MORE |

AMAZING FACTS®@®

Agriculture is the NATION’S LARGEST EMPLOYER.

More than 235.8 million people work in some phase of
agriculture — from growing food and fiber to selling it at the
supermarket.

DID YOU KNOW...?

Did you know there are more than 2 million farms
in the United States, including more than 189,000
i" operated by women?

Crops were harvested from MORE THAN 302
MILLION ACRES in 2002, compared to 296

million acres in 1992. The remaining farmland was
used for grazing, timber, and other agricultural uses.

U.S. consumers spent an average of
p2,512 PER PERSON
2004, yet that was
income, the lo



@ DAY IN THE LIFE
OF A DAIRY COW



[

IT’S [IN THERE ®@®

Here are just a few examples of things made with products
provided by American farmers and ranchers:

SOYBEANS:

Food
CORN: Cooking oil
rae Cattle feed
Plastic Ink
Soening al Paint stripper
Cattle feed

Crayons
Diapers Lubricants
Sweetener Candles
De-icer F ,

Engine oil

Packing peanuts
Ethanol

Hand cleaner
Nail polish remover
Cleansing products Hair care: predicts

Adhesives

Biodiesel fuel




The value of U.S. agricultural products sold in 2002 was
~192 BILLION, compared to $162 billion in 1992.

The United States sold ~70.9 billion in

agricultural products to other countries in 2006. The
United States bought $65.3 billion in farm products
from other countries. That resulted in a trade surplus
of $5.6 billion in 2006. To have a “trade surplus”
means the United States made more money than it
spent on farm products.



TREES:

Lumber Mulch
Turpentine Film
Paper Chewing gum
Solvents Nail polish
Oils Rocket fuel
Medicine Make-up
| fi] 4 | aN Syrup Toothbrushes
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FARMERS ARE WORKING
TO MAKE @A DIFFERENCE

In 1982, an average of 7.35 TONS of topsoil washed
or blew away from every acre of cultivated cropland in
the United States. By 2003, the rate of soil erosion had
dropped to 4.7 TONS per acre.



U.S. SHARE OF
WORLD PRODUCTION

The United States produces a lot of the products
used worldwide. Here is a breakdown:

pe,

rr COTTON
ee coRN

6—-

B04 SS

SOYBEANS 38.7%
WHEAT 9.2%
COTTON 18.5%
CORN 40.9%
RICE 1.6%


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This chart shows us that we spend approximately 10

percent of our income on food here in the United States,
while people in India spend more than HALF OF THEIR

INCOME for the same amount of food!

United States 10% England 11.2%
Japan 17.6% France 14.8%
Mexico 24.5%

Italy 17.2%
South Africa 27.5% India 51.3%

My
My
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FOOD [S MOST AFFORDABLE
(IN THE UNITED STATES

PA... of the food we eat is grown by farmers right
here in the United States. That means we do not have to
pay other countries to send it to us.

Abundant soil and water is what separates the United States
from other countries that cannot grow enough food for

their people. However, we must protect against taking our
natural resources for granted. Some areas of the world
once had fertile cropland that, over time, was transformed
into wasteland because of careless use of the land.


Farmers and ranchers, with assistance from NRCS and its
conservation partners, reduced the Nation’s annual soil loss
from 3.1 billion tons in 1982 to 1.8 billion tons in 2001.
That is enough topsoil saved in just 1 year to fill a convoy of
dump trucks, 137 wide, stretching from Los Angeles

to New York.

CONTROLLING EROSION
ENSURES THAT THE LAND WILL BE PRODUCTIVE FOR A
LONG TIME. IT ALSO REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF SOIL,
PESTICIDES, FERTILIZERS, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES THAT
POLLUTE THE NATION’S WATER SOURCES.


OUR BEST CUSTOMERS

E.., year, other countries spend billions of dollars on
American products, including food and grain produced by
our farmers and ranchers. Four of our best customers are
shown below. The money we receive from countries in
exchange for our products is money we can use for other
things.

