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Farmers Markets
Farmers Markets allow people to get fresh produce, almost directly from the fields, that might not always be readily available in stores. Small farmers are able to make a profit and connect with the public with fresh, ready produce. Farmers markets are becoming more and more popular especially in Lancaster County. -
Piglets Cloned
Cloning has been experienced with over the years. The first animal to be cloned was a sheep called dolly. These animals are watched and studied to see if cloning creates any long term health issues for the animal. Pigs were never cloned until March 5, 2000. Five female cloned pigs were born at the PPL Therapeutics laboratory in Blacksburg, VA. Scientist will see in the future if these pigs have any long term health problems. -
Drought in the West
Due to drought in Alabama, Florida, Nebraska, and New Mexico
The Secretary of Agriculture declared an agricultural disaster. The government began giving small loans to ranchers to help them gain water access for grazing animals cover any other losses. Scientist agree this was one of the worst droughts and has had major affects. -
Cattle technology advancements
In some places farmers have been using GPS and tracking collars to track cattle grazing patterns. With this technology we can see what cattle prefer and we can better understand why they do what they do. Ranchers also now have the ability to more quickly rescue animals in need. GPS trackers can be very helpful and beneficial to farmers. -
WIC program and school lunch changes
On June 30, 2004 President George W Bush signed the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act. Basically this was improve access to local foods in schools and The WIC program, which helps families in need get meals. Which in turn creates more of a need for crops, meat and produce grown by farmers -
Irrigation
In 2005 researchers proved irrigation to be very beneficial to crops
Irrigation gave farmers better yields and adapt to the effects of climate change. Water-saving measures and strategies are being used across the American West, where irrigation can consume up to 90 percent of available water resources. -
Edible coating for apples
We all have experienced eating or seeing apples that have browned after being exposed to oxygen, they're not as pleasing to eat. That is why the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) developed an edible coating to keep sliced apples fresh. The coating is made with vitamins and minerals and is made for keeping there flavor, color and texture for up to 28 hours. -
A New Use for Cotton
The ARS developed a cotton wound dressing for use by patient with chronic wounds.Created by J. Vincent Edwards, a research chemist in New Orleans, the cotton bandage is very helpful because chronic wounds affect over 4 million americans. This benefits cotton farmers by increasing the volume of cotton products needed. -
Chicken feathers
Four billion pounds of Chicken feathers are discarded because there is nothing that they can be used for. Agricultural Research Scientist in Maryland, has been working on to a more practical use for feathers. They created a biodegradable flower pot made from chicken feathers. -
Emergency aid food
An instant corn-soy blend emergency aid food was developed by Food technologist, Charles Onwulata. It was used to ship to impoverished countries to help those in need. This effort has fed over 3,000 malnourished children and provided jobs for 128 disabled employees in the United States. This supplement also requires more crops from farmers. -
Genetically modified foods
During this time new GMOs were introduced, such as apples and potatoes. A Genetically modified organism is an organism that has had its DNA altered or modified in some way to make it better. I can create an organism's immunity or resistance to certain outside conditions. While GMOs are a debated topic they are often an improvement for the producer. For example farmers do not have to so many pesticides or sprays because of the organisms protection. -
Trump administration
Legislation and policies passed during President Trump's time in office included an updated farm bill and renegotiating several international trade deals. The Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 was a bill signed by President Trump. This bill extends major Ag programs such as land conservation, food and nutrition, research, and forestry.
