Ms. Georgie’s poultry farm is a farm that produces organic chicken for consumption under the Purdue brand. Ms. Georgie has only begun producing organic chicken in the past 3 years, but has been in the business for over 20 years. When compared to non-organic chicken farms, organic chicken farms have more regulations to follow, including: “playgrounds” (i.e. ramps and bully boxes) for the chickens, access to the outside (even though most chickens are not always trying to be outside) and windows (i.e. natural light). Organic feeds are also more difficult to come by, being imported from countries such as Turkey and Argentina, thus helping to explain the increased cost of organic chicken in stores compared to non-organic. Another interesting feature of Ms. Georgie’s farm was her use of the manure. Rather then being considered a waste product, Ms. Georgie would gather it and sell it to a grain farmer who would then use it as fertilizer. This recycling of products is so important, not just in farming. Lastly, what surprised me the most was the differences between the public’s perception of how broiler chickens are produced compared to the truth. While I never truly bought into the media’s perception thanks to my own background and knowledge as a Pre-Vet/Animal Science student at the University of Delaware, actually seeing it all first-hand allowed me to confirm what is true and what is false. I was very impressed with the efficiency of Ms. Georgie’s farm, having 4 houses with around 156,000 broiler chickens at any given time while running it all with just herself and a a few helpers, all while also managing to follow all of Purdue’s guidelines.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), otherwise known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) is an agreement between 12 of the countries that border the Pacific Ocean, or are otherwise islands within it. These countries are a mere fraction of all those bordering and within the Pacific Ocean, and include: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States, and Vietnam. Even more interesting is the surprising omission of China.

While the TPP is still not official, it has come under much scrutiny, mainly for its close-mouthed approach to presenting itself to the public. Many, outside the government officials negotiating it, feel that decisions are being made without their knowledge, as they are not provided the information necessary to make an informed decision. On the other side are those defending the secrecy of the TPP, stating that nothing was shared during the negotiation stage as no true agreements were being decided upon. Another criticizing point of the TPP is that it seems obvious that is is part of a ploy to intimidate China, who has a large global and economic presence, as it was previously mentioned that China is not currently a part of the TPP.

While still highly criticized, the TPP has been since somewhat outlined. If it were to take effect, many different areas of interest would be impacted, whether it would positively or negatively affect these areas seems to still be up for debate. One area that would be affected by the TPP is the area of international trade. Many trade-barriers between countries would be removed, as well as the increase in privacy specific to transactions made online. Another area to be affected by the TPP include that of the protection of the environment. While certain groups such as the Sierra Club oppose the TPP, stating how it would “affect climate, water, and land” other groups such as the World Wildlife Fund support it. The Peterson Institute for International Economics has even gone on record stating that the TPP would be “the most environmentally friendly trade deal every negotiated”.

Another few important ways the TPP would affect certain areas are: good governance, human rights, and agriculture. Good governance is about instituting strict rules to combat any form of political corruption, and thus all member-countries of the TPP would have to agree to join the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC). In terms of human rights, the TPP would crack down hard on child labor laws and human trafficking, both of which are sadly still serious issues in some countries such as Malaysia. Lastly, the effects on agriculture, as with most of the TPP, seem to be not fully understood yet. While most agricultural groups appear to be waiting to comment on the TPP until official release of its details, it seems based on recent negotiations that the TPP would be a beneficial one for agriculture. For example, it would look to lift taxes on the import of U.S. poultry products (at 40%) and soybeans (at 35%) as well as on the exports of fruits (at 40%). In addition, tariffs in other countries are being eliminated as well, with some of these being eliminated immediately following the TPP’s passing, including in countries such as New Zealand and Malaysia. Ultimately, the aforementioned five examples of areas that will be affected by the TPP are just a fraction of the many, another reason the TPP seems to be such a huge deal, since it will impact so many different fields.

