Keep America Bountiful
437 wordsAutumn Myers
Ottawa, KS 66067
Solid Rock Academy
9th grade
437 words
Americans enjoy the safest, most abundant and most affordable food supply in the world thanks to America’s farmers who will produce more than 2 trillion pounds of livestock, dairy, eggs and crops this year. That is enough to feed about 129 people worldwide. (American Farm Bureau Federation 10) In addition, the United States exports more agricultural products than it imports, creating a positive trade balance. Indeed, America is bountiful! However, many Americans don’t realize the importance of our farmers and interest in farming has slowly decreased in the last 70 years. (Farm Bureau 9) The continued bounty of America depends on the education of today’s youth about farming and farm related careers.
When the average American thinks of a farmer, they picture an old man holding a pitchfork and a silver bucket while standing beside his cow. A majority of Americans probably have no idea what farmers do. “An American farmer is a business person, a financial planner, a community leader, a computer programmer, an environmentalist, a mechanical engineer, a soil conservationist, an entrepreneur, an animal caretaker, a bookkeeper, and most importantly a family man or woman.” (Farm Bureau 7)
Contrary to what many people believe, America’s farm fields don’t just produce fuel for our bodies. Corn and soybeans are used to produce fuel for our vehicles. These products reduce pollution and reliance on foreign oil and help stabilize the farm economy. (Farm Bureau 22) In fact, agriculture provides almost everything we eat, wear and use on a daily basis. An article on CNN’s website stated, “Agriculture is at the heart of the U.S. economy. The food and fiber sector accounts for 13 percent of the nation’s economic output and employs, directly or indirectly, more than 22 million people. When agriculture is hurting, the whole country aches.” (CNN)
Additionally, our youth need to be educated about agricultural careers other than direct farming. From the farm to the processing plant to the grocery store, Americans are holding indirect agricultural positions including regional sales directors, advertising specialists, food microbiologist, weather forecasters; the list goes on and on! (Kansas Foundation 143). Agricultural careers are abundant.
In my state, the Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom offers a curriculum to educate children about how food and fiber products are produced and to help develop an appreciation for the role played by agriculture in maintaining a strong economy. Using curriculums such as these, we must educate America’s youth about how their everyday food supply is produced, and inform them of career options in agriculture. This will create an interest in and appreciation for agriculture, resulting in a stronger America. We must not let our country’s agricultural legacy fade. Today’s youth are the key to maintaining a bountiful America.
Works Cited
American Farm Bureau Federation. “Farm Facts”. 2002
CNN. Election 2000. “American Agriculture and Rural America in the Global
Community”. http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2000/conventions/
republican/features/platform.00/#34
Kansas Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom. Exploring Kansas Crops. 2002