For example: $10.3 billion (almost as much as Canada
spends on American products each year) could buy every
man, woman, and child in the United States about

35 HAMBURGERS!

JAPAN $7.9 BILLION

CANADA $10.6 BILLION
EUROPEAN UNION $6.8 BILLION
MEXICO $9.4 BILLION


RICE:
Food
Cattle feed
Dog food

Sake (Japanese wine)

COTTON:
Bandages
Cooking oil
Paint

Paper
Clothing



Facts 4
BOUT FARMERS & R
ANC
HER,
Ss

——<——


| an benefits when private landowners care for
natural resources because it ensures that we will have
cheap, plentiful food and clean water. So all people should
help farmers and ranchers care for these resources. The
Natural Resources Conservation Service has professionals
who help farmers and ranchers develop plans to care for
their land.

Thousands of other people volunteer their time.
In 2006, more than 40,000 NRCS Earth Team volunteers
donated nearly 1 million hours to the cause.

YOU CAN HELP, TOO.
TO FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN BECOME AN EARTH TEAM

VOLUNTEER, CALL 1-888-LANDCARE (1-888-526-3227).



WHO OWNS THE LAND?

There are nearly 2 BILLION ACRES of land in
the 48 connected States. How big is that? Well, 1 acre is
about the size of a football field. This means we could fit nearly

2 BILLION FOOTBALL FIELDS within the borders of
the United States.

About 70 percent of that land is privately owned, and its
care is in the hands of those who live and work on it. Most
of that land, 1.4 billion acres, is managed by farmers and
ranchers. More than 92 million acres of land—an area the
size of California—is privately developed, and much of it is
tended by homeowners.



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United States Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service

ping People Help the

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7. late Walter Lowdermilk, an early leader in the United
States’ soil conservation movement, studied records of
agriculture in countries where the land had been cultivated
for hundreds, even thousands, of years. He discovered
that soil erosion, deforestation, overgrazing, and neglect
helped topple empires and wipe out entire civilizations. At
the same time, he learned that careful stewardship of the
Earth’s resources has enabled other societies to flourish for
centuries.

THE MESSAGE IS SIMPLE:
: IF NATURAL RESOURCES ARE DEPLETED AT A FASTER RATE
: THAN THEY CAN REPLENISH THEMSELVES, THEY EVENTUALLY
3 WILL DISAPPEAR.

Fortunately, American farmers and ranchers understand.
Through their voluntary use of soil and water conservation
practices, they show that they are committed to making
sure future generations of Americans will have plenty of
affordable food.


ALTERNATIVE ENERGY AND
FARMERS AND RANCHERS

Farmers and ranchers are also playing a very active part in
helping with the Nation’s energy supply by producing and
utilizing renewable resources. They have been using wind
and solar eneray for years. The United States used
more than 140 billion gallons of gasoline and 60 billion
gallons of diesel fuel in 2005. It is very important for us

to find different fuel mixtures and resources. (For more
information on energy, VISIT WWW.USDA.GOV/ENERGY. )
Some of the crops that farmers and ranchers grow, such as
corn, wheat, soybeans, and sugarcane, as well as vegetable
oil, fats, recycled grease, and other renewable products, are
contributing to two types of biofuels -- ethanol

and biodiesel. These are both fuel additives and
alternatives that can be used instead of pure gasoline.
Farmers are also experimenting with switchgrass and

small poplar trees to see if they can be grown cheaply and
abundantly for their use in ethanol. Imagine driving a car
that runs on grass and trees!

Eee.


ABOUT NRCS

With the mission of “Helping People Help the
Land,” the Natural Resources Conservation
Service provides products and services

that enable people to be good stewards of

the Nation’s soil, water, and related natural
resources on non-Federal lands. With our help,
people are better able to conserve, maintain, or
improve their natural resources.