In the United States, the passing of the TPP now seems to be unclear. While President Obama and his administration seemed to support it, with the recent election of Donald Trump to the presidency, our country’s support of the TPP could change. For example, President-Elect Donald Trump recently stated that he and his administration will not support the TPP, beginning on his first day in office. For now, these are just words, and the actual action of the USA not supporting the TPP remains to be seen. However, as a student in PLSC 167, and an American, I can understand why the TPP is constantly being debated. The secrecy alone is enough to generate skepticism, and this is understandable. However, it is also understandable that such a large agreement between so many different countries, which when combine make up about 40% of the global economy, almost NEEDS to be debated. Such a large scale and grandiose plan needs criticism. It needs everyone questioning every detail to ensure it benefits the many and not the few. Truthfully, for this blog I was only able to learn so much, and still consider myself not truly well-informed on all there is to know about the TPP, its pros, and its cons. I do know that not everyone will always be pleased, especially on a global scale, but the TPP certainly seems to have its benefits, especially to the environment which I wholeheartedly support and always will support anything that benefits Mother Earth. Ultimately, we as the public must keep demanding official releases of the TPP details, and if its pros outweigh the cons perhaps the new administration in United States will reconsider.

Mr. Atkins began his lecture by introducing us to the many forms of irrigation, including: center pivots, drip line irrigation, and the traveling gun. We learned how the center pivot is actually THE most efficient method of irrigation, as well as a very important lesson, that is to NEVER park under the wheel track (as one of his interns did)! Mr. Atkins preceded to show us many different charts and graphs, followed by an interesting sheet of facts. 1 million gallons of water actually equals each of these: 10 household’s annual uses of water, 1.5 olympic swimming pools, usage on 100 acres of corn in on day of pollination, and 166 tractor loads. Thus, 1.5 olympic swimming pools are used each day during a season of pollination on just one type of crop! That is astounding not just in the quantity, but also the quality! Irrigation is not cheap, and thus maximizing the water usage while minimizing wasting water is crucial to the agricultural business. Lastly, Mr. Atkins touched on variable rate irrigation (VRI). This is the focal point of the center pivot irrigation. Different parts of the country contain different soils, and some crops grow in better areas then others. Also, within a specific plot of crops, certain areas of the soil may grow more than others and/or require less water for the same yield. Thus, variable rate irrigation is just as it sounds: the water rate is adjusted to more or less depending on the area being watered at the time of irrigation. Ultimately, Mr. Atkins opened my eyes to just how much of a science watering one’s crops truly is. This is no small task, and water is certainly of high value in the business, not being sprayed about sporadically.

While horse racing in Delaware is a big business, the origins of modern horse racing actually date back to the 1100s, however it was not until 1750 that American horse breeders and racers would establish the Jockey Club. This club is still in charge of standards and regulations for horse racing to this very day. This was just a portion of the history given to us by Mr. Davis. He went on to further tell us about the 9.2 million horses in the U.S. with 4.6 million Americans being involved in the industry as horse owners, service providers, employees and/or volunteers, while many other participate passively as spectators. The horse industry also has a huge economic impact of $39 billion annually in the U.S. There are two major types of horse racing: thoroughbred racing and harness racing, the former of which is done less frequently with a jockey while the latter is performed more frequently and pulls a cart. What was most interesting about this sport is that it did suffer a lack of interest for awhile, but after being connected to the casino/gambling industry, had a resurgence. This was thanks to the Delaware Horse Racing Redevelopment Act in 1994. Presently, the main financial support of horse racing comes from a “purse” which is funded by the slots/casinos. The financial support of the industry is very important, just as in any industry, as there are many people to be paid, including but not limited to: veterinarians, groomers, supplies, the betting public, the government (i.e. tax revenues and partners), as well as many other associations including the Jockey Club. Ultimately, this seasoned sport is huge int he state of Delaware, and while different from actual agriculture, is still tied in due to the need to feed the horses properly while also sustaining them over their lives as racing horses and beyond!

