Agricultural Production Notes

Fully Automated Egg Production

  • Egg production is highly automated, with minimal human contact until consumer purchase.
  • Hens are housed in cages with sloped floors for eggs to roll onto conveyor belts.
  • Eggs undergo disinfection and cold air drying.
  • Suction cups place eggs into cartons for shipping.

Animal Treatment Regulations

  • Farm animals in the US are well-treated compared to other countries.
  • Regulations cover space, water, food, and health maintenance.
  • Government monitors animal treatment during production and slaughter.
  • Environmentalists and veterinarians contribute to improving animal treatment.

Nut Harvesting

  • Tree-shaking machines (tractors with vibrating arms) harvest nuts.
  • Nuts are raked into rows and collected by harvester machines.
  • This process saves time and ensures freshness.

Two Main Types of Farming

  • Division of labor between workforce and machines defines farming methods.

Crop Farming

  • Cereal grains are planted and harvested in open plains (Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri).
  • Flat lands and predictable rainfall are conducive to grain growth.
  • Cereal grains: corn, wheat, barley, oats, sorghum, and rice.
  • Giant combine tractors harvest these crops.
    • Combines cut plants and separate grain from straw.
    • Separated grain is forced out of a spout.
    • Straw is chopped or laid in rows.
  • Grain is filtered and delivered to a grain elevator (storage facility).
  • Grain elevators use pumping and auger systems to move grain to the top and drop it down.
  • Grain can be stored for up to a year.
  • Farmers often have a buyer before planting due to high storage costs.

Row Farming

  • Used for most fruit and vegetable crops in warm coastal states.
  • Requires many farm workers for care and harvesting.
  • Harvesting involves picking, trimming, and packing produce into boxes.
  • Technology is not advanced enough to delicately pick certain fruits/vegetables.
  • Crops for canning (e.g., tomatoes) can be machine-harvested, but fuel costs are a concern.

Cost Considerations in Farming

  • High costs involved in:
    • Preparing fields
    • Buying seeds
    • Planting
    • Growing crops
    • Pest protection
    • Harvesting
  • Animal production costs:
    • Medical bills
    • Food
    • Water
    • Shelter
    • Waste management
    • Labor
    • Transportation

Hard Times in the 1980s

  • Many American farms went bankrupt due to farm loans and overproduction.
  • Increased production led to lower crop prices.
  • Prices were so low that it was better to let crops rot than harvest them.

Trade Agreements in the 1990s

  • Allowed farmers to export more crops.
  • Fewer farmers lost their farms.
  • Selling land at high prices became more appealing than farming.

Farmer's Perspective on Selling Farmland

  • Lack of corporate retirement plans, medical benefits, or union benefits.
  • Farmers must handle insurance and retirement savings independently.
  • Farming is rarely as profitable as expected.
  • Profits are often reinvested back into the farm.
  • Many farmers sell land piece by piece due to insufficient profits.

A Delicate Balance

  • New farm technology increases crop production, but overproduction lowers prices.
  • Farmers have little control over crop prices.
  • Current production practices may no longer be practical.
  • Importing less expensive food may be a short-term solution, but import costs can rise.
  • Government intervention could ensure fair practices.

Overproduction

  • Overproduction is a major problem in the farming industry.

USDA Farm Bill

  • Includes new environmental requirements.
  • Environmentalists and economists aim to balance good environmental farming with profitable practices.

Farm Aid

  • Started by Willie Nelson.
  • Helps farmers keep their farms.

Questions about Farm Aid:

  1. When did the organization begin and why?
  2. How do they raise money?
  3. What are some of the causes they have contributed to over the past 20 years?

In a Nutshell

  • Rising costs of food production: fuel, energy, labor, new technology.
  • New environmental laws increase costs due to waste removal and pollution control requirements.
  • Open environments are better for animals and the environment regarding waste management and groundwater pollution.
  • Skilled farm workers remain necessary despite technology.
  • Farmers sell land to avoid financial hardship.
  • Overproduction reduces crop prices, negatively impacting supply and demand economics.