How we interact with agriculture can be categorized in one of two roles: producer or consumer. To get a product from producer to consumer, there may be many other points of human interaction. Let's consider the path of an apple as it goes from producer to consumer to become part of a frozen apple pie.
Production begins with the producer. This is the person or people actively involved in raising raw agricultural products, such as crops or animals. Farmers, cattle ranchers, and cotton growers are all considered producers. In the example of the apple pie, the apple growers are the producer.
After production, comes harvesting. The harvester gathers the raw agricultural products for consumer use. Harvesting may be done by hand, but is often done with machinery or equipment. Apple pickers are the harvesters in the apple pie example.
Processing involves converting a raw product into a product ready for human consumption. The amount of processing required depends on the product. A simple apple may only be washed in this stage. However, the apple pie requires the apples go through much more processing before they are ready for human consumption.
After processing, comes packaging. The processed product is packaged for distribution and sale. Packaging provides information for the consumer about how to use the product. Additionally, proper packaging can help to reduce spoilage of food products during transportation. The apple pie must be packaged in an appropriate container for distribution and sale.
A wholesaler buys products in bulk and sells them to retailers rather than consumers. The wholesaler acts as a middleman in the process of selling products to retailers. Before the consumer can buy the apple pie, it must be purchased by a wholesaler and sold to the grocery store.
The retailer puts the product in the store and makes it available for purchase. The retailer uses marketing to persuade consumers to purchase the product. The grocery store makes the apple pie available to consumers in the store's frozen dessert section.
Consumers are people who purchase and use agricultural products. You act in the role of consumer every time you check out at the grocery store. In the example of the apple pie, the consumer buys, prepares, and eats the pie.