The MAGAzine of MinneSoTA AGriCulTure in The …The MAGAzine of MinneSoTA AGriCulTure in The...
Transcript of The MAGAzine of MinneSoTA AGriCulTure in The …The MAGAzine of MinneSoTA AGriCulTure in The...
25yearchanges
1985
Averagesizefarmwas312acres
Averageageoffarmerwas48.5yearsold
The MAGAzine of MinneSoTA AGriCulTure in The ClASSrooM • VoluMe 25, iSSue 3— 2010/2011
Minnesota, “The Land of 10,000 Lakes,”isreallythelandof20,000
lakes,pondsandmarshesoffiveacresormore.Forestscoverone-thirdofourstate.Ourriversend-
to-endcouldreacharoundtheworld.OurcroplandwouldcoverallofRhodeIsland,Massachusetts,
ConnecticutandVermont.Freshair,richsoil,lotsofwater,goodclimate,crops,livestock—ourstate
hasthemall.
Minnesota’snatural resourcesareourtreasurestoprotect.Ouragriculturalindustriesdependon
thesenaturalresources.We,thepeople,dependonagriculture.That’swhyourfarmersandothers
mustactasstewardsoftheland,orEarthKeepers,protectingtheseimportantresources.
• Whenweprotectoursoilnow,itcangrowgoodfood,fiberandfuel(energy)
forthefuture.
• Whenwecleanupourair,wemakelifehealthierforpeople,plantsandanimals.
• Whenwepreventwaterpollution,wehelpkeepwatersafe
forcooking,swimming,drinkingandaquaticlife.
Nearlythree-fourthsofthelandinMinnesotaisownedbyfarmersand
otherprivatelandowners.Whyisitimportantthatalllandownersand
usersbegoodEarthKeepers?
There's just no way!What natural resources can you find in these pictures?
What connections to agriculture do you see?
Could you have an ag-less day?
Caring for our Natural Resources
Earth Day is always on April 22. How will you celebrate?Th
e Minn
esota
DNR (
Depa
rtment
of Na
tural R
esourc
es) st
ocks o
ur lak
es wit
h over
260 m
illion f
ish ea
ch yea
r.
Years
how do you like taking a shower in the same water molecules the dinosaurs waded in?
It’s true! The water we use today is the same water that has been recycled for millions of years since the earth was formed. We will never have any MORE water. That’s why we need to keep our water clean.
If all the world’s water could fit into a gallon jug, including salty oceans and frozen glaciers, only a single drop would be fresh and usable for human needs. The amount of fresh water isn’t all we care about. We want the water we drink and use to taste good, smell good and look good. We want it to be safe for all human uses and for aquatic creatures, too.
• Theearthrecyclesthesamewateroverandover.Thisprocessisthewatercycle,orhydrologiccycle.Waterchangesforms—fromsolidtoliquidtogas—overandoveragain.
• The earth recycles one trillion tons of water every day. A gallon of water weighs 8 pounds. How many gallons are in just one ton (2,000 lbs)?
• The federal Clean Water Act requires states to set water quality standards. These rules protect the nation’s waters. They regulate how much pollution can be in lakes, rivers, streams or groundwater before the water becomes unsafe for drinking, fishing, swimming and more.
fOr the WATER
ON
THE WEB
2
Turnonafaucet.Wheredoesthewatercome
from?Isitfromyourlocalpublicutilities
company?Isitfromyourbackyard
well?Eitherway,itcomesfrom
Minnesota’ssurface water,
groundwater,orboth.
WhereDoesOurWaterComeFrom?
Guesswhat?Rain,snow,sleet,hail:Allofthewaterwedrinkorusefallsontheearthfirst.Someendsupinlakes,wetlands,riversandstreamsassurfacewater.Someseeps,creeps,percolatesandtricklesdownintotheground,becominggroundwater.Itfindsitswayintoopeningsinrock,sandandgravelthatcatchandholdit.Theseundergroundwaterstoragespacesarecalledaquifers.(Waterinwellsispumpedfromaquifers.)Waterlevelsinaquifersareconnectedtohowmuchrainwegetandhowmuchwaterwedrawfromtheaquifers.
Aquiferscanbesmallinsizeorstretchmorethantenthousandsquaremiles.Sometimeswefindwateronlyafewfeetbelowtheground.Othertimesitmaybehundredsoffeetdeep.
