1. Lesson 5: Food and farming

2. Starter:
What foods did you bring to the class that are associated with the USA?
What type of product is it?
Are all the ingredients from the USA?
What other types of food do you associate with the USA?

3. US Diner
US Diner © Ismo, Flickr

4. Burgers
Star President Burger © Doran, Flickr

5. Cubana Sandwich
Cubana Sandwich © Wikipedia

6. Pancakes
Pancakes © Nicolás Lope de Barrios, Flickr

7. Confectionary Oreo Cookies © Mike Mozart, Flickr
Peanut butter © Mike Mozart, Flickr

8. Top crops of the USA Harvested Area (million acres)
Major agricultural crops produced in the United States in 2011 (excluding root crops, citrus, vegetable, etc).
Crop
Harvested Area  (million acres)
Cash Receipts from Sales  ($ billion)
Corn (grain) 84
63.9
Soybeans
73.8
37.6
Hay
55.7
6.7
Wheat
45.7
14.6
Cotton
9.5
8.3
Sorghum (grain)
3.9
1.3
Rice
2.6
2.9
Source: U.S. USDA. National Agricultural Statistics Service. Crop Production. March 8, 2013.

9. Corn
The United States is the largest producer of corn in the world producing 32% of the world’s corn crop in the early 2010s.
Corn is grown in over 400,000 farms.
Crops © Wikipedia

10. Corn: what can it be used to make?
As well as food, corn is used to make: paints, candles, fireworks, drywall, sandpaper, dyes, crayons, shoe polish, antibiotics, and adhesives.
Fireworks © Bayassa
Nachos © Jeffreyw, Flickr
Crayons © Paul Stein, Flickr

11. Soybeans
Over 279,000 farms in the USA produce soybeans making the USA the largest producer and exporter of soybeans accounting for over 50% of the world’s soybean production.
Soya beans © Wikipedia

12. Hay
Hay production in the United States exceeds 119 million tons per year.
Alfalfa is the primary hay crop grown in this country.
USA hay is produced mainly for domestic consumption although there is a growing export market.
Hay © Wikipedia

13. Wheat Over 160,000 farms in the USA produce wheat.
USA produces around 10% of the world’s wheat supplies and about 25% of world’s wheat export.
About 2/3 of USA wheat production comes from the Great Plains.
Wheat © Wikipedia

14. Cotton Fewer than 19,000 farms in the United States produce cotton.
Cotton is grown from coast-to-coast, but in only 17 southern states, concentrated in California, Texas, and the Southeast.
Farms in those states produce over 30% of the world's cotton with annual exports of more than $7 billion.
Cotton © Wikipedia
Cotton © Farrukh, Flickr

15. Mapping agriculture in the USA
Where are most crops grown?
Dark green means more cropland and light green less cropland.
US Agriculture Census data:

16. Cattle
Cattle © Steven Martin, Flickr

17. Where are all the farmers?
Source:

18. Activity There are many factors that affect the farming industry.
You are each going to pretend to be a farmer in the USA.
You each begin with 50 beans.
Take it in turns to pick a ‘Scenario Card’ to find out what happens to your farm.

19. Results… Who has the most beans left?
Which events affected your farm the most?

20. Plenary
Organise the scenario cards in order of importance for agriculture in the USA.
Which factors affect farming the most?
Be prepared to justify your choices.