Fun Farming Facts, Part 2
If you want to order meat online, you can’t beat the healthy selection offered here at Keller Crafted Meats. We offer meat grown without GMOs, have sugar free options, and never use antibiotics or hormones. All of our pork is Food Alliance Certified, and prepared with the utmost care for our customers. We are fascinated with how food goes from pasture and field to table, and so wanted to honor the farmers of the world with these fun farming facts.
Feeding the World
The United States is lucky in that its huge geographical area includes varied climates, allowing for a wide range of produce and livestock to be raised. Many countries do not have the land to grow a balanced varied diet. That is why the United States exports so much of its food around the world. In fact, one out of every three farm acres that is planted ends up being exported.
First!
Humans have raised livestock for millennia. If you have ever wondered what the first animal to be domesticated for production and consumption, many historians believe it to be the goat. They are generally very clean animals, and have an aversion to foods that are dangerous or contaminated.
A Bzzy Industry
Ask anybody who has done it, and they can tell you that farming is hard work. But it is not just farmers out there working to grow our food. It is estimated that 15 billion dollars worth of the crops produced nationally every year are only possible because of bees' pollination. In the United States, about one of three bites of produce that we eat is thanks to bees.
Forward Thinking
The history of agriculture is one of constant advancement. And that advancement (along with advancements in infrastructure, medicine, etc.) is the only reason our country can support as big of a population as it has. For a little perspective, in 1890, a worker could produce 27.5 acres of food. By 1990, that number had jumped to 740 acres of food produced per worker in the agricultural industry.
Mother of Invention
There is a saying that necessity is the mother of invention. But maybe, sometimes, the mother of invention is tediousness. That may be how farmers felt before 1701, when Jethro Tull first developed the seed drill. Prior to that, every single seed had to be scattered by farmers by hand.
Versatility
Not all produce is grown for consumption, so not all farming is for "food, feed, and fiber". For instance, much of the corn grown in the United States is used for ethanol rather than feed or food. Likewise, soybeans are often grown for their oil, which can be used to create diesel fuel.
Farming and Power
Agricultural control has historically been very closely linked with power and status. This was especially prominent in Medieval Europe, but all kinds of governments, from feudalist to democratic, have been linked to fertile land ownership as one of their pillars.
Goals to Meet
Experts estimate that the population of the world will grow by two billion by 2050, from approximately seven to nine billion. These same experts have calculated that the agricultural industry will need to double food production just to maintain the same rates of global starvation.
Environmental Catastrophe
The Dust Bowl had a huge negative impact on farmers, many of which were forced to abandon their farms. These people were known as "Oakies". In total, there were tens of thousands of people forced into a mass exodus, the largest migration recorded in the nation's history since the Trail of Tears.
Growing Scope
Farming uses up a lot of resources. The more that we produce, the more resources used. Between 1890 and 1899, an average of 1,845,900 tons of fertilizer was used a year. Between 1990 and 1999, that average had increased to 47,411,166 tons a year.
Growing Technology
As technology advances, many tools get replaced in the industry. Though for thousands of years agriculture relied on horses and mules to produce, by 1954, the number of these beasts of burden on farms had been overtaken by tractors.
Old School
Farmers are older on average than they have ever been. About 60 percent of farmers in America are over 55 years of age. This has led to some concerns about the long term health of family farms, as they are shifted out of the industry to make way for major corporate farming.
We hope these farming facts proved interesting! Stay tuned for our third and final installment of interesting farming information. If you are looking to order meat online, Keller Crafted Meats has a great selection to choose from. All of our animals are both raised and harvested humanely. Our company promotes eating with understanding, and wants to ensure that everybody is aware of what is in their food. If you would like more information about our meat products, please do not hesitate to give us a call at your earliest convenience. One of our friendly and knowledgeable representatives will be happy to answer any questions you may have. We look forward to hearing from you!
