Horse Power Farm Video Analysis

I have worked on my family farm ever since I was fourteen years old. This is where I have gained my love of agriculture. My responsibilities include taking care of my show calves, working cattle, helping with harvesting and planting, and assisting my father with any other needs around the farm. The experiences I have gained through working on my family’s farm will help lead me through the rest of my life.

The new technology used in American agriculture made it overall more productive and widespread while creating mixed results for the farmers. The advancement in machines like reapers, threshers, and mowers to harvest grains produced contrasting outcomes. An obvious benefit was some of the ease brought to the farmers. The human labor involved in harvesting grain by hand with a scythe or by a simple, one horse-powered machine was far greater than harvesting with a big, multi-horse powered machine. The devices made work simpler, faster, and more efficient for the farmers by relying on animal energy and technology (Document D). With promises of larger crops with less exertion, the new machines became very desirable to farmers in order to stay in competition with their peers; however, buying these machines also pushed many of them into unfortunate financial situations. Not only was the actual

Farming involves many risks and dangers. According to “Farm Safety - Risks and Hazards,” farming is a very threatening activity to anyone. Most people that get injured on a farm are either under the age of 15 or over the age of 65(Better Health Channel). Additionally, farming has multiple other reasons it is and can be a danger to anyone, such as long hours and working with dangerous machinery. According to Bethany Baratta, a reporter for the Iowa Farm Bureau, “It only takes 14 seconds for a person working inside of a grain bin to be pulled under the surface of the corn pile. With more than 60 percent of the grain in the United States being stored on farms, there’s a greater chance that farmers and farm workers may be tasked with checking the condition of the grain inside the bin. But with that chore comes the risk of a grain engulfment” (Baratta). This can be a huge problem for Austin when he farms during harvest season because like the quote says it only takes 14 seconds to be consumed by grain, and Austin works a lot with the bins around the farm, so he is always putting himself in danger. Farmers also help with our economy in Iowa and around the world. Austin explains, “The land we farm has CRP (conservation reserve program) strips and CRP waterways bordering the creeks and streams providing wildlife habitat and preventing soil erosion and contamination of the stream.” This is positive because this ensures that farmers don’t damage the water in our creeks and streams which flows into our rivers and eventually into our oceans. They’re also providing habitat for wildlife so they can prosper; therefore, providing food for some people in Iowa and food for many others around the

The property about runs its own breeding program, keeping the heifers then fattening and selling the steers.

Growing up on a small family wheat farm in southwestern Oklahoma, I have experienced the harsh conditions of farming firsthand. The job that used to employ the largest amount of people in the United States has lost the support and the respect of the American people. The Jeffersonian Ideal of a nation of farmers has been tossed aside to be replaced by a nation of white-collar workers. The family farm is under attack and it is not being protected. The family farm can help the United States economically by creating jobs in a time when many cannot afford the food in the stores. The family farm can help prevent the degradation of the environment by creating a mutually beneficial relationship between the people producing the food and nature. The family farm is the answer to many of the tough questions facing the United States today, but these small farms are going bankrupt all too often. The government’s policy on farming is the largest factor in what farms succeed, but simple economics, large corporations, and society as a whole influence the decline in family farms; small changes in these areas will help break up the huge corporate farms, keeping the small family farm afloat.

Detroit Lakes Middle School KIVA Club, gave a loan of $25 to a potato farmer from the country of Honduras. The potato farmer with the name Jose,had requested a total of $650 to buy seeds, fertilizers, and insecticides to grow his potatoes.

In an equine science class, I had a project about designing a horse farm. Our teacher suggested that we use a program called Sketchup, a three-dimensional modeling program that is commonly used for architectural plans. I began using it then and found that I loved working with it. It is similar to Minecraft but actually useful. My barn was a round barn with a living space on the second floor. Round barns are highly efficient at saving heat and the heat of the animals would rise to into the living space. Each stall had a small individual paddock. There were also larger fields that were separated from the paddocks by a road that would allow access to the fences for the never ending task of repairing them.

Through this informational night, I also presented information about Agriculture, along with the trailer and clips of the film “Food Chains”. This film highlights the difficult injustices and the honor behind working in Agriculture, as well as the vital role it plays in the community and this country. When I asked the group to share their thoughts about what they had watched, I noticed that many discussions centered around not knowing what to do about the injustices and believed they could not help make the system any better.

This virtual field trip will teach student about life on a modern dairy farm and the many ways dairy farming contribute to our lives

they are trying to produce more from the land of a large or small farmer while at the same time

At Speedy Thoroughbreds Horse Farm, we pride ourselves on quality champions and more importantly character. I am the trainer at the racetrack and have started a program for at-risk students within the community. It is a great way to give back to the community. The program has granted me with some small fame in the area and recognition on top of my success as a racehorse trainer. One evening, secret doping of some of our prized champions came into light. As I previously stated, we pride ourselves on honest, quality winners. This new information creates a difficult dilemma for me as an employee, friend, and person.

There are many dramatic differences between a farm such as Polyface, and industrialized farms like the Naylor farm. One of the most noticeable differences lies in the diversity of production (Pollan 2006). The Naylor farm produces at most three products. However, the main goal is maximize corn production. Other crops, such as soybeans and wheat, merely serve as tools that keep fields from becoming completely devoid of nutrients and are implemented because they can provide enough money to pay for themselves (Pollan 2006). Because the purpose of the farm is almost solely to produce as much corn as physically possible, things such as massive quantities of fertilizers and large, fossil fuel consuming, machinery are used to increase productivity.

This farm was very interesting to me. The aquaponics were super cool, as that is always something I have been interested in. A teacher I had in high school experimented with aquaponics, but it was on a much smaller scale. Her system was not as successful though, as she struggled with some diseases. The owner of Flying Fish seemed much more successful. This is super cool to see new processes working for people. Another unique aspect of his farm was that he did a lot of seedlings. That way he could sell the plants as a product. He said he sold his plants to places like Earth Fare, which is very cool. Another unique thing was the popcorn that he grew. I have never had popcorn right from the cob, and I would like to try it sometime after hearing the owner talk about it. A new thing that the owner was trying was chickens. He was talking a lot about growing his own feed for them to make the feedback loop

Johnstown, Colorado has been the home of Klein Farms for three generations (four, if you count me), so I have grown up with agriculture since day one. Growing up, I loved to play around with the tractors as I watched my dad and grandpa tinker with equipment. I still remember running out into the field when the leaves started to change to pick the first ear of sweet corn off the stalk. Some days, I even got to sit in the tractor with my dad as he plowed the fields,

Later, Pile thought of forming a more robust platform that Blue Skies’ operations would be anchored on amidst growing competition. Heavy reliance upon fable smallholder farmers for the pineapple supply plummeted the company’s resources. An expansion-ability opportunity was denied, farm’s profitability and sales plunged, as outputs greatly interfered with owing poor agricultural information (Kleemann, 2011). Pile thought that for Blue Skies to register profitable margins, farmers had to be empowered on monitoring of their farms.