer and volunteer coordinator of CommonGround for the North Dakota Soybean Council and North Dakota Corn Utilization Council. “The goal of CommonGround is to be a resource to provide moms with facts and information that can help them make informed food choices. As a farmer and a mother, I want individuals to feel empowered to make food choices based on facts and not fear.”

As each calendar year flips over, millions of Americans get a new beginning by looking to live healthier lifestyles. In addition to extra hours at the gym, many grocery shoppers will also spend more time ensuring their carts are filled with healthier options to feed their families. Today’s plethora of labels and buzzwords that adorn food packaging only makes the trip to the market even more daunting. In fact, many of the labels, such as “grass-fed” and “organic,” that often suggest food is healthier refer only to how it was raised, not to the nutritional content.

Confused? You aren’t alone. Volunteer farmers with the CommonGround want to help shoppers demystify several common food labels and make their trip to the market a little less stressful. We are truly blessed to have so many food choices available to us at the grocery store. With so many food options available, we want moms to feel good about their food choices and know that farmers share many of the same values and priorities when it comes to feeding our own families. Ninety-six percent of the farms are still owned and operated as a family farm. So what exactly do all of the labels mean? That is a question that the CommonGround women can fill you in on at our many events and on the CommonGround website at findourcommonground. com. Look for our state wide events on CommonGround North Dakota’s Facebook page at - facebook.com/ CommonGroundNorthDakota. [AWM]