1. Engage- Agriculture
Farmer’s Care

2. To feed the 2050 population we will have to produce 100% more food!!!
Trend in Agriculture
Produce more with less
1950 – 2.47 billion people in world
2000 – 6.06 billion people
2050 – billion projection
1961 – billion acres (World’s farmland)
2001 – billion acres (+69 million acres)
1997 (42.2%) – 2007 (40.8%) – lost 22 million acres of farmland in U.S.
To feed the 2050 population we will have to produce 100% more food!!!

3. Kentucky Agriculture $4.918 billion
#1 Poultry $953 million
#2 Horses $800 million
#3 Corn $786 million
#4 Cattle $628 million
#5 Soybeans $601 million
#6 Tobacco $325 million
#7 Dairy $232 million
#8 Wheat $199 million
#9 Hay $135 million
#10 Swine $118 million
#11 Nursery $70 million
#12 Vegetables $25 million
Agriculture is producing more with less and with the most efficient use of
resources ever in history. Greener and more sustainable with less of a carbon
footprint. The problem is no one knows.

4. Agriculture has Changed
Smaller more diverse farms to larger more specialized farms
Some livestock moves from out doors to indoors
Global market place increasing demand
New technologies (disease and insect resistance, improvements in genetics, nutrition and facilities)
Ethical commitment to land, water and animals is unchanged
Livestock and poultry farms are bigger than they were 25 or 50 years ago. They have grown in order to remain profitable and to supply increasing demand not only here in the United States but around the world.
Rural America went through a painful period during the agriculture crisis of the 1980s. Economic conditions changed dramatically and the market prices farmers received for what they produced failed to keep up with inflation. Farmers realized they had to either increase the size of their operations or learn to live on less money year after year.
New technologies that allowed livestock and poultry producers to continue to live and work in rural America are now coming under attack. The farm you see today may not look like it did 25 or 50 years ago, but I want to assure you that today’s producers recognize the same ethical obligation to produce food safely and humanely. 4

5. Pens with Roofs When we placed the animals in the buildings we did not mistreat them but started taking really good care of them. Weather extremes, parasites, predators
A vast majority of the pigs and chickens raised in the U.S. today are still housed in pens but there are walls and a roof to protect them from such things as bad weather and coyotes. Rodents and birds have a more difficult time mixing with the animals and spreading disease. The barns are cleaned on a regular basis and fans help circulate the air and keep the animals comfortable.
The result has been better control of herd health and welfare and improved productivity. 5

6. Agriculture has Changed
Poultry buildings have vastly improved in the birds health and comfort including engineering improvements in feeding systems, ventilation, and temperature control.
Fifty years ago most farms grew a little bit of everything. Pigs and chickens were raised outdoors where weather extremes, predators and disease took a toll.
Today we produce 81% more chicken per bird than in 1950.
21 days to hatch the egg, 48 days to produce a 5 pound bird (69 days total) 6

7. Agriculture has Changed
Milking parlors , milk safety, milk quality. and cow comfort have drastically improved
individually monitor
Top herd 305 lactation produce 28,000 lbs of milk per cow per day. Over 10 gallons a day
Today compared to 1950 we are producing 63% more milk with 58% fewer cows
Farmers discovered that housing the animals inside barns allowed them to better monitor health and provide for individual needs. 7

8. Agriculture has changed
Swine genetics, nutrition and housing have advance production and performance to record levels.
Controlling the heat and cold along with maintaining a clean dry environment have lead to slatted floors and tunnel ventilation.
Today top herd are approaching 30 pigs per sow per year. Produce 275 pound market hog in 6 months
It takes just 15% of the energy to produce a pound of pork compared to 1970
Today we produce 176% more pork with 44% fewer sows as compared to 1950’s.

9. Agriculture has changed
Genetically, nutritionally and management systems that fit the market place and the health conscience consumer.
Branded products – Certified Angus Beef, Laura’s Lean
Grass &Grain feed – produce 1250 steer < 20 months
Grass feed months
Which is how U.S. cattle farmers and ranchers raise 20% of the world’s beef with just 7% of the world’s cattle.
Source: USDA, Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2011
U.S. cattle farmers & ranchers raise 20% of the world’s beef with 7% of the cattle 9

10. Agriculture has changed
Soybeans
Crop rotation
Minimal tillage
Soil testing
Conservation plans
11 times more soybeans on 5 times fewer acres than in 1950

11. Agriculture has changed
Precision farming
GPS
No till
Water quality plans
Nutrient management plans
Kentucky corn yield winner last year were over 400 bushel per acre.
Today we produce 333% more corn on 11% fewer acres compared to 1950
Corn

12. What about the environment? (Manure)
Price of oil
Price of chemical fertilizer
Value of manure
$150,000 per year (4,000 head barn)
Poultry 175 tons year X $40 a ton = $7,000
1/3 cost of chemical fertilizer
Natures most perfect fertilizer

14. Protecting the Environment
Farmers are the original recyclers
Manure as fertilizer is not new just more valuable
Sustainable Cycle
Strict regulatory oversight
Evolving technologies
Odor - $11 million EPA emissions study
Good management = minimal odor
crops
grain
manure
Protecting the environment is just as important to today’s farmers as it was to their predecessors. Farmers are the original recyclers. Using manure as fertilizer is a practice that is as old as agriculture itself. Soybeans and corn are fed to the animals and the nutrients they produce enrich the land for crop and hay production. When grain and grass are fed to the animals the cycle is completed.
The food animal industry has had its share of growing pains in adopting new environmental systems, but dramatic improvements have been made and more progress lies ahead. These farmers know the news media and regulators are watching what they do. And today there are groundbreaking environmental systems that lead to such things as creating bio-diesel fuel or gas for generating electricity. These evolving environmental systems are just another example of how innovative farmers are applying the latest technology.
Odor and emissions concerns have been recurring issues for livestock and poultry producers in recent years. These producers are committed to maintaining a good environment for workers and the animals. For example, livestock and poultry producers are supporting and participating in an $11 million study in conjunction with the EPA to identify standards for emissions from farms.
Producers understand that odor is best controlled by using good management practices such as keeping barns clean and well-ventilated. Many have planted evergreen trees along property lines or have installed bio-filters on ventilation systems.
We’ve come a long way in the last few years and producers will continue to look for new and better ways to minimize odor for their neighbors.
feed
Livestock 14

15. What about the small farmer?
Contract farming – less risk, helps with acquiring loans for capitol, specialize
Local food – KY Proud over 3,000 members
97% of farms are owned by farm families

16. More with less It’s amazing!!!
Compared to 1950, farmers today produce:
176% more pork per sow with 44% fewer sows
81% more chicken per bird
333% more corn on 11% fewer acres
53% more eggs with 3% fewer hens
11 times more soybeans on 5 times fewer acres
69% more wheat on 6% fewer acres
63% more milk with 58% fewer cows
Across a number of major food commodities, farmers produce more food with less land, water and fossil fuels compared to Food production must double on the same amount of land by 2050 in order to meet the basic needs of a rapidly advancing global population. This will not happen without increased use of responsible technological advancements in farming. But can farmers grow more food while protecting the environment?
It’s amazing!!! 16

17. Remember…
Today’s farmers are producing more, safer and higher quality products on less land than ever in history.
Today’s agricultural production is environmentally friendly, green, totally sustainable with only a shadow of the carbon footprint as compared with the past.
Today livestock are the most comfortable and cared for ever in history.
The greatest thing is we are learning and improving everyday. It just going to get better.

18. Today’s Farmer Care
So, I want to talk with you today about food animal agriculture – the people who produce the chicken, eggs, pork dairy and beef products we enjoy every day.
Animal agriculture is a necessary and important part of our lives. Livestock and poultry producers help support our communities by generating tax revenue, creating jobs and consuming local products like soybean meal and corn.

19. Kentucky Department of Agriculture
Livestock Marketing
Office –
Questions??