Meeting The Need for Food and Fibre  Canada is a major world producer of food and fibre  We grow far more than we consume, so we export our surplus to other countries  We are also world leaders in agricultural science  Scientists are working towards a goal of sustainability – growing food and fibre while keeping our natural systems healthy for the long term

Alberta  Agriculture is a relatively new industry in Alberta  It wasn’t until the railroad brought settlers west in the late 1800s and early 1900s, that agriculture became widespread  It took only about 30 years for settlers to plough under native grasslands that had been around for 1000’s of years  Of the 60 million hectares of land area in Alberta, over 20 million is now dedicated farmland

Alberta  Alberta farmers produce crops worth almost three billion dollars  The food industry is second only to oil and natural gas in terms of earnings  Wheat, canola, barley, and oats are grown for their seeds and are sold mainly to other countries  Other crops include legumes (field peas, faba beans, lentils), potatoes, alfalfa, field corn, sugar beets, sunflowers and spices

Farming  Many crops are grown in greenhouses (cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, house plants, and cut flowers)  In order to make money, farmers must produce large amounts of crops  They do this by using large machinery, fertilizing the soil and also by irrigating, or watering their crops  Most farmers grow their crops as a monoculture, only one type of crop per field

Changing Technology  Changes in technology include:  Using cultivators to prepare and fertilize soil  Special chemicals used to control fungi  Air seeders and seed drills used to plant seeds  Herbicides and pesticides sprayed on crops  Swathers used to cut hay  Combines used to harvest grain and separate seeds  Other large machinery like trucks and ploughs

Fibre Plants and Forestry  Trees cover 4.5 million square kilometres of land in Canada – an area larger than western and eastern Europe combined  Canada has about 10% of Earth’s forests  Wood fibre industry employs over Canadians  Forests have many different trees, plants, animals, etc (not ECT) – known as diversity

Trees in Alberta  Tree species in Alberta include:  Lodgepole Pine  White Spruce  Black Spruce  Aspen  White Birch  Tamarack (Larch) - Other species in Canada include: Red Oak, Western Red Cedar, Douglas Fir, Western Hemlock, Maple, Trembling Aspen

Forest Products  The forest can produce many things for humans  These include:  Lumber  Pulp and paper  Veneer and plywood  Sash, doors, shingles, other millwork  Other paper products – asphalt roofing, cartons, boxes, paper bags, etc (not ECT.)  Prefabricated buildings, cabinets, boxes, particleboard, MDF, chipboard, etc (not ECT)

Harvesting Trees  Steps involved in harvesting trees:  Planning the cut (based on a review of the site)  Building a road to the area  Felling and de-limbing the trees  Dragging or “skidding” trees to a central area  Hauling the logs to a saw mill or pulp mill  Preparing the site for reforestation (scarification)  Reforestation (reseeding and replanting) – BEWARE of bears!!!!!

Global Problems  One of the most serious problems worldwide is soil erosion (blown away by wind and water)  North Africa used to once be extremely fertile – frequent and long-lasting droughts have resulted in desertification  Where vegetation has been removed in Brazil and West Africa, soils have become hard and useless for crops  In some areas of Europe and USA, high levels of agricultural chemicals have caused pollution