Imaginehowharditistofindandmapaquiferswhenwecan’tseethem.Drillingwellsgivesussomeinformation.Butaquiferexpertsarestilllearning!
Minnesota’s Water Wealth Precipitation and AquifersAlthoughwehavesomedryyears,Minnesotaisblessedwithgoodprecipitation mostyears.Asoursnowmelts,soilssoakupthemoistureeachspring.Duringthegrowingseason,weusuallygetagoodamountofrainattherighttimeforplantstothrive.Thewaterinrivers,lakesandstreamsmaychangelevels,butovertimewehaveenoughsurfacewater.
Wealsohavenaturalundergroundstoragetoholdourgroundwaterinaquifers.Theglaciersthatcoveredmuchofourstatemanythousandsofyearsagoleftbehinddifferentkindsofrockandsoil.Somepartsofourstatehavealotofhardrocksandclay.Rainwaterandsnowmeltcollectincracks,crevicesandshallowaquifersthere.SoutheasternMinnesota,notcoveredbyrecentglaciers,haslotsofsand,gravelandsoftersedimentary rocks.Precipitationtrickleseasilyintothegroundandcollectsinlarge,deepaquifers.Minnesota’sprecipitation,surfacewaterandgroundwaterallmakeusawater-richstate!
Where does YOUR water come from? Find out!TheGroundwaterFoundationKidsCornerwww.groundwater.org/kc/kc.html
Surface Water
Transpiration
Groundwater in Openings(Shallow Aquifers)
Groundwater in Deep Aquifers
Rock
Rock
Precipitation
Evaporation
Phot
o Co
urte
sy d
anm
arsh
all.c
om
• holds roots in the ground so plants don’t fall over• holds water so roots can absorb moisture• holds minerals and nutrients that plants use for food • is home to other living things helpful to plants Without it, life on land would come to a dead stop!
What is it? _______________________________________
The soil beneath our feet is as important as the air we breathe and the water we drink. Farmland and forested land represent two-thirds of our state’s landscape. Whose responsibility is it to care for the soil? Farmers and foresters have a big role to play. But each of us must also help. These soil care tips are things we all can do:
1. Grow plants on bare soil or cover it with mulch so it won’t wash or blow away.
2. Stay on sidewalks and trails. What happens when people don’t? Do you see any places where sidewalks should be built to protect the soil?
3. How can you help protect the soil of football and soccer fields, parks and other public places?
What four-letter word does all these things?
fOr the SOIL
ON THE
W
EB
Form
ore
ons
oils
see
: ww
w.n
rcs.
usda
.gov
/fea
ture
/edu
catio
n
Air travels. That means polluted air can blow in from near and far. Lucky for us, many people work hard to clean up the air. Car makers build engines that pollute less. Laws regulate industrial waste disposal. Many people—including farmers—are making electricity from cleaner, renewable energy sources instead of coal or petroleum. They are using solar power, wind and field crops as energy sources for our cars, homes and factories. It all adds up to cleaner air!
Thanks Plants!
Did you know that green plants help to clean air? They take in carbon dioxide, trap fine dust and release oxygen during photosynthesis. Those green plants include grasses on prairies, algae in oceans, crops in fields and trees in forests. About one-third of the oxygen released comes from grasses and other non-woody plants. One-third comes from ocean plants. Another third comes from forests. Take a breath . . . and thank the plants!
fOr the AIRTake a deep breath. Can you tell the difference
between fresh air and polluted air?
3
AgricultureandWaterYoualreadyknowthatagricultureprovidesourfood,fiberandsomuchmore.Allplantandanimalagriculturedependsonwater.
ThankstoMinnesota’sgoodrainfallandsoil,onlyahalfmillionofour22millionacres(1%)ofcroplandneedirrigation.Comparethattorainfall-poorCalifornia,where90%ofcroplandmustbeirrigated.
Try this!Make an Aquifer in a Tank.www.beg.utexas.edu/education/aquitank/tank01.htm
Try this! Awesome Aquifers www.groundwater.org/kc/activity8.html
M
inne
sota
has
the
mos
t wat
er re
sour
ces o
f the
48
conn
ecte
d st
ates
. We
have
mor
e sh
orel
ine
than
any
stat
e ex
cept
Ala
ska!
