Farming Feeding the World Essay - 893 Words

The agriculture field is one of the biggest employers, employing over 155 million people in the United States. What do you think about when you hear the word â€Å"agriculture?† Many people would say farming, but this is not the most common occupation in this field. Farmers make up a fraction of the agricultural jobs at 900,000, but over 2.1 million people own, rent, and claim farming as a primary source of income. The average farm size has dropped from 460 acres in 1990 to 418 acres in 2007, while the average age of this occupation rose to 57, making this one of the older workforces in the United States. Education and work conditions required for this job changed considerably. It used to be that growing up on a farm and learning as†¦show more content†¦Growing and harvesting crops requires many tasks. Before the crop is planted, preparing the soil with disking, tilling (vertical or horizontal), and fertilizing is sometimes required depending on the conservatio n method used. Shorty after, it is time for the planting or drilling of the crop. During the middle of the growing season, irrigating is in full swing to make the crops grow. Also, floaters and airplanes are fighting the battle with weeds and pests. This time of the year is also slower for farmers then planting or harvesting time. As fall arrives, irrigating comes to a halt and the busy harvesting season begins. Combines, tractors and grain carts, and semi trucks fill the countryside as the race to get the crops out of the field begins. If the weather permits harvest can last as short as a couple of weeks for the smaller farms and longer then a month or two for the larger farms. During late fall and into the winter selling grain and buying seed, equipment, and fertilizer is the task at large. As you can see farmers does not get very much free time. Most of the time this occupation requires long hours, from sun up to sun set. This limits time for trips and extra curricular activities. The average income for a farmer depends a lot on the weather and growing conditions present. Year to year these change and the typical income for a salariedShow MoreRelatedFarming Is Not A Feasible Method Of Producing Food For The Planet1560 Words   |  7 PagesGANIC FARMING IS NOT A FEASIBLE METHOD OF PRODUCING FOOD FOR THE PLANET. A. Introduction The idealism of Organic farming is a predicated upon excluding the use of synthetic and unnatural methods of producing food with the intent of preserving health and the environment. This agricultural idealism has been widely glorified, and ignorantly so, for being the standard of sustainable farming. However, there are some major factors of organic farming which contribute to the degradation of the environmentRead MoreThe Rate Of Growth And Reproduction Of Tilapia Fish1309 Words   |  6 Pagesenvironmental factors. Feeding ways can affect in the fish products although it can help in increasing the fish number. 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