Ideas worth spreading

A personal story about farming and the future of agriculture

49,607 views |

Mark Jackson |

TED@Unilever

• September 2014

In 1890, Mark Jackson's great-great-great-grandfather bought a plot of land in southern Iowa. Five generations later, Mark is still farming that same land but using some very different techniques. In this moving story that crosses generations, Mark shows us both how radically agriculture has changed since that time, and the ways some things have stayed exactly the same.

In 1890, Mark Jackson's great-great-great-grandfather bought a plot of land in southern Iowa. Five generations later, Mark is still farming that same land but using some very different techniques. In this moving story that crosses generations, Mark shows us both how radically agriculture has changed since that time, and the ways some things have stayed exactly the same.

About the speaker

Mark Jackson

Agronomist

Mark Jackson is CEO of Jackson Farms LS, Inc and currently serves as a National Director of the American Soybean Association. He is a fifth generation Iowa farmer who practices sustainable production and environmental responsibility in his modern family farming operations. He was one of the original farmers who pioneered sustainable soybean farming with Unilever.

About TED Institute

Every year, TED works with a group of select companies and foundations to identify internal ideators, inventors, connectors, and creators. Drawing on the same rigorous regimen that has prepared speakers for the TED main stage, TED Institute works closely with each partner, overseeing curation and providing intensive one-on-one talk development to sharpen and fine tune ideas. The culmination is an event produced, recorded, and hosted by TED, generating a growing library of valuable TED Talks that can spur innovation and transform organizations.

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