Theagricultureindustryknowsitmusttakegoodcareofwater.Farmersarelearningsaferwaystousecropprotectionchemicalstokeepthemoutofwatersupplies.Theyplantcropsinwaysthathelppreventwaterfromwashingsoilintostreams,lakesandrivers.Theyplanandtimeirrigationtosavewater.Theykeeplivestockawayfromriverbankstopreventtrampledsoilandanimalwastefromendingupinthewater.Theymanageanimalwastesfromfeedlots.Someagindustries,suchasethanolplants,areexploringwaystouse“reclaimedwater.”Reclaimedwater(treatedmunicipalwastewater)maybeabletoreplacehighquality(fresh)waterandstillmeettheneedsofsomeindustries.
Think and Discuss:
Manysouthernandwesternstateshavelimitedwaterandexplodingpopulations.Findingenoughwatertomeettheirgrowingdemandsforagricultureisachallenge.
1. Whatneedsmustbemetfirstifthereisnotenoughwaterforeverything?
2. ShouldMinnesotashareourwaterwealth?Explainyourthinking.
3. TheOgallalaAquiferundertheGreatPlainsspreadsacross174,000squaremiles.Itisunderpartsofeightstates.Researchtodiscover:Howisthisaquifersuper-importanttoagriculture?
Photo Courtesy University of Minnesota Agricultural experiment Station
Adv
entu
res
in G
arde
ning
Plan Ahead:
1. D
oyo
uha
vea
spa
cefo
rag
arde
n?P
ick
asp
ot.I
tcan
be
apl
oto
fso
il,a
win
dow
box
,ab
igc
onta
iner
ore
ven
agr
oup
offl
ower
pot
s.2.
Gro
win
gpl
ants
nee
dso
il,m
oist
ure,
hea
tand
ligh
t.H
owc
any
ou
prov
ide
each
oft
hese
?3.
Wha
twill
you
wan
tto
plan
t?W
hatg
row
sin
you
rspa
ce,s
oila
nd
type
ofw
eath
er?
4. W
hatd
oyo
une
edto
buy
?To
ols?
See
dso
rsee
dlin
gs?
Plan
tfoo
d?
Soil?
Wha
tels
e?5.
Whe
nw
illy
oun
eed
tos
tart
you
rgar
den
toa
llow
eno
ugh
time
for
plan
tsto
mat
ure?
6. W
hatd
aily
orw
eekl
yta
sks
mus
tgar
dene
rsd
o?W
illy
oun
eed
help
?W
hoc
anh
elp
you
lear
nw
haty
oun
eed
tok
now
?7.
Any
thin
gel
se?
Dig
In:
1.
Prep
are
the
soil.
Wha
tdo
you
need
tod
o?D
oyo
une
ed
toa
dda
nyth
ing
tom
ake
your
soi
lhea
lthie
rfor
gro
win
gpl
ants
?
2.
Plan
t!D
irect
ions
on
your
see
dpa
ckag
esw
illg
uide
yo
u.H
owb
igw
ille
ach
plan
tget
?H
owm
uch
spac
edo
es
each
pla
ntn
eed?
How
can
you
mak
eyo
urg
arde
nco
lorf
ul
and
attr
activ
e?H
owc
any
oup
airp
lant
sth
atd
ow
ell
toge
ther
,orm
atur
eat
diff
eren
ttim
es?
(Pac
kage
ste
llyo
uho
wm
any
grow
ing
days
are
nee
ded.
)
3.
Labe
lthe
row
sso
you
rem
embe
rwha
t’sp
lant
edw
here
.A
sth
eyg
row
,you
’llle
arn
tore
cogn
ize
each
type
ofp
lant
.
4.
Wat
er,w
eed
and
wat
chy
ourg
arde
n.O
bser
vea
ndle
arn.
A
rep
lant
sth
rivin
g?A
res
ome
plan
tsw
iltin
g?Is
ther
ean
ype
std
amag
e?A
skfo
rhel
pw
hen
you
need
it.
Gar
dens
are
Goo
d fo
r You
!
Y
ouw
ill:
•ge
texe
rcis
ean
dfr
esh
air
•im
prov
enu
triti
onth
roug
hre
ally
fr
esh
food
•le
arn
abou
teco
syst
ems,
pla
nts
and
grow
ing
thin
gs
•__
____
____
____
____
____
____
_
•__
____
____
____
____
____
____
_
So
you t
hin
k yo
u m
ight
wa
nt t
o gr
ow a
ga
rde
n a
t hom
e o
r a
t sc
hoo
l. W
ha
t th
ings
must
you
thin
k a
bou
t?
