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Economic Boom!
-Rapid growth in population because of a stock market boom
-This came about by emerging internet businesses
-Unemployment is very low -
"Smart" Farms
-Farm management became very important in the 1990s
-Because the cost of inputs became extremely high during the 1980s farmers needed to become better business managers so they could be more successful in what they do
-Farmers started using computers to farm, for a more efficient work -
North American Free Trade Agreement
-(NAFTA) took place to encourage trade between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada
-Corn to Canada began to increase in price
-U.S. agricultural exports to NAFTA partners have increased a lot ($4 billion) -
Food Safety Regulation
-"We have built a solid foundation for the health of America's families. But clearly we must do more. No parent should have to think twice about the juice they pour their children at breakfast, or a hamburger ordered during dinner out." -Bill Clinton
-This became a regulation because there were a lot of food that caused deaths because of uncooked meat, and unpasteurized fruit juice
-Scientists then began developing methods to reduce bacterial contamination on livestock -
How to Make a Buck
-The cost to transport and process food is significant to farmers as they work on getting it from them to us
-Farmers receive 2-3% on bread and cereal products
-35% for different kinds of fresh fruit
-In the early 2000s out of a dollar off farm expenses were $0.81, and farm income was $0.31 -
Agricultural Disaster and Drought
-US secretary of agriculture, Dan Glickman, announced an agricultural disaster because of a drought in Alabama, Florida, Nebraska, and New Mexico
-This made low-interest emergency relief loans available for farmers and ranchers
-The loans were to help ranchers gain water access for grazing animals, and allow area for emergency grazing -
First Piglets Cloned
-Five female cloned piglets were born in Blacksburg, VA
-Born at the PPL Therapeutics laboratory
-Scientists from the Edinburgh-based company made the pigs using cloned adult cells just like they did for the cloned sheep, dolly
-They cloned them so we could have more meat, faster -
High-Tech Cattle
-Scientist David Ganskopp installed GPS collars on 12 cattle to track their movements
-He did this to figure out why cattle graze in certain areas
-Using satellite coordinates from 24 satellites, data was entered in a computer and the GIS could determine specific environments of the cattle -
A New Peanut
-Researchers discovered a peanut that people with peanut allergies could possibly eat!
-This peanut lacks a major allergen, so with that they hope hypoallergenic peanuts can be made
-Peanut allergies affect over 1.5 million Americans -
Edible Coating for Sliced Apples
-The Agricultural Research Center developed a coating for apples to keep the fresh, longer
-Many stores and restaurants are using these coated apples
-The coating contains vitamins and minerals, such as calcium and vitamin C
-The coating makes it look more appetizing, keeps the color, and sweetness of the fruit for almost a month -
The Colony Collapse
-Over 1 million honeybee colonies died in the US
-35.8% of bees died due to severe viruses known as Colony Collapse Disorder
-Other causes of death were brought up like pesticides and climate change -
New Emergency Aid Food
-Charles Onwulata a food technologist developed a food that is instant, fully cooked, and nutritional
-It can also stay on the shelf for one year!
-He developed this new food with the same process they use to create cheese puffs
-You add water to this food and it turns into a porridge like meal
-This has fed over 3,000 hungry children