Basic Agricultural Awareness

Agriculture defined Activities concerned with the production of plants and animals, and related supplies, services, mechanics, products, processing, and marketing.

Agriculture defined USDA refers to agriculture as “agriculture/agribusiness and renewable natural resources.” Another definition is food, fiber, and environmental systems www.usda.gov

Agriscience defined Agriscience is the application of scientific principles and new technologies to agriculture. Also called applied science because it uses principles learned in biology chemistry, and physics (the basic sciences) in a practical way.

Agriscience defined Examples of Agriscience: Agronomy uses biology and chemistry to discover new ways to control weeds in crops. Entomology uses biology and chemistry to study insect life. Agricultural engineering uses physics to develop new machinery.

SCIENTIFIC METHOD

Agriscience defined-scientific method Identify the problem Review the literature Form a hypothesis Prepare a project proposal Design the experiment Collect the data

Agriscience defined-scientific method Draw conclusions Prepare a written report

Agribusiness defined Commercial firms (businesses) that stem from (or meet the needs of) agriculture

Agribusiness examples Related to farming: Chemical company, fertilizer dealer, seed store, tractor dealer, etc. Related to horticulture: Landscape nursery, Greenhouse dealer, Horticulture Supply Company, etc.

Renewable natural resources Resources provided by nature that can replace or renew themselves Important both economically and for posterity’s sake to maintain life Examples: wildlife, trees, fish

World outlook The world population will grow as more people beget more people More children are surviving to adulthood More adults are living longer

World outlook Population growth will: Add stress to environmental systems of air, water, soil, and natural resources Create challenges to meet the demands for food and fiber (clothing and shelter)

TRENDS FOR AGRICULTURE IN THE FUTURE

Trends for agriculture/agriscience Agriculture will always be an essential industry Increased commercialization of agriculture will continue New types of farming such as aquaculture (fish-farming and farming the sea) will be used as well as traditional farming methods

Trends for agriculture/agriscience An expanded view of agriculture is necessary Horticulture will continue to expand as the standard of living is raised Horticulture involves producing, processing, marketing fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants

Trends- views Agriculture includes renewable natural resources management to monitor fish, wildlife, water and land Agriculture and resources management will include pollution control

Trends-views Forestry- timber management for lumber, poles, post, plywood, etc. is another part

Trends- food production, processing, and distribution College graduates are needed to fill roles as scientists, engineers, and other professionals The USDA reported an increased demand for graduates from agricultural colleges in the 90s

Trends- food Many careers in Agriscience products and distribution are needed to grade, transport, process, package, and market Agriculture commodities

Trends- food Support for Agricultural supplies and services are also important

PROGRESS IN AGRICULTURE OBJ AG02.01

Progress Through Engineering Little progress in agriculture is recorded before 1800 AD The use of Iron revolutionized American and European agriculture Most of the world did not catch on as fast

Progress Through Engineering Mechanization helps 2% of America’s work force meet the food and fiber needs of our nation There has been a reduction of 90% in production farming in the last 200 years

INVENTORS AND INVENTIONS

Eli Whitney Invented the cotton gin 1793 Transformed cotton to a usable product Removed cotton seed from cotton fiber

Eli Whitney’s Cotton Gin

Katherine Greene Widow of Revolutionary general, Nathaniel Greene Whitney worked on Ms. Greene’s farm Some say Ms. Greene invented the cotton gin

Cyrus McCormick Invented the grain reaper 1834 Cut grains Cut wheat, oats, and other crops

Cutting Grain With the sickle or reaping hook one man could cut from one-half to one acre in a hard day's work. The cut grain was later bound by hand

The Reaper

The Reaper While this first machine required only 2 people for operation (a person to ride the horse and a man to rake the cut grain from the platform), it cut as much grain in one day as 12-16 men with reaping hooks.

Cast Iron Plow Invented in the early 1800’s Thomas Jefferson Rough surface that dirt stuck to

Steel Moldboard Plow Invented 1837 John Deere Smoother surface Rich clay soil did not stick to it Made plowing easier and faster

Corn Picker Invented in 1850 Edmund Quincy Helped speed up the harvesting of corn

Milking Machine Invented in 1878 Anna Baldwin Used vacuum suction Replaced hand milking

Tractor Invented in 1904 Benjamin Holt Replaced the mule as a source of power Horse power

Opportunities in Agriculture North Carolina Statistics: http://www.agr.state.nc.us/stats/index.htm

Opportunities in Agriculture Twenty percent of all jobs in the US are agriscience related. Areas include: Production Processing, products and distribution Supplies and services

Opportunities in Agriculture Agricultural production is supported by many more careers than actually exist in production The projection is for the average size of farms in the US to increase while the number of farms decrease

Opportunities in Agriculture In the mid 1990s, the number one meat export as far as tonnage shipped from the US was poultry NC is #2 in nation on broiler Corn ranks in the top 5 US grain exports year after year

Broilers per county. Macon county shows no income from the sale of poultry.

North Carolina's agricultural industry, including food, fiber and forestry, contributes $59.1 billion annually to the State's economy, and accounts for 21.5 percent of the State's income, and employs over 18 percent of the work force.  

Opportunities in Agriculture In NC, the top three agricultural commodities in terms of cash receipts in the late 1990s were hogs, broilers, and tobacco http://www.photobar.com/tobacco.html

WHAT IS THAT? I AIN’T EATIN NO TOFU SOYBEANS?? WHAT IS THAT? I AIN’T EATIN NO TOFU

#1 SOYBEANS ARE THE WORLD’S MOST IMPORTANT SOURCES OF VEGETABLE OIL AND PROVIDE BASIC MATERIALS FOR HUNDREDS OF PRODUCTS

A REVOLT BY AN ARMY OF GREEN MEN?!?? THE GREEN REVOLUTION A REVOLT BY AN ARMY OF GREEN MEN?!??

NO, THE GREEN REVOLUTION The Green Revolution was the process where many countries became self-sufficient in food production by using improved crop varieties and practices.

The Green Industry * We are in the money now!

GREEN INDUSTRY HORTICULTURE INDUSTRY WITH EMPHASIS ON TURF GRASS AND ORNAMENTAL AND LANDSCAPE PLANTS.

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