For more information about Federal conservation
programs, contact your local USDA Service
Center. You can find your local USDA Service
Center's address and phone number in the
phonebook under U.S. Government, on the U.S.
Department of Agriculture’s Web site at
http://offices.usda.qov., or visit the NRCS Web
site at: http://www.nrcs.usda.qov.



INTRODUCTION

For thousands of years, civilization has built upon a
foundation laid by farmers. Today’s American farmers and
ranchers produce an abundance of food and fiber, as well as
flowers, fish, forest products, forage, and fuel. This bounty
is provided to American consumers at prices that are among
the lowest in the world. Much of it is exported, helping feed
people around the globe.

TODAY, ONE AMERICAN FARMER PRODUCES ENOUGH FOOD TO
FEED MORE THAN 144 PEOPLE.

The information in this booklet helps tell the story of
AMERICA’S FARMERS AND RANCHERS and illustrates the
importance of agricultural products in our lives. It also
illustrates the need to conserve, sustain, and improve
the natural resources that future generations of American
farmers and ranchers will need to continue providing food
and clothing for a growing population.

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA)
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has the
opportunity to work one-on-one with America’s farmers and
ranchers to help protect the long-term health of soil, water,
air, plant, and animal resources. NRCS is pleased to present
this information so that you, too, can see just some of what
farmers and ranchers do FOR THE GOOD OF THE PEOPLE.


In 1 day, one cow produces 5.4 gallons
of milk or 2.0 pounds of butter or

4.6 POUNDS OF CHEESE.

A typical dairy cow weighs 1,400
pounds and produces more than 46
POUNDS OF MILK per day.

A cow converts roughage like hay and
grains not used by people into high
eneray foods.

In 1 day, one cow consumes 55 gallons
of water, 20 pounds of grain, and

35 POUNDS OF HAY AND
SILAGE.



FARMING IS STILL
A FAMILY AFFAIR

1, 99 percent of the farms in the United States are
owned by individuals, family partnerships, or corporations

with fewer than 10 stockholders. Only 1 percent of farms
are owned by non-family corporations.

NON-FAMILY CORPORATIONS 1%
FAMILY CORPORATIONS 3%
FAMILY PARTNERSHIPS 6%
INDIVIDUALS 90%



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There’s More... |
(IT’S IN THERE, TOO®

As you can see, American farmers and ranchers make many
of the things you use, wear, and eat every day!

PIGS:
Bacon

Ham
Sausage
Pork chops
Hot dogs

Leather

COWS:
Milk
Cheese
Butter
Yogurt

Ice cream

Steaks

Hamb


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‘The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits
discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of
race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable,
sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual
orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or be-
cause all or a part of an individual’s income is derived from any
public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to
all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative
means for communication of program information (Braille, large
print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center
at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of
discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights,
1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-
9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
July 2007



FARMERS ARE
STEWARDS OF THE LAND

-— be a steward of the land means that you take
responsible care of the land and do what is necessary to
keep the Earth healthy and productive. The benefits of
good land stewardship are cleaner water, improved wildlife
habitat, and land protected from damages caused by wind
and water erosion.

By 2006, farmers had voluntarily placed more than

34.9 million acres of their land in reserve to protect the
environment and provide food and shelter for wildlife.
These farmers do not plant crops or allow construction
there. Instead, they have agreed to keep the land ina
natural state that guards against soil erosion, protects water
quality, and provides food and a safe environment for 75
percent of the wild animals in the United States.


Just as importantly — as far as the environment is concerned
— each dairy cow also produces 100 pounds of manure each
day. Imagine how much manure a herd of a few hundred
dairy cows produces!

E... year, dairy, beef, pork, and poultry producers ask
for and receive NRCS assistance to install animal waste
management systems. These systems keep manure out of
water supplies by storing it until farmers and ranchers can
put it on fields to grow better grass or crops. When animal
waste is properly managed, it helps farmers and ranchers
grow more food, AND our water remains clean for drinking,
fishing, and swimming.

\
RMERS AND RANCHERS!