Despite being an ocean apart, many parts of the American and European farming experience are similar.

Farmers on both continents are hopeful for a good crop every spring and need the weather to cooperate. Farming is a way of life for families in both areas, and they work within the regulatory systems set up by their governments.

Bill Wirtz is a senior policy analyst with the Consumer Choice Center. He is from Luxembourg, a small European country bordered by France, Germany and Belgium. He says in general, European farms are smaller.

“American farms are much larger and better organized for advocating for legislative issues,” he says.

Julian Binfield says European agriculture spans a wide range of equipment and technology. He is the director of international programs for the University of Missouri’s Food and Agricultural Research Policy Institute. He has worked with ag groups in Ireland, the United Kingdom, South Africa and Bulgaria.

“There are parts of Europe where you can go and see agriculture where it looks like it does in the U.S.,” he says. “… If you go farther away (from major cities), you might see farming practices that look more dated.”

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