1. The Importance of Agriculture

2. People Have Needs Basic Human Needs
Food
Fiber
Shelter
In early history people hunted and gathered.
Domestication of plants and animals made it easier for people to produce their own food and marked the beginning of agriculture.
Domestication: adapting behaviors of plants and animals for human use.

3. Human Food Needs Food is the solid and liquid material humans eat.
Provides essential nutrients for health and growth
Nutrient Needs of Humans:
Energy
Important in movement and for body activity
Primarily comes from fats and carbohydrates
Growth and Repair
Primarily comes from proteins
Good Health
Primarily from vitamins and minerals
Body Processes
Water is most important because blood is 92% water

4. Sources of Food Food comes from 2 main sources: Plants Animals
600 different plants are used for food
Cereal grains are the major food item in the world (rice, wheat, corn, etc.)
Animals
50 species of animals are used for food including terrestrial (land) and aquatic (water) species
Livestock are most important (cattle, chickens, sheep, hogs)

5. Fiber
Fiber is not a food and includes materials used to make clothing and shelter.
Natural and synthetic fibers are used.
Fiber is used in 3 main ways:
By Animals
Wool, fur, silk
By Plants
Cotton, flax, hemp, jute, sisal
By Manufacturing
Nylon, polyester, asbestos

6. Shelter
Housing used by humans to defend against cold, heat, rain, snow, wild animals, and other pests.
Forest products that provide shelter include lumber, plywood, composition board, and paper.

7. What is agriculture?
The science, art, and business of the production and management of plants, animals, and natural resources to supply food, clothing, shelter, recreation, companionship, and for a safe and aesthetically pleasing environment.
Includes forestry, horticulture, landscaping, aquaculture, food science, marketing, banking, and other agricultural services.

8. US Agriculture
When George Washington became President in 1789 farmers represented 90% of the country’s labor force and were considered subsistent farmers – provided for themselves. By the 1930s it was 21%, and today only 2% of Americans are directly involved in agricultural production.
Abraham Lincoln established the USDA in 1862.

9. US Agriculture
Today crops and livestock are grown in all 50 states with over 200 different commodities produced. This is possible because of our climate and soil.
American agriculture is the most efficient in the world thanks to important developments.
Today there are 2.2 million farms making up 922 million acres of farmland. That is 40% of the total acreage of the US.
The average US family spends less than 10% of its disposable income on food, the lowest in the world.

10. US Agriculture
US farmers produce 43% of the world’s soybeans and 34% of the world’s corn.
US farmers and ranchers provide food and habitat for 75% of the nation’s wildlife.
Top 5 agricultural commodities in US:
Cattle/calves, Corn, Soybeans, Dairy Products, Broilers
New agricultural industries include:
Beekeeping, bison, alligator, and aquaculture
Today’s average farm:
418 acres compared to 147 acres in 1900
54% of farms are less than 100 acres
Feeds 144 people compared to 26 in 1960

11. US Agriculture
World trade has allowed Americans access to foods from all over the world through importing and exporting agricultural goods.
US agriculture is primarily an export industry and is very dependent on foreign trade policies.
US largest agricultural exports: grains and feeds, meats, and oilseeds
US largest agricultural imports: vegetables, fruits, and sugar
Agricultural research has allowed for more efficient production from plants and animals.
Since 1925 new advancements have been made to allow broiler chickens to meet market weight in ½ the time, from 15 weeks then to 7 weeks today.

12. Important Agricultural Inventors
Eli Whitney
Invented the cotton gin in 1793 in Savannah, Georgia
Cyrus McCormick
Patented the reaper in 1831
John Deere
Manufactured the steel plow in 1837
John Lawes
Invented commercial fertilizer in 1840s
Joseph Dart
Built the first grain elevators in 1842
Nicholas Appert
Developed methods of canning and freezing foods

13. What do Americans Eat?
The average American family eats 2.5 tons of food each year.
The average American eats:
196 lbs. of grains
77 lbs. of fats/oils
213 lbs. of milk
251 eggs
118 lbs. of red meat
20 lbs. of rice
30 lbs. of cheese
66 lbs. of poultry
197 lbs. of fresh vegetables
126 lbs. of fresh fruit

14. Important US Ag Legislation
Morrill Act (Land Grant Act)
Passed in 1862
Provided public land and funds to universities to teach practical methods of agriculture and manufacturing
UGA was the first land grant college
Hatch Act
Passed in 1887
Established experiment and research stations in states with land grant colleges
Instrumental in agricultural research and production advancements

15. Important US Ag Legislation
Smith Lever Act
Passed in 1914
Established the Cooperative Extension Service to disseminate information to communities based on teachings at land grant college and research at experiment stations
Focus on outreach
Smith Hughes Act
Passed in 1917
Established vocational agriculture in public schools to teach new methods of agriculture production

16. Georgia Agricultural History
1735: Georgia was the 1st colony to cultivate grapes.
1735: James Oglethorpe established the first “experiment” station in Savannah, Georgia.
1755: Georgia was the 1st colony to export cattle back to England.
1788: Georgia was the 1st state to export cotton.
1874: Georgia was the 1st state to establish a state Department of Agriculture.
Current commissioner is Gary Black.
1906: The first southern forestry school was established at UGA.

