A Look at Today's Agriculture

The week leading up to Thanksgiving has warranted an official designation of farm-city education week. For many on both sides of that education is every day. Farmers want to teach about their work and lives. Consumers need to know ag basics as it affects their food table.

Today's agriculture is very widespread. Although many think of farming as corn, cattle, pigs and soybeans there is much more. Farmers may grow specialty crops such as basil or heirloom tomatoes. They may have fish farms - aquaculture - where plants are fed with the water from the fish. This can produce hydroponic crops as well as fish for the table.

Still others might farm alligators or goats or heritage livestock. They may take it from the raw product - such as milk - to a grade A processing facility that puts the milk into containers as well as making cheese or yogurt or fudge.

Berries, nuts, fruits and a wide range of animals may be grown. Farms may be integrated but differently than in years past. Once the chickens ate from around the livestock feeders, that practice is far less common today due to concerns about disease. However, confinement hog facilities do often use the manure as fertilizer, injected or spread on the fields for soybeans, corn or other crops.

Agriculture provides food, which is obvious. It also provides clothing with cotton, leather, wool, mohair, angora and a host of products. These are sometimes seen but what isn't as often seen is the way agriculture touches lives further.

Medical feedback from livestock is one way that farms reach many more than just food. Additionally there are many jobs that are not growing things themselves but depend on farmers - from trailer and equipment dealers to farm stores.

Technology is used today from artificial insemination of animals to biogenetics of plants to resist pests. Modern agriculture can produce 11,000 heads of lettuce, 4 ½ tons of sweet corn or 42,000 pound of strawberries on land the size of a football field.

Agriculture is an industry that generates billions of dollars and provides jobs for many people. Not only does each farmer produce food for 144 people around the world but also provides jobs. While there is but 3 million people who farm or ranch there are 22 million employed in farm or farm related jobs from production to processing, marketing, retail and more.

A volume of food that is high quality and relatively low cost means farmers and ranchers are needed more than ever in the American culture and economy. Thank a farmer today.