All
Kind
s of
Gar
dens
! M
aybe
you
’dli
keto
gro
wju
sto
nety
peo
fth
ing
iny
ourg
arde
n.C
heck
them
ega
rden
sth
atin
tere
sty
ou.
Photo Courtesy U of M Extension Master Gardener Program
Photo Courtesy danmarshall.com
h
Just
flow
ers
h
Ve
geta
bles
h
N
ativ
epl
ants
h
Sa
lsa
ingr
edie
nts
h
Berr
ies
h
Her
bs
h
Sala
dgr
eens
h
Pl
ants
toa
ttra
ctb
utte
rflie
sor
hu
mm
ingb
irds
h
A
“Thr
eeS
iste
rs”g
arde
nw
ith
corn
,bea
nsa
nds
quas
h—lik
eth
eN
ativ
eA
mer
ican
sta
ught
th
ese
ttle
rs
h
An
Ato
Zg
arde
n,w
ith
som
ethi
ngfo
reac
hle
tter
oft
he
alph
abet
h
Ag
arde
nof
just
one
col
or
4
Farm
s & School
s:
New
Partner
ships
Did
you
kno
w th
at m
any
scho
ols
and
farm
s ar
e te
amin
g up
to m
ake
food
bet
ter f
or k
ids?
The
y ar
e ge
tting
food
gro
wn
by lo
cal f
arm
ers
onto
sch
ool l
unch
tray
s. K
ids
in m
any
scho
ol d
istric
ts se
e w
inte
r squ
ash,
cor
n on
the
cob,
mel
ons,
pot
atoe
s an
d ap
ples
from
loca
l far
mer
s on
thei
r lun
ch
trays
. Les
s sa
lt, m
ore
fruits
and
veg
etab
les
and
who
le g
rain
s ar
e al
l par
t of t
he g
oal o
f hea
lthie
r ea
ting.
Bes
t of a
ll, lo
cally
-gro
wn
food
taste
s gr
eat a
nd is
mile
s fre
sher
. Her
e’s
an e
xam
ple:
Hop
kins
sch
ools
buy
loca
l pro
duce
from
Riv
erbe
nd F
arm
s, a
30-
acre
org
anic
veg
etab
le fa
rm.
Hop
kins
invi
tes
the
farm
ers
into
the
scho
ols
so s
tude
nts
mee
t the
peo
ple
who
gro
w th
eir s
choo
l m
eals.
Farm
-to-sc
hool
pro
gram
s m
ake
ever
ybod
y w
inne
rs. L
inki
ng s
choo
ls w
ith lo
cal f
arm
s m
eans
he
alth
ier m
eals
in s
choo
l caf
eter
ias.
It m
eans
impr
oved
stu
dent
nut
ritio
n. It
mea
ns le
arni
ng li
felo
ng
heal
th h
abits
. It h
elps
figh
t chi
ld o
besit
y, a
nd it
sup
ports
loca
l far
mer
s. D
o yo
u kn
ow w
here
YO
UR
scho
ol lu
nch
com
es fr
om?
Even
Clo
ser
Than
the
Farm
Som
e sc
hool
s ar
e gr
ower
s, to
o. A
t Sib
ley
East
Hig
h Sc
hool
in A
rling
ton,
MN
, coo
ks u
se fr
esh
prod
uce.
The
y ha
rves
t the
ir ow
n bu
tterc
up s
quas
h, p
umpk
ins,
tom
atoe
s, c
abba
ge, p
otat
oes
and
bean
s—str
aigh
t fro
m th
e sc
hool
’s g
arde
n. A
lexa
ndria
’s F
ood
and
Nut
ritio
n sta
ff pl
ante
d ap
ple
trees
at t
wo
scho
ols
to p
rovi
de H
oney
crisp
and
Sw
eet 1
6 ap
ples
for s
choo
l mea
ls an
d sn
acks
. D
over
-Eyo
ta s
tude
nts
plan
ted
appl
e tre
es w
ith th
e he
lp o
f loc
al a
pple
gro
wer
Jerry
Kat
han
of
Kath
an’s
Rid
gevi
ew O
rcha
rd.
Gar
dens
are
Goo
d fo
r You
!
Y
ouw
ill:
•ge
texe
rcis
ean
dfr
esh
air
•im
prov
enu
triti
onth
roug
hre
ally
fr
esh
food
•le
arn
abou
teco
syst
ems,
pla
nts
and
grow
ing
thin
gs
•__
____
____
____
____
____
____
_
•__
____
____
____
____
____
____
_
Why
gro
w a
gar
den?
