A tractor extension filtering out the hay while moving in a field appears. The screen splits into two halves, and the tractor clip shifts to the right half. The title of the video, “Why is Ag Important To Me?” appears on the left side.
A machine throwing out wheat grains into a container at high speed appears. Many cows of black, white, and brown colors eating grass in an open area appear.
Do you eat? Congratulations! You are already involved in agriculture!
Water sprinkles over crops in a field using huge sprinkler machines.
But what exactly is agriculture?
The screen splits into two halves. A pink-colored flower connected to a plant on the right side, and the term, “Agriculture” defined as “The art and science of cultivating plants, animals, and other life forms for use by humans to sustain life” on the left side.
Agriculture is defined as the art and science of cultivating plants, animals, and other life forms for use by humans to sustain life.
The tractor with a rotating extension reappears. Many sheep feeding on food in a queue appears in an open barn.
Agriculture is a vital industry and a significant economic sector in the United States.
A harvesting machine and a tractor moving in a field, harvesting crops appear. The arm of the harvesting machine throws filtered grains into a large container. The text bar below reads, "Annual Agricultural Sales in U.S. 635 billion dollars."
The USDA reports that agriculture sales in the United States adds up to about 635 billion dollars annually. The agriculture industry also includes processing and marketing and distribution of the products cultivated.
Many bottled juice products placed on shelves appear stacked together. Several shelves of fruits and vegetables appear in a market.
We often take for granted that food and clothing are readily available in the United States. But where do the many products and food choices we enjoy come from?
The screen splits into two halves. A large grassland with cows feeding on grass appears on the right side. The heading-text, “Agricultural Land” with the text, “Crop land,” “Forests,” “Range Land,” “National Parks,” and “Other Agricultural Businesses” under it appears as bullet points.
First consider the land. Agricultural land includes cropland, forests, rangeland, national parks, and other agricultural businesses.
A bird's-eye view of a huge green forest land with a clear blue sky appears.
Does your family own land that may be in your care some day?
Many long rows of planted green crops appear on agricultural land.
Proper management of land contributes to the success of the agriculture industry.
A person holding and looking at corn in a maize field appears. Huge sprinklers watering the crops reappear.
You may have a career directly involved with land management – for yourself, your family, or other individuals or entities.
A person sitting on a radio machine with headphones and a mic next to him appears in a studio with screens showing data. He is speaking something on the mic.
What other types of employment are available in agriculture?
Several bovines with name tags marked on their ears appear inside fences. People wearing lab coats and helmets appear in a lab where three cows are skinned and hung.
Worldwide, agriculture is the largest employer and in the U.S., the agriculture industry offers many career opportunities.
Different colored cows with ear-tags appear in a grassland inside fences. A person wearing a shirt and a cap puts some grains from a box into a machine in a workshop.
Exploring various sectors of the agriculture industry can help you choose a fulfilling career in agriculture.
The screen splits into two halves. A crop field with a sprinkler setup appears on the right side. The heading-text, “Sectors in Agriculture” with the text, “Agribusiness,” “Agriscience,” “Agricultural communications,” “Processing,” “Support systems,” “Natural resource management,” and “Production agriculture” appear as bullet points.
Sectors in agriculture include: Agribusiness, Agriscience, Agricultural communications, Processing, Support systems, Natural resource management, and Production agriculture.
A person opens the door of a blue-colored tractor and gets inside.
Selecting a career is much like selecting your SAE project.
A person looks at his tablet in a workshop. Two people in the same studio setup room appear speaking into a mic. The text bar below reads, “16.9 million; Jobs Related to Agriculture.”
The USDA reports that 16.9 million full and part time jobs are related to agriculture.
A person wearing a cowboy outfit sitting on a white horse appears inside fences. There are other people walking behind him.
That’s about 9.2% of all US employment.
A person fixes a part of a blue tractor machinery using a spanner. The text bar below reads, “On-the-Farm Employment; 2.6 million Jobs.”
Direct on the farm employment provided over 2.6 million of these jobs.
The person in the same studio speaking into a mic reappears. The text bar below reads, “Ag-Related Industries; 14.2 million Jobs.”
Employment in related ag industries supported another 14.2 million jobs.
A plant with vegetables appears on the screen. A shopping cart full of groceries in a supermarket appears. The text bar below reads, “Amount of Budget Spent on Food – U.S. 13 percent.”
In the US, food purchases account for an estimated 13% of household expenses, which is a very low amount compared to other countries where food expenditures can be as much as 50% of household expenditures annually.
A blue-colored tractor with machine extensions moves on the ground. A pipe throwing wheat grains into a big green container appears.
What would your life be without the expansive agricultural industry in the United States?
Many meats and packaged products on a supermarket shelf appear.
What if food were not available in the grocery store or restaurants?
A person appears holding a camera in a green field with a huge sprinkler setup. Debris caused by natural disasters appear.
Although we live in a country with extensive food and fiber resources, natural disasters sometimes give us an insight to what other countries in the world face on a daily basis.
Several cans of drinking water appear in cartons. A blurred photograph of some firefighters running appears.
Consider food and clothing relief efforts when people are struck by a tornado, hurricane, or earthquake.
A woman smilingly giving a plate of food to a person from the other side of a counter appears. There is another person on the counter and two people in a queue waiting for their turn.
In the US, these are temporary situations, and relief is provided quickly.
Several filled sacks on top of one another appear in daylight.
Others in the world face food and clothing challenges throughout their lifetime.
The lab with beef hung along with people in lab coats reappears. Sprinklers watering the plants in a small area appears. A person dehusks an ear of corn in a corn field. A person drives a tractor in a crop field. He is holding a joystick as well.
As you have realized by now, the agriculture industry is vital to human life, and we are all involved!
The harvesting machine and the collecting container move parallel to each other in a crop field. The harvesting machine throws the grains into the container as it is harvesting.
Agricultural work is important, rewarding, and necessary to our civilization.