Basic Science
Teaching agriculture to school kids introduces them to basic scientific knowledge and how to apply the lessons in their daily lives. For example, through the lessons kids learn about how bees make honey, how fruits develop, how trees grow and how oil is obtained from corn. Agriculture combines the concepts of chemistry, physics and biology and puts them into everyday application.School Gardens
School gardens help kids learn important lessons about farming and the environment. Planting different crop varieties allows kids to learn how things grow, live and die. Gardens help young people develop social skills by working in groups. In addition, it helps them put their agricultural knowledge into practical dimensions.Nutrition
Agriculture lessons educate kids about nutrition, where foods come from, what kinds of foods are beneficial and the importance of eating the right kinds of foods.Leadership and Team Building
Farming lessons help kids develop skills in communication, leadership, team building and civic engagement among others. Through agriculture lessons, kids learn about the importance of farming to the community and how to work together for the common good. They also learn about how communities provide food to their members.
History Of Farming
Civilisation came about when people figured out ways to domesticate plants and animals in their surroundings. This made people adopt the farming lifestyle. Farming created a shift from hunting and gathering to settling in one place. The first towns and cities developed around areas that had consistent food supplies. With time, farmers began to perfect their farming practices. The agricultural revolution made many people realise they can get more food on less land. Modern farming innovations such as use of synthetic nitrogen, pesticides, machines and rock phosphates have led to some of the largest crop yields in history.Features
Today, subsistence farmers are at the bottom of the farming food chain. These farmers use small portions of land to produce small amounts of foods enough for their families. Intensive farmers have huge tracts of land and use the latest farming techniques to produce food. They can produce foods for large populations. Most large scale farms use technologies that produce high yields.Types
Most of the foods we eat including wheat, corn, rice, milk, fruits and grains are obtained from farming. Many farms deal with the production of non-food substances such as cotton, hemp and flax among others. The increased need for cleaner energy has made many countries to invest in biofuel farms to produce ethanol, methane, biomass and biodiesel.Potential
There is growing competition among industrial farms. The never-ending demand for food has led to a new kind of agricultural revolution. Today's farmers use agricultural chemistry and advanced mechanisations in farming. Some of the new techniques used in farming include use of chemical fertilisers, insecticides, hydroponics, gene manipulation, plant breeding and hybridisation.Warning Industrial farming comes at a cost. Large-scale farming and poor agricultural practices have detrimental effects on the environment including deforestation, soil erosion and air pollution. Pesticides pollute water bodies where people get their drinking water. Although many countries have set strict regulations to minimise the harmful effects of industrial farming, the regulations are often hard to monitor and enforce.
Farming is a worldwide Practice. Modern farming techniques allow farmers to produce massive quantities of food to feed billions of people. It is important to teach kids about farming and its significance in our lives.
John Dickson is a farmer who works for upuindustries.com. When he’s not on the farm he contributes to agricultural blogs.
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