It is the genetics work used to improve the seeds and animals farmers purchase. It is the development, design, production and sales of everything farmers use – tractors, equipment, buildings, fertilizer, and more.
It is the financial and legal aspects of acquiring land and other assets needed to farm. It is the marketing, sales, and distribution of plants and animals.
The clothes in your closet wouldn’t exist without cotton farmers. And corn is in everything from your toothpaste to your gasoline. Sports fans can thank cattle ranchers for making footballs and baseballs possible.
Farmers used to raise a little of everything on their farm. Now, most farmers focus their efforts on a few crops or livestock. This helps them acquire the facilities, technology, knowledge, and skills needed to produce it, and produce it well.
Farmers use iPads, laptops, drones, robots, and more. These technologies enable farmers to be efficient and provide precise care to their animals.
Even livestock barns have Wi-Fi, web-cams, and automated feed and climate control systems so farmers can make adjustments remotely.
About 99% of U.S. farms are operated by families – individuals, family partnerships or family corporations.
Not only are farmers entrepreneurs, they're also educated – 70% of farmers have a higher education including a college diploma or vocational certificate.
Farmers know their actions affect the environment. No one is closer to the earth than farmers and it's important to them to care for the land and water.
Farming technology keeps getting better, which means fewer people can grow more food. Currently, only 15% of U.S. workers are in food and fiber industries.
According to a U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance survey, 72% of consumers reported knowing nothing about farming or ranching. Even more alarming, 7% of American adults believe that chocolate milk comes from brown cows.
More food will have to be produced in the next 50 years than the past 10,000 years combined. And we will need to do it with less land and water.
Created by Amy Spielmaker using reveal.js – an html presentation framework by Hakim El Hattab (@hakimel). Lightbox made using Featherlight.js by @noelboss.
Cindy Hall. 7 Things You Should Know about Farming and Agriculture.
Rachel Bertone. 7 Ways Agriculture Affects Your Everyday Life.
Dr. M. What are some facts about how Agriculture touches our lives?.
American Farm Bureau Federation. Fast Facts About Agriculture.
Debra Spielmaker. Logic Model for Agricultural Literacy Programming.
Caitlin Dewey. The surprising number of American adults who think chocolate milk comes from brown cows.
Carolyn Orr. Concerns about the lack of “agricultural literacy.”
(in order of appearance)
Science lab – mwooten (Pixabay)
Family farm – Wikimedia Commons
Wind energy – Aenigmatis-3D (Pixabay)
Coverr-Free-Footage. Bokeh City – Covrr-Free-Footage
PDX_Multimedia. Aerial drone – PDX Multimedia