“I
wou
ld g
row
a g
arde
n to
ex
perie
nce
the
thril
l and
ex
cite
men
t of f
eedi
ng th
e pl
ants
and
eat
ing
your
ow
n fo
od. S
eein
g yo
ur p
lant
sp
rout
s gro
win
g to
war
d th
e lig
ht
is in
spiri
ng a
nd u
niqu
e! A
lso, I
love
the
thou
ght
of e
atin
g yo
ur o
wn
food
, and
gar
dens
are
ver
y pl
easin
g to
the
eye!
It m
akes
our
fron
t and
bac
kyar
d lo
ok a
nd fe
el so
wel
com
e.
“I w
ould
like
to h
ave
a sq
uash
, lik
e a
pum
pkin
or
som
e br
ight
ly c
olor
ed o
ne, d
aisie
s, pe
apod
s, m
orni
ng
glor
ies,
stra
wbe
rrie
s, an
d ca
rrot
s.”
Anna
K.,
Min
neap
olis
Aft
er the Ha
rvest
Imag
ine
it’s
the
end
ofth
ega
rden
ing
seas
on.T
hink
abo
utth
is:W
ere
your
ex
pect
atio
nsm
et?
Wha
twer
eso
me
surp
rises
?W
hatm
ight
you
do
diffe
rent
ly
next
tim
eyo
uha
vea
gar
den?
Harvest and En
joy
!
How
will
you
cle
an,p
repa
re,c
ook
and
serv
eyo
urfo
od?
Do
you
have
ext
ra
prod
uce
tos
hare
?
Ga
rden
ing
is a
bu
sin
ess
for s
om
e g
row
ers.
Vis
it
a fa
rmer
s’ m
ark
et a
nd
yo
u’ll
mee
t th
em.
Phot
o Co
urte
sy M
inne
sota
Gro
wn
Prog
ram
Lots
ofg
reat
hel
pis
just
am
ouse
clic
kor
a
phon
eca
llaw
ay.C
heck
out
the
libra
ry,o
rch
eck
outt
heW
eb.
ww
w.k
idsg
arde
ning
.com
5
ON THE
W
EB
Phot
os C
ourt
esy
Nor
th t
rail,
Sib
ley
east
, Peq
uot L
akes
and
Dov
er-e
yota
scho
ols.
What’smostimportanttotheKuballs?That’seasy:careoftheirlandandanimals.Keepingsoilhealthyandpreventinglosstoerosionisayear-roundeffortandnotjustforEarthDay.Goodnutritionandmedicalcaretopthelistforanimalcare.Animalnutritionistsdevelopspecialfeedmixes(calledrations)tomeeteachcow’sneeds.VeterinariansworkwiththeKuballs
tokeeptheirherdintophealth.Farmersknowthevalueofkeepingcowscomfortableandcontented.TheKuballcowssleeponrecycledrubber-filledmattressescoveredwithdrybedding.Thecowskeepcoolinthesummerthankstofans,sprinklersandgoodventilation.Roll-downcurtainsandtheirownbodyheatkeepthemwarminwinter.
TheKuballFamilyFarm
Yearsago,alltheadultsandchildreninafarmfamilywereneededtodothemanyfarmjobs.Technologyhaschangedthat.Computers,milkingmachinesandmodernmachinerydomuchoftheworktoday.(You’velearnedaboutmuchofthetechnologythatchangedfarminginyourtwoearlier
AgMags.)Technologyhasmadeitpossibletodomorefarmworkwithfewerpeople.Somefarmmenandwomennowhavetimetoworkother
jobsoffthefarm.NathanKuballworksfulltimeinthefamily’sfarmingbusiness.Shannonworksparttimeatthelocalelementaryschoolaswellasonthefarm.Onsomefarms,thechildrenareveryinvolvedindailywork.TheKuballchildrenhelpwithcalffeeding.
6
All Photos Courtesy Kuball family
AFamilyFarm,AFamilyBusiness
Kelsey feeds a Holstein calf.
Black-and-white Holsteins are
the main dairy breed in the US.
Q.What’sthebestthingaboutbeingafarmer?A.
