The seventh-annual Great Bend Farm and Ranch Expo gets under way Wednesday at the Great Bend Expo Complex west of town. The show runs through Friday and is free and open to the public.

This is important. Sure, farmers and agribusiness folks will flock to the show to catch up on the latest and greatest technology.

They will cuss and discuss as they talk about trends in agriculture and the need for more rain. Both producers and vendors will go away winners.

But, this is about more than farmers. You see, due to the exploding global population, farmers will have to double their food production by 2050.

A sign along a highway in the state reads “One Kansas farmers feeds 155 people and you.”

Agriculture involves more than those who till the soil. It involves all of us.

Farming, the oil industry and every other business in the Golden Belt are inextricably linked. Because of this, we all must be up to date on this important sector of our economy.

So, visit the expo. Stroll the 80 acres and peruse the over 700 booths filled with exhibitors from 27 states, Canada and Australia. You’ll be glad you did, whether you are a farmer or not.

Dale Hogg