Myth: Farmers don’t care about the environment
Myth: “There is only one right way to farm, and that’s organic or non-GMO or conventional or biotech, and the list goes on.”
Myth: The majority of U.S. farms are large corporate farms or “Big Ag.”
Myth: Agriculture is a limited career field.
Myth: “Pesticides are not regulated!” or “Pesticides need to be regulated.”
Myth: Organic means no pesticides!
Myth: Farmers douse/slather/drench their crops in pesticides.
Myth: Farmers use pesticides as a shortcut – they’re not necessary.
Myth: Conventionally grown food is less nutritious than organically grown food.
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Conservation tillage and no-till increase crop residue on the soil’s surface which traps water in the soil by providing shade. The shade reduces water evaporation. In addition, residue slows runoff and increases the opportunity for water to soak into the soil. In fact, continuous no-till can result in as much as two additional inches of water available to plants in late summer. Modern farming methods also include Integrated Pest Management (IPM). With IPM, farmers can reduce energy use, environmental risk and production costs while growing quality crops. IPM includes the strategic use of crop protection tools as well as other practices to keep pest populations low and minimize the drain on natural resources.
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Between now and 2020, expect to see 57,900 average annual openings for graduates with bachelor’s or higher degrees in the food, agriculture, renewable natural resources, and environment areas. According to projections made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Purdue University, almost half of the opportunities will be in management and business, and another 27 percent will be in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Jobs in sustainable food and biomaterials production will make up 15 percent, while 12 percent of the openings will be in education, communication, and governmental services.
Oh, you would like specifics of what kinds of jobs are available in agriculture? How about viticulturist, landscape contractor, dietitian, crop management consultant, rural development specialist, range manager, biological engineer, farm services agent, forest products manager, veterinarian, precision agriculture specialist, plant and animal inspector, aquaculturist…we could go on and on and on and on and on….
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Well, do we have a surprise for you! The crop protection industry works in concert with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other federal and state regulatory agencies to bring products to market after a thorough evaluation and approval process. EPA regulates pesticide use pursuant to the Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. Before a pesticide can be sold to farmers, pesticide manufacturers must demonstrate that the pesticide will not result in unreasonable adverse effects on the environment and a crop may not be treated with a pesticide unless EPA has specifically approved the pesticide for use on that crop. Federal law ensures that any pesticide residues on your food are safe for you and your family. The process of gaining pre-market approval or “registering” a new pesticide product is intentionally rigorous, and it takes up to a decade before a new product is available to growers. As companies register new products, EPA requires them to submit more than 1,000 pages of scientific data that evaluate any potential product risk for the Agency to review. Since 1959, Congress has updated pesticide laws multiple times and currently mandates that EPA re-review registered products at least every 15 years to make sure they meet current scientific and regulatory standards. In addition, manufacturers spend a great deal of resources ensuring the continued agronomic value of their products.
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