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Jay Hardwick


Major Crops: Cotton, corn, soybeans, grain sorghum, sunflowers and wheat

Years Farming: 25+

First Planted Biotech Crops: 1996

Favorite Benefits: Insect control with reduced pesticide applications.  Wildlife returning to the farm.  Surplus of enjoyable time.

Family: Family: Married, two children

The success of our farming operation in recent years has been driven by biotechnology.
The success of our farming operation in recent years has been driven by biotechnology.
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Video Transcript


My name’s Jay Hardwick.   I’m 59 years old, and I’ve been farming since 1980. ... The biotech crops that we’re currently using are corn, soybeans and cotton. ...

The success of our farming operation in recent years has been driven by biotechnology – in particular insect control and weed control.   Those have brought down our costs tremendously.   I think that those are going to be drivers for us in the future.   And I look forward to seeing that happen more and more and more.   Growers need to be aware of that and look for those opportunities.   We need to encourage industry to pursue that.   We need a policy that encourages that. ...

... Biotechnology has had a profound impact upon what I’m doing in terms of a surplus of time.  A lot of my friends like to talk about how it’s reduced cost, and performance is better, and that we’re not using as much pesticide.  But, one of the biggest gains we’ve gotten has been a surplus of enjoyable time to have to ourselves.  And, just not for me as an operator or as a farmer, but also my employees. ...

Over the last ten years, many farmers in our area – and I think this is throughout the United States – have come to realize that we have had an impact upon the environment, no doubt.  And we have the mighty Mississippi right near us. ... farmers are taking that very seriously and want to do something about it.

And with the potential of biotechnology and reducing pesticide amounts on the landscape and into the water systems – is a good thing for all of us.  So in our way, we’re addressing those problems that are critical to the society at large of clean air and clean water.  And, I like knowing that.  And, I want to be a part of that.  I don’t want to ... fish in a polluted stream.  I don’t think anybody else does.  So we’re going to make some headway there.  And agriculture will be a driving force in cleaning up the country. ...

We have a heritage to live on in this farm and continue on.  So, we have responsibility.  And I think many farmers in this country have the same feeling.  We may not be as verbal about it, and as active about it, and are standing on a corner about it. ...

... But, as a result of us crop mixing and keeping crop residue on the ground and alternate crops, we have a new foraging opportunity for wildlife. ...

... Using a lot of new biotechnical materials that allow us to not cultivate the land as hard.  So, we’re seeing a new happening on the landscape in terms of wildlife emerging.  It’s not only on top of it, but underneath. ...

It’s just a real treat to see that.  And to say that agriculture is helping is a real success story that needs to be told.

© 2006 Monsanto Company. All rights reserved. The copyright holder consents to the use of this material and the images in the published context only and solely for the purpose of promoting the benefits of agricultural biotechnology.