Growing corn and understanding

It may seem trite to say it, but it is has been proven true time and time again. To truly win an argument or a war, you need to be able to change people's hearts and minds.

Since WWII and the lengthy occupation that occurred after the Allies won, among the goals the military and civilian advisors seek to accomplish is to improve the quality of the life for the people that have been defeated.

Whether it is building a new school, getting a sewer system up and running, or vaccinating children or livestock, these efforts are intended to change the opinion that people have about the occupiers.

The investment in these projects doesn't have to be huge. In fact, many times the smallest act of basic human decency and kindness can change people's minds.

That's the goal of a team headed for Afghanistan this summer. A 60-member team, including members of the Iowa National Guard will help farmers in eastern Afghanistan, near the Pakistani border.

Troops and civilian advisors will develop demonstration farms, work with livestock and irrigation issues. The group, the 734th Agribusiness development team, includes National Guards troops who have civilian experience in areas like agribusiness, soil science, agronomy, agricultural processing and construction design for feed- and grain-handling facilities. There are 60 members in all, including a large animal veterinarian and a vet tech. The duration of the mission will be 11 months.

They will be taking over for a California group that has been scouting for sites. Wheat and corn are grown in the region, and livestock like sheep and goats are raised.

It is fitting that a contigent from Iowa will be the one to take this effort to the next level. It should also be noted that organizers were able to quickly fill the slots on the team and had to turn people away.

Considering that the dominate crop grown in Afghanistan is poppies that are made into heroin, empowering people to be able to raise food and livestock is a noble and necessary mission.

We are confident the Afghans will know that Iowans are hard-working, knowledgeable and helpful.