Julie Peterson, co-owner of Peterson Farms Seeds, Prosper, N.D., has what I think is a neat idea on how to promote agriculture this fall.

Call someone who lives in town and ask them if they’d like to come out and ride in the combine with you while you harvest corn, soybeans or sunflowers

"Everybody is curious about what’s going on," she says.

Ask the mayor, a county commissioner or the school superintendent. Ask a teacher, hardware store owner, newspaper publisher or pastor.

Ask a waiter or waitress, a mechanic at the auto dealership, the Jaycees president, the Chamber of Commerce chairperson or the person you sit next to in church.

Julie has arranged for the publisher of the Fargo Forum to do a ride along during sunflower harvest.

"He’s thrilled to have the opportunity," she says.

You won’t have to do much. It’s not like having to speak in front of a civic group. Your guest will ask questions about what you are doing and why, and you’ll answer. It will be pretty simple, but something important will be happening. You’ll be building a relationship. And relationships are what agriculture needs more than anything.

And if every farmer had someone ride along, a lot of people could be reached.

"Every combine has a buddy seat," Peterson says. "Let’s fill them up."