TPP stands for Trans-Pacific Partnership and it is very controversial. There are twelve countries bordering the Pacific Ocean that are involved in TPP including the United States. TPP’s goal is to eliminate taxes and other trade barriers on American products to make it easier for American entrepreneurs, farmers, and small business owners to sell Made-in-America products abroad. By increasing our trade with the other countries involved in TPP, we are bettering our relationships with other places overseas and forming allies.
One of the many problems with TPP is that it contributes to income inequality. The higher-paid workers and owners will receive more of the income gains. Also, people are afraid that jobs will be lost to countries involved in TPP. There are some workers in other countries that are more willing to work for lower salaries. Jobs will be shipped overseas and our wages in America will be lowered. Another concern is involving the pharmaceutical industry and individuals who need medicine. TPP will make it more difficult for people to obtain medicines affordably. There are also threats to wildlife and the environment which is concerning. Many people also feel like TPP was created in extreme secrecy and the negotiations were kept from the public.
The way that TPP seems is that it mostly helps big businesses and large corporations. It does not protect the environment or help people with job stability, which are two things that are important. The commitments to improve labor rights and environmental practices are vague and should have been worked on more in this partnership. In the coming year with the change in power for the United States, it will be interesting to see if TPP will be supported or not.
Dan Severson, New Castle’s County Extension Agent, came to class to speak to us about the Livestock Industry in Delaware. He gave us an overview of Delaware Farms and we learned that Delaware ranks first in the U.S. in the value of agriculture production per acre. Most farms are family owned and 2% of the US population is involved in farming. The U.S. has the most affordable, safest, and abundant food compared to other parts of the world. Dan went over the different livestock in Delaware and what they are used for. We learned that Beef is the meat with the largest annual per capita consumption. Sheep are used mostly for genetics and show, along with their wool, hair, and milk. Goats are used for mostly for meat and milk. We learned that dairy cows have become more efficient in producing milk. The number of dairy farms have decreased but the number of dairy cows have stayed the same in Delaware. I enjoyed learning about the animal side to Delaware agriculture.
Our most recent guest speaker was David Mayonado, the technology development representative from Monsanto. He came to talk to us about Industry and Agriculture. He showed us an interesting chart about the changing tools for agricultural pest management. GMO’s and RNAi are used today for pest management. GMO’s are genetically modified organisms that are used to increase yield, control pests, and increase drought tolerance. Monsanto has been working recently with RNAi technology. RNA interference is a natural mechanism to control the expression of a gene so it has the possibility to turn off specific genes. Also known as gene silencing, scientists designed a type of RNA that matches part of an essential gene in the western corn rootworm. Then, corn is genetically modified to produce the RNA. When the rootworm ingests the corn, the RNA enters the cells and the cells react as if the RNA was a virus. The cell turns off the targeted gene, which is essential for life in the rootworm. This causes the worm to die. This type of pest control is happening with corn, potatoes, and tomatoes. It was amazing to learn about the research going on with RNAi and GMO’s in the Ag industry. David Mayonado taught us more about working in industry and let us know that there is a demand for agricultural scientists.
Tracy Wootten and Valann Budischak came to class to talk to us about Delaware’s Green Industry. I did not know much about the green industry before this lecture and it was very interesting to learn about. Tracy and Valann taught us the difference between floriculture and nusery crops. Floriculture crops are bedding/gardening plants, cut cultivated greens, flowers, and foliage plants. Nursery crops are trees such as evergreens, shade trees, flowering trees, shrubs, fruit and nut plants, and Christmas trees. Nursery and floriculture crops produce about $13.8 billion in grower sales. The green industry itself is producing about $21 million nationally per year. The horticulture industry has a large impact on Delaware’s economy. Tracy and Valann explained to us the different people involved in the green industry, including producers, retailers, landscapers, and more. There are a lot of job opportunities in the green industry and I was unaware of this before this lecture. I found it very interesting when they talked about planting flowers on the side of highways to decrease driver fatigue. I really enjoyed learning about a part of agriculture that I do not hear much about.
Mark Davis, Delaware’s Executive Director of Harness Racing Commission, came to talk to our class about the horse racing industry in Delaware. This was very interesting to me because I do not know a lot about the horse racing industry but I am very interested in horses and learning about them. Mark Davis told us that he did not start out thinking he was going to work with horses. He graduated with a degree in environmental science and worked a few places before working with the Harness Racing Commission.
We learned about the history and background of the harness racing industry. Horse racing’s total contribution to the Delaware economy was about $182 million in 2014, including $121 million of output and $61 million of input. The horse industry has a direct economic effect on the U.S of $39 billion annually. The horse racing industry has so many parts which means there are a lot of opportunities for jobs in this field. We also learned about the difference between Harness Racing and Thoroughbred horses. Harness racing horses pull carts and race more often than Thoroughbreds. Thoroughbred horses race with a jockey on their back and race less often. He told us about how the Delaware State Veterinarian is not very involved in the horse racing industry, but the veterinarians for each horse keep track of the tests to make sure the horse is healthy.