Ms. Wooten and Ms. Budischak, aside from both being quite charming, had quite an interesting lecture they presented. They began by explaining to us how the Green Industry has many branches, including: producers, retailers, landscapers, land managers, suppliers, etc. They further defined the Green Industry by two umbrella terms: floriculture crops and nursery crops. Floriculture crops are the flowers, bedding, garden plants, and foliage one would assume as the nursery crops are the evergreen and deciduous trees, ornamental shrubberies, and pre-cut or to-be-cut Christmas trees. While one might not believe it at first, the Green Industry as a whole is a $14 billion dollar industry, with 51% of garden products purchased at garden centers. While jobs like landscaping and land managing may seem obvious for the Green Industry, lesser expected jobs include those in: accounting, communications, advertising, sub-contracting, and legal affairs to name a few. They further discussed the Delaware Livable Lawn Program, which gives homeowners and lawn care companies a certification for following environmentally-friendly practices in terms of using fertilizers while also education homeowners on these practices. Lastly, they touched on Integrated Pest Management (IPM). This is the process, nationally, on how to control pests in an active and environmentally safe manner, via measuring out factors such as alternative methods and economic costs.

Mr. Severson’s lecture shifted the focus of the farm to the livestock portion, as compared to Mr. Adkins’ focus on crops and irrigation. Mr. Severson opened up his lecture by showing us just how important farming is to the state of Delaware (i.e. 40% of the state’s land is farms, with 33% of the farm preserved through government programs). He went on to state how 96% of these farms in Delaware are family-farms, rather then the media’s interpretation of factory-farms. On a national scale, I was not very surprised to learn that beef is the number one meat in terms of consumption, followed by pork and poultry respectively. Even less surprising was the fact that poultry was the number 1 meat in Delaware specifically, given its huge poultry business. What was most interesting/surprising about this lecture was learning just how affordable food is in the U.S. when compared to other countries. For Americans, about 6.6% of a household’s income goes towards food, while also being safer and more abundant of a market. When compared to somewhere like Russia where 31.6% of a household’s income goes towards food, I felt very blessed and much more appreciative of all the food and options I have been, am, and will be given. Mr. Severson also touched on more niche markets such as hogs (which are not a huge market in Delaware) and goats for both meat and milk, as well as the dairy business. The interesting part of the dairy business is while milk production is at an all time high, the quantity of dairy cows themselves have declined thanks to genetics. This lecture, just as the lecture on crops and irrigation, goes to show just how intricate agriculture truly is.

After a bit of a break from our field trips, our third trip took us to Hoober’s, an agricultural farming equipment business. We visited their Middletown, Delaware location, and we were treated to a tour of the facilities. The most important piece of technology in general at Hoober’s currently is precision agricultural technology. Precision agriculture allows for farmers to manage their crops much more efficiently. For example, the yield monitor/map allows for simpler management of data as well as gives farmers more information to base decisions on. The guidance/steering system for tractors is very important. It is self-guided, thus a farmer can put in the coordinates, sit back, and multi-task while crops are planted, harvested, etc. The coolest and most innovative piece of agricultural technology shown to us at Hoober’s was by far the survey drone. Survey drones can be used outside of agriculture, such as in road work/construction. However, when it comes to agriculture, survey drones are used to plan out crop-fields, and also to manage and oversee them (e.g. if crops are producing better in certain areas or to determine crop loss due to weather phenomena). Ultimately, Hoober’s showed me yet again how important biotechnology is for the future of agriculture and generally all businesses, and that management/maintenance is and always will be a relevant challenge.

For our final field trip of the semester, we stayed closer to home and visited our very own South Campus where the UD Research Farm is located. I had been to the farm dozens of times in my 2.5 years here in Newark so far, even having given tours of it on my own. I had seen behind the scenes many times before, however I always learned something new. This trip was no exception. One of the new facts I learned was that the horse can be the toughest to manage, which I had assumed due to its unique nutritional requirements, however the reason on UