Industrial Agriculture
Sustainable Agriculture
Plants
Meat Industry
Random Farm Trivia
100
What are the two main goals industrial agriculture?
Profit and increased crop yield
100
What are the goals of sustainable agriculture?
-Preserve Resources for future generations (Water & Soil)
-Maintaining biodiversity
-Grow Food
100
What is monoculture?
Growing fields of only one species of crop.
100
What is the most commonly farmed livestock in America?
Chickens are far and away the most numerous type of livestock on the planet. There are about 135 chickens for every cow—and three for every human.
100
What is the most produced crop in the US?
200
How does tilling impact the soil?
Tilling fields causes increased erosion because it removes plants (and roots) that hold topsoil in place.
200
Explain 2 benefits of no-till agriculture
-Decreased erosion
-Increased and maintained soil moisture
-Increased soil nutrients
-Saves Water
200
What are the harms of non-native plants?
-Lowers biodiversity
-Invasive Species
-More effort & resources to maintain
200
What livestock is the least sustainable?
Many people think beef is the worst type of meat for the planet, but lamb is even worse.
The reason lamb outweighs beef in terms of environmental impact is because lamb "produces less edible meat relative to the sheep’s live weight.
200
How much does a hay bale weigh?
A 3×3 bale of hay weighs between 880 to 1,100 lbs on average
300
What are the benefits and harms of synthetic fertilizers?
Benefits: ease of application, targeted nutrients.
Harms: Synthetic fertilizers come from fossil fuels, therefore increases greenhouse gasses and pollution. Synthetic fertilizers easily run off farm fields and lead to nutrient pollution/eutrophication in water ways.
300
What are the benefits of organic fertilizer?
Organic fertilizers (manure) add organic matter and moisture to the soil.
300
What are benefits and drawbacks of GMOS
GMO seed can produce greater yields, and more desirable traits/ crops that can survive in more challenging environments. A negative is that they decrease biodiversity.
300
What is energy subsidy? For 50 bonus points if you provide an example.
The amount of energy (often fossil fuels) required to create a calorie of the food.
High: Offshore fishing, crab legs, meat
Low: backyard chicken eggs, homegrown fruits and veggies.
300
Roughly, how many people does one farmer feed annually?
165 people!
400
What are the benefits and harms of pesticides and herbicides?
Benefits: greater crop yield and profit because pests do not damage the crops.
Harms: Can lead to pesticide resistance, pesticide treadmill, water pollution and the killing of beneficial organisms.
400
What are 5 methods of saving water in agriculture?
1) Rain-barrels/rain collection
2) Water-Recycling
3) Efficient Irrigation
4) No-till
5) Native and drought resistant crops
400
What are the benefits of native plants?
-Resistant to weather
-Root systems fit the soil (Deeper root systems for harder soil)
-Supports Pollinators
-Biodiversity
400
Why is sustainable agriculture challenging?
Requires more human labor and time, scientific knowledge, may produce less yields.
400
Why are barnes painted red?
Rust was plentiful on farms and because it killed fungi and mosses that might grow on barns, it was very effective as a sealant. It turned the mixture red in color. When paint became more available, many people chose red paint for their barns in honor of tradition.
500
What are the 5 techniques that lead to an increase in crop yields?
1) GMOS
2) Synthetic fertilizers
3) Pesticides
4) Monocultures
5) Irrigations
500
Name 3 sustainable agriculture techniques that reduce erosion.
-cover crops
-intercropping
-native plants
-perennial plants
-no-till agriculture.
500
What are two benefits of growing perennial plants over annual plants?
Perennial plants do not require planting each year therefore they reduce soil erosion. They grow long root systems that allow them to access ground water deeper in the soil, so less impacted by drought. Their deep roots hold soil in place reducing water and wind erosion.
500
How many more gallons of water are used for a steak vs a salad (just lettuce)?
Salad: 3.5 gallons
Steak: It takes approximately 1,847 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of beef
That's 1,843.5 more gallons!!!!!
500
What US state has the most farms?
Texas has 248,809 farms, more than any other state in the nation.