The Economic Viability of American Agriculture Essay

The Economic Viability of American Agriculture â€Å"Hey mom, what is for supper tonight?† â€Å"Oh I don’t know son, what do you feel like eating?† â€Å"Well, I think I would really like to eat some steak and mashed potatoes and maybe some green beans; but first off we could start with a nice fresh salad and finish up with a rhubarb pie.† â€Å"That all sounds great son, but unfortunately all we have here is the steak; I’ll have to go to the store and see what I can find.† Later that evening the supper the family had was exactly how the son wanted it to be: the steak, potatoes, green beans and the rhubarb pie to top it off. Where do you think all of these products come from? They all can be traced back to the very importance of the world’s†¦show more content†¦First off, the size of the farm will strongly determine the longevity of the farm’s success. There are several different categories of farms and they all have specific criteria to be part of that category. The broadest of the categories is the small family farm (sales of less than $250,000). Then under this category is several sub-categories which comprise of: limited-resource farms (gross sales of less than $100,000, total farm assets less than $250,000, and total operator house hold income less than $20,000), retirement farms (small farms with the operator being retired), residential/lifestyle farms (small farms with the operator having a major occupation other than farmi ng), farming occupation/lower sales (sales less than $100,000), farming occupation/higher sales (sales between $100,000 and $249,999). The other types of farms include large family farms and very large family farms. The final category is non-family farm; these types of farms are more like corporations and cooperatives. The reason why the size of a farm is so important to the success is that it all depends on the amount of income that is flowing into the farm. The limited resource, retirement, and lifestyle family farms will have a better chance of prolonging its existence because of its off-farm income. These types of farms do not need to worry as much about low prices and low yields because of the other source of cash flow. This brings us to the farming occupation withShow MoreRelatedThe Atlantic Slave Trade Essay1225 Words   |  5 PagesI. Introduction S lavery first enters human history with the dawn of civilization. The most primitive hunter-gatherer peoples had no economic advantage by owning another individual. Only once humans began to gather in centralized communities with a surplus of food, they could reap the benefits of cheap labour. Slavery can be found in historical records dating back to even the earliest civilizations. The Code of Hammurabi details the oldest confirmed use of slavery in the 18th century B.C.E. (FageRead MoreA Study on Acela1358 Words   |  5 PagesRenewable energy policy will have varying effects on different industries across agriculture, some more or less and to different degrees within industries. In order to identify these influences, the actual policy must be identified and then the industries involved must be defined. The current relevant policy directive under the U. S. Department of Agriculture, itself an agency under the Executive Branch i.e. White House, is the 2009 Americal Clean Energy Lead ership Act, or ACELA. A stream of otherRead MoreEssay On American Economic Development971 Words   |  4 Pagesthe Federal Aid Highway Act was passed allowing for the construction of the Interstate Highway System. These limited-access highways would open the door for economic development across the country with their higher speeds and consistent route across state lines. In 1960, after the development of the interstates had yielded early promising economic results, a group of governors in Appalachia met with Presidential Candidate John F. Kennedy to discuss the needs of their impoverished people. The povertyRead MoreConsideration Of The Limits On Growth1607 Words   |  7 Pages Consideration of The Limits to Growth Mitchell Gordon 500563807 Economics of Environment The Limits to Growth There is evidence to support the Limits to Growth conclusion that our planet could face an â€Å"overshoot and collapse† scenario in the not so distant future. At the time of publication in 1972, Limits to Growth presented a grim picture of the future of our planet, which became controversial. Despite the human drive and ability to persevere in the past, the current facts seemRead MoreHenry Clay s Defense Of The American System879 Words   |  4 PagesFebruary 1832, Kentucky Senator Henry Clay gave a speech called â€Å"In defense of the American System.† Henry Clay’s â€Å"American System† included a protective tariff, a national bank, and federally funded internal improvements. In the speech, Clay defined the most important part of the American system. Henry Clay stated, â€Å"†¦The policy we have been considering ought to be continued to be regarded as the genuine American System.† The policy Clay was speaking of was the Protective Tariff. The tariff wasRead MoreConservation Is The Greatest Economic Value For The Present And Future1389 Words   |  6 Pages Conserve today, to create a better tomorrow. Conservation is needed to protect, improve, and use our natural resources wisely, so we can have the greatest economic value for the present and future. As citizens of Southwest, Kansas, it is our duty to conserve water for the current and future use of agriculture, municipalities, oil, and gas fields. My family and I have lived on the Cimarron River for the past 20 years. My parents drilled their own house well in 1992. Today, the water levelRead MoreEssay African American Slavery1571 Words   |  7 Pagesintends to discuss the daily life of African American slaves in the nineteenth century. The first Africans landed in 1619 in Jamestown, Virginia. By this time numerous accounts of slave life were published. The origins of slavery in the United States can be traced to colonial America where there was an abundance of agricultural land but not enough labor. In responding to that, this paper will also discuss, first, the importance slavery played on the economic and political development of the United States;Read MoreThe Death Tax and the Death of Family Farms Essay1496 Words   |  6 Pagesultimate decrease in the world’s food supply. Comprehending the effect of estate taxes on farm families requires a general understanding of farm economics. In Illinois, for example, there are 76,000 farms and more than 28 million acres of farm land. Therefore, the average farm size is 368 acres, including hobby farms (â€Å"Facts About Illinois Agriculture†). Illinois is a major corn producing state and the cost of corn production in 2012 is $832 per acre. The revenue from a 170 bushel per acre cornRead MoreCaribbean countries are in the tropical area between latitudes 11 and 18 degrees north, mainly900 Words   |  4 Pageswarmed by 1.5 ºC over the last century, which could be detected from the increasing number of heavy rainfall events (UNEP, 2008). Besides, the small and low-lying Caribbean states share a series of social and economic challenges, namely, a strong dependence on the natural resource in terms of agriculture, fishing, forestry,tourism, mining and manufacture industry; high transportation and commu nication costs; vulnerability to natural hazards; land and fresh water scarcity; and ever increasing stress onRead MoreWater Shortages and Desalinisation1488 Words   |  6 Pagesreserves. The Ogallala aquifers in the American Midwest is being over pumped at an unsustainable rate. Water from this aquifer is used for irrigation of crops, that provide food for millions. Also, currently in the Middle East wheat production is being slowed and stifled from the depletion of fossil water from over pumped aquifers. Aquifers are not the only water resource under strain. Rivers are being over pumped for irrigation in agriculture. Agriculture demand for fresh water is estimated