Farmersgettoseetheresultsoftheirwork.Weworknotonlyforourownfamily,butforpeopleeverywherewhowantwholesomeproductsfortheirfamilies.Wehaveanawesomeresponsibilitytobegoodstewardsofthelandandtheanimalsinourcare.Whenwedothat,theanimalsandthelandgiveusthethingsweallneed.Afarmer’sworkfeedsthousandsofpeoplearoundtheworld!Asafamily,weworktogether.Weareateam,helpingeachotherandourfarmbusinesssucceed.
Shannon and nathan Kuball are dairy farmers in Waterville, Minnesota. Kuball Dairy was started by nathan’s great great grandfather, Albert, in 1902. nathan is the fifth-generation Kuball family farmer on this land. Children Kelsey (9), emma (6) and Keegan (3) are the sixth generation to live on the farm.
ChangingTimes,ChangingFarms
In 1964 the Kuball farm was 120
acres. Today it is 700 acres. How
do you think this compares with
the national trend in farm size?
Forthefirst62years,youcouldseechickens,hogs,horsesandcowsonthefarm.In1964,thefamilydecidedtospecializeonlyindairyproduction.Theyhad50cowsinatie-stallbarn.Thecowsate,sleptandweremilkedintheirstalls.Todaythefarmhas180milkcows.Thecowsareinafree-stallbarnwheretheycanroamaroundthebarn.Theyeatfreshfood,drinkfreshwaterandsleepwhentheywantto.Theyaremilkedtwiceadayinaseparatebuildingcalledamilkingparlor.
CaringfortheLandandtheAnimals
Discover more about farming“Then and Now.”
Ask your teacher for a copy of page 5
in the AgMag Teacher Guide.Kids!
Electronic InnovationsFromcomputersandmonitorstoGPSandgreenhousecontrols,electronicsareeverywhereinmodernagriculture.Computerchipsinanimaleartagsareoneexample.Farmersuseeartagstoidentifyandkeepinformationonindividualanimals.Eartagscomeinmanydifferentstylesandcolors,andcanbesetuptorecorddifferentkindsofinformation.Thelargenumberonthisidentificationtagisthecow’suniquenumberintheherd;itfunctionslikeaname.Thisnumberisonlyusedwhentheanimalisonthefarm.The15-digitsmallernumberandthematchingnumberonthebuttontagatthetopfollowstheanimalevenwhentheanimalleavesthefarmorcountry.Thefirstthreenumbers“840”tellusthattheanimalisfromtheUnitedStates.Theothernumbershelpfurtheridentifywheretheanimalisfrom.
Agriculture’s Biggest Leaps (PartIII)
AgriculturehaschangedinamazingwaysintheyearssinceNativeAmericansfirstfarmedtheland.Whathavebeenthebiggestachievementsinthepast100years?Sometopagriculturalengineersaskedthemselvesthat
question.Theycameupwithalistthatwe’veexploredinyourthreeAgMagsthisyear.Here’sPartThree!
The Top SixYou’velearnedaboutmostoftheengineers’choicesforbiggestagricultureachievementsinthepast100years.Canyouguesswhichtheythoughtweremostimportant?Rearrangethelettersanddiscoverwhattoppedtheirlist.
1. ctartro ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. rrlau tniocafilircdeet _________________________________________________________________________________________
3. mbnieoc _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. gnilkim ienhcma________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. octtno ipkcre ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. avtonirescno lialteg _________________________________________________________________________________________
CircletheonethatisnotpartofMinnesotaagriculture?Why?
Phot
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Soybeans Biodiesel
Self-Propelled CombinesMowersandthreshersweregoodmachines,butfarmersmadeseveraltripsacrossthefieldtoharvesttheircrops.Self-propelledcombinescameintouseinthemid1900s.Theybothcutcropsandharvest(separatethegrainsfromthestalks)inthesametripacrossthefield.Manycombineshavechangeableheadssotheycanbeusedforseveraldifferentkindsofcrops.Wheat,oats,rye,barley,cornandsoybeansareallharvestedbycombines.Combinessavetimeandfuelenergy.Theyhelpfarmersharvestmanymoreacreseachday.
BiofuelsBoostingtheamountoffuelwegetfromrenewableresourcesisabigachievementinagriculture.Fuelsmadefromcropssuchascorn,sugarcaneandsoybeans,orfromtreesandgrasses,arecalledbiofuels.Biofuelscutairpollution,providejobsandbuildnewmarketsforfarmcrops.Becausetheycomefromrenewableresources,theyhelpconservetheearth’ssupplyofnon-renewablefuelresourceslikenaturalgasandoil.
