A group of food producers and suppliers gathered Tuesday to discuss safety, availability and cost. The food roundtable in Sioux Falls brought together farmers, retailers, processors and other people in food service. They’re talking about ways to keep the country’s food safe and affordable.
Alcester farmer Steve Rommereim specializes in corn, beans, hogs and cattle. He says producers realize consumers have choices; that’s why collaboration among food industries is essential to maintain quality standards and practices.
"Each generation, there’s less and less people that have background with farming and with what we do out there, whether it be with crops or with livestock," Rommereim says. "I think there needs to be a lot more transparency. And that’s some of the things we’re trying to do here is that everybody knows what everybody’s doing."
Rommereim, who is the president of the board for Ag United, says growers want to make sure people in South Dakota and around the world have safe, healthy food – and enough of it.
"It has to do with the concern that’s out there for food safety and rising food prices. I think that meetings like this help us all get together on one page. Not that we can really get together and change a lot when it comes to pricing, but we sure can help availability," Rommereim says. "We can help what it takes to prepare food properly and the food safety issues, as much education as, I think, anything."
He wants events like the food roundtable to inspire confidence in America’s food supply.