Mark Davis is very successful in his field and it just shows that you never know what career you are going end up with. He graduated college with a completely different plan and ended up loving the horse racing industry.
Our second field trip was to Fifer’s Orchards. We had the chance to go on a tour of the farms at Fifer’s and it was very interesting to see how this multi-generation family run farm works. I was surprised to find out that their biggest money maker was sweet corn and pumpkins, not apples. It was amazing to hear about all the diversity in the crops, fruits, and vegetables that they are growing during the year. We also had the chance to see the packaging and sorting area for the apples. The technology that is used is so advanced and allows them to be more efficient. They have a camera that takes pictures of the apples and sorts them by size and color, which reduces the amount of labor that must be done. We also had the chance to learn about CSAs, which are Community Service Agriculture clubs. Fifer’s CSA gives them a chance to promote the events coming up at the Orchards and to introduce Fifer’s to people who do not know about it. Their CSA consists of an 18-week long period where they put together a produce box with the produce grown at Fifer’s and local farms. They include recipes, unusual produce, and fliers in the box to promote their business and teach people how to use their produce. It was amazing to see how successful Fifer’s has become.
Our class discussing the impact of social media on Fifer’s Orchards.
Our last field trip was a tour of the University of Delaware’s farm on South Campus. Scott Hopkins, the farm superintendent, showed and taught us about the farm. We started out on the bus and drove to Webb Farm, learning about the plants and crops that were growing along the way. He showed us where the wetlands were, the bees and bee houses, the poultry houses, and what all the different parts of land were used for. Once we arrived at Webb Farm, we went into the Equine building. None of the horses were in the stable because they were grazing outside. He told us that they spend a lot of their time outside and not in their stalls. Scott Hopkins told us about how they decided to make the walls of each stall see-through so the horses feel more comfortable and can see each other. He also told us about how horses can stop themselves when they are going into labor, they can be very unpredictable because of this. We also had the chance to see the sheep and lambs while on Webb Farm, along with the composting area. We saw a newer pile and almost done pile of compost, which was steaming.
Learning about composting.
After Webb Farm, we made our way to the Dairy Farm. We toured the milking parlor and the research area. The feeders in the research area were specific for only one cow to eat from it. After the Dairy Farm, we enjoyed some ice-cream at the UD Creamery! I enjoyed getting a tour of our farm on campus and learning more about what is happening with agriculture at our school.
Our class learning about the feeders that are specific to one dairy cow.
Our first field trip of the semester was to Georgie Cartanza’s organic poultry farm. To maintain the biosecurity on that farm, we all had to suit up when we got there. Georgie’s farm has 156,000 birds split up evenly between four houses. Within the past 3 – 3 ½ years, she transitioned to be an organic bird grower. Originally, she grew regular roasters and switched to organic broilers. Operating an organic poultry farm has different expectations compared to a regular poultry farm. Georgie has tunnel ventilation and evaporative cooling pads to keep the chickens at a comfortable temperature. Since it is an organic farm, Georgie had to install windows, little doors to let the chickens outside, and enrichment areas. The organic chickens are given the option to roam outside when they want to, which is what the little doors are used for. Surprisingly, Georgie said not many of the chickens want to go outside. The enrichment areas include ramps and bully boxes that are used as “toys” for the chickens. Also, the feed, temperature, and water are all controlled electrically. One of the big changes in becoming an organic poultry farm is the type of food the chickens are fed. The chickens are fed organic food that is imported from Turkey and Argentina. Georgie showed us how well chickens are treated in the poultry industry. She recommended to any of us who want to enter the field of poultry that we learn about the poultry industry, take poultry and business classes, and are willing to learn, work, and have a positive attitude.
In the video, “The GMO Controversy,” Mark Lynas, an environmentalist and author, talks about his change of heart for GMO’s. He was the founder of Europe’s anti-GMO movement and apologized for spreading false information about genetically modified organisms. When he originally heard about Monsanto’s GM soya, he thought they were experimenting with our food and mixing genes that were not supposed to be mixed. GMO’s were banned in Europe and other countries because of his movement. The anti-GMO movement was the most successful campaign he has ever been a part of but it was for the wrong reasons. It is an anti-science movement and that is why he regrets it.
GMO’s actually add to our economy and environment. Our population is growing and if it were not for genetically modified organisms, we would not be able to feed the population. Yield is one of the most important factors in agriculture and sustainably feeding the world. GMO’s produce higher yield due to the use of technology.
I found it very interesting that he would support the anti-GMO movement for so many years being an environmentalist. It is crazy that this movement had such an impact on people and still does today. There are many people who are too quick to listen to what they hear from other people and read on the internet, without actually checking if the information is factual. Mark Lynas mentioned that if it were not for the increase in the use of technology, we would no longer have the Amazon Rainforest or tigers in India. The population is growing so much that if we did not have the technology that we have today, we would need a lot more land to grow food for everyone. Mark Lynas makes a strong case for his change of heart for GMO’s.
