1. Delta Introduction to Agriculture Course Agriculture and the Government

3. Guest Speakers: Mr. Carrie Andrich Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Mr. Nathan Prill County Executive Director, Huron County Farm Service Agency

4. Class Schedule Next Class: Thursday, April 7 Messing Dairy Farm Meet at Tech Center at 6:00pm Carpool to the farm and back Brief meeting when we return to discuss Saturday, April 11 April 11, April 14 (Ag around the World)

5. Agriculture and the Government Review Share two things that you learned from the presentations. What is the role of the government in agriculture? What can the government to improve agriculture in our area? Our country? Our world?

6. Project: “Big Topics in Ag” Activity Partner up and discuss your Facebook post Discuss: What was your post? Who posted? What was your opinion? What was difficult/easy about the project? Share results with the class

7. Sustainability in Agriculutre Sustainable: : able to be used without being completely used up or destroyed : involving methods that do not completely use up or destroy natural resources : able to last or continue for a long time Sustainable agriculture integrates three main goals-- environmental health, economic profitability, and social and economic equity.

8. Sustainability in Agriculutre What is social and economic equity? The food and agriculture system in the United States employs tens of millions of workers and is among the most productive in the world. However, the costs and benefits of that system are grossly inequitable. The quality of jobs across the system – from farm workers to employees in the food and beverage industry – is often extremely poor. Low-income communities are often “food deserts,” where there is little or no access to healthy food and high levels of diet-related illness. Moreover, the overall food system produces negative environmental and health impacts that are unsustainable as well as inequitable.

9. Sustainability in Agriculture- Group Activity In a group of 2-3, complete the following: Choose one area of the sustainability definition to focus on: environmental health, economic profitability, or social and economic equity What does that piece look like in Huron County, Michigan, US, World? What is the biggest challenges/opportunities that can be/ need to be addressed for your topic?

10. Interesting Links, Etc. https://gmoanswers.com/studies/commodity-crops-corn http://www.wsj.com/video/flap-on-egg-farms-whether- to-go-cage-free/A73CF309-07C1-4CEA-83BC- BA7FC3DC6F16.html http://www.wsj.com/video/flap-on-egg-farms-whether- to-go-cage-free/A73CF309-07C1-4CEA-83BC- BA7FC3DC6F16.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/11/vertical- farm-industry_n_6818402.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/11/vertical- farm-industry_n_6818402.html http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/mri- scans-produce-are-completely-amazing http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/mri- scans-produce-are-completely-amazing

11. Interesting Links, Etc. http://www.triplepundit.com/2015/03/sustainability- dead/ http://www.triplepundit.com/2015/03/sustainability- dead/ http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/about-sarep/def http://www.nbcnews.com/id/8255324/ns/health- pet_health/t/peta-employees-charged-animal-cruelty/ http://www.nbcnews.com/id/8255324/ns/health- pet_health/t/peta-employees-charged-animal-cruelty/ http://blog.ted.com/why-genetic-engineering-of-plants- is-vital-for-food-security-pamela-ronald-speaks-at- ted2015/ http://blog.ted.com/why-genetic-engineering-of-plants- is-vital-for-food-security-pamela-ronald-speaks-at- ted2015/