Irrigation Improvingwaterusecouldbeoneofag’sbiggestchallengesinthiscentury.irrigation(wateringthesoil)allowscropstogrowinplaceswithlimitedrainfall.Keyinventionsarecenter-pivotirrigationandtrickleordripirrigationsystems.Center-pivotirrigationsystems(shownabove)spraywateracrosslargeareasoffieldswithoutusingmuchwaterpressureorfuel/energy.Intrickleordripirrigation,tubesorhosesslowlyandsteadilydeliverwaterclosetotherootsofplants.Waterissavedbecauseitisappliedonlywhereit’sneeded.Lessevaporationalsosaveswater. What Do You Think?
Whatdoyouthinkwasthebiggestneedorreasonbehindeachnewinvention?
It’syourturnsoon.WhatwouldYOUinventtohelpfeedtheworldortomakefarmingmoreefficient?
Ten percent of the gasoline used in Minnesota
contains ethanol made from corn. Ethanol is an early biofuel but others are following. Biofuel comes from other forms of biomass as well: the fiber of sticks and trees, prairie grass, wheat straw, sugar cane, paper pulp, rice hulls and more.
Farmers can swipe ear tags to track animal blood lines, health, age, vaccinations, milk production, weight and more. When the animal leaves the farm, it can be traced all the way through processing.
7
Label these 8 rivers h Minnesota hRainyh Mississippi hRumh St.Croix hSt.Louish Red hRoot
Howcan you helpprotectourrivers?
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Makealistofallthewaysyourfamilyuseswaterinaweek.Thenguesshowmuchwateritisingallons.
Next,findyourfamily’swatermeter.Takeanotepadandjotdownthedate,
timeandthenumbersonthemeter.(Aparentcanhelpyoureadthedials.Thewaterismeasuredincubicfeet.Onesweep-handrevolutionisonecubicfootofwater.)Readthemeteragainafteroneweekandseehowyourpredictioncheckedout.
One cubic foot of water is about 7.5 gallons.
Celebrate Minnesota Water
Date_______________________Time_________________No.______________
Date_______________________Time_________________No.______________
ON
THE WEB
Therearenearly 7 billionpeopleintheworldtoday.Whichcountriesdoyouthinkrankfirst,secondandthirdinpopulation?
Whyisitevenmoreimportanttoprotectnaturalresources
aspopulationrises?
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Green SquadIsyourschoolasafe,healthyplacethat
doesn’thurtyouortheenvironment?ThekidsontheGreenSquadknowhowto
findout!Theyhaveamissionforyou.
Caring for our Natural Resources
Answers:1.China;2.India;3. UnitedStates
Baseball-Ag ConnectionEverytimeaMinnesotaTwinspitcherbreaksthebatofanopposingplayer,100 trees will be planted inaMinnesotaStateparktohelpbeautify,restoreandenhanceTwinsTerritory.
when the AgMag began, there was no “On the Web.” Your school would not have had computers, and the Internet did not exist!Yea
rs
ExploretheUniversityofMinnesota’sFarmtoSchoolToolkitanddiscoverall
kindsofactivitiesandexperimentswithfood.Doyouknowhoweasyitistomakeanacidindicator
totestfoods,suchasfruit,salt,vinegar,bakingsodaandmore?Howcouldyoufindouthowfastacarrotcanrot?Trya
scienceprojecttestingcarbonatedwater,colaandvinegaraspicklingsolutionsforcucumbers.FindallthisandMORE:
www.mn-farmtoschool.umn.edu/default.htmON
THE WEB
What is Arbor Day?When is it?
Date __________________________________
Keeping rivers clean is
“eggsactly” what we need.
Water from 31 states
drains into the Mississippi River.
It all ends up in the Gulf of Mexico
and the Atlantic
Ocean.
The Minnesota AgMag is a publication of Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom, 625 Robert Street North, St. Paul, MN 55155. The program is a public/private partnership between the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the Minnesota Agriculture in the Classrom Foundation. Statistics courtesy U.S. Department of Agriculture and Minnesota Agricultural Statistics Service. MAITC Program Director: Al Withers. Writers: Jan Hoppe and Jane Duden. Design and Production: Northern Design Group. Printed in the U.S.A.
www.nrdc.org/greensquad/intro/intro_1.asp