17. Georgia Agriculture Agriculture remains Georgia’s #1 industry.
1 in 7 Georgians work in the agriculture industry.
In 2010, agriculture contributed about $68.9 billion to Georgia’s economy. That is about 15% of the total state economy.
In 2011, Georgia ranked 1st in the US in pecan, peanut, rye, and broiler production.

18. Georgia Agriculture
There are 47,000 farms in Georgia. This accounts for 10.3 million acres.
The average farm in Georgia is 219 acres.
Georgia ranks 16th among all states for agriculture production.
Poultry and eggs contribute the most money to Georgia’s agricultural economy followed by row and forage crops, livestock and aquaculture, and vegetables.

19. Georgia Row & Forage Crops (Agronomy)
4.5 million acres in Georgia are used to produce traditional row crops.
$2.4 billion farm gate value in 2010.
Georgia produces almost ½ of the peanuts grown in the US.
Georgia yielded the 2nd highest cotton acreage in 2011.
In Georgia, more than 64,000 jobs were attributed to row crop production in 2010.
Major row crops: peanuts, cotton, corn, hay, wheat, and soybeans.

20. Georgia Vegetables $753 million farm gate value in 2010.
Most diverse and fastest growing agriculture sector in Georgia.
Georgia ranks among the top 5 states for fresh market vegetable area harvested, production, and value.
More than 15,000 Georgia jobs are attributed to the vegetable industry.
Major vegetables: onions, watermelon, peppers, cucumbers, sweet corn, greens, and tomatoes.

21. Georgia Fruits & Nuts $451 million farm gate value in 2010.
Georgia has ranked 1st in pecan production for a number of years.
Although Georgia is called the Peach State, we do not produce the most peaches in the US – South Carolina & California produce more.
The fruit and nut industries attribute 13,000 jobs in Georgia.
Major fruits & nuts: pecans, blueberries, and peaches.

22. Georgia Horticulture $586 million farm gate value in 2010.
The horticulture industry generates over 70,000 jobs a year in Georgia.
Urban development and growth is the major reason for the increase in this industry.
Greenhouse production is the major sector of horticulture production followed by container nurseries and turf grass.

23. Georgia Forestry $577 million farm gate value in 2010.
More than 65% of Georgia’s land is in forestry.
66,000 jobs in Georgia relate to forestry.
Timber is the major forestry industry followed by pine straw and Christmas tree production.
Includes lumber, paper, syrup, rosin, turpentine, oil, and decorative wood.

24. Georgia Livestock & Aquaculture
$1.3 billion farm gate value in 2010.
Beef and dairy have been important livestock industries for many years. Now there is an increased interest in horses, goats, quail, beekeeping, and catfish production.
44,000 Georgia jobs relate to livestock and aquaculture production.
The major livestock industries are beef cattle, horses, dairy, and pork.
Aquaculture relates to raising aquatic animals and plants (trout, catfish, tilapia, shrimp, alligators, water chestnuts, etc.)
Entomology deals with beneficial and harmful insects (honeybees, ladybugs, termites, aphids, boll weevils, etc.)

25. Georgia Poultry $5.4 billion farm gate value in 2010.
Today 115 of Georgia’s 159 counties are involved in poultry production.
Georgia has led the country in broiler production for 27 consecutive years.
There are 98,000 jobs in the poultry industry.
On the average day, Georgia farmers produce 23 million pounds of chicken, 11.7 million table eggs, 7 million hatching eggs, and 75 tons of turkey meat.

26. Georgia Mechanical Technology
Important areas include: machinery and equipment, buildings and facilities, earth structures (ponds, terraces, drainage ditches), fabricating metal, construction, and wiring electricity.

27. By-Products
Every agricultural commodity has additional uses other than its primary purpose. These are known as by-products.
Animal by-products can be produced from bone, horns, glands, hair, hide, and organs.
Plant by-products can be produced from hulls, pulps, seeds, bark, and shells.
These by-products can be used for food, pharmaceuticals and medicines, household items, clothing and upholstery materials, fertilizers, etc.

28. Top Georgia Ag Commodities - 2011
1. Broilers $3.46 Billion 2. Cotton $1.18 Billion 3. Chicken Eggs $491 Million 4. Peanuts $432 Million 5. Greenhouse/Nursery $376 Million 6. Cattle/Calves $358 Million 7. Dairy Products $317 Million 8. Pecans $265 Million 9. Corn $235 Million 10. Blueberries $93 Million Total value of all ag. commodities in GA $8.35 Billion

29. Effingham County Agriculture
203 farms totaling 40,425 acres (2007)
Average farm size = 199 acres (2007)
Total economic value = $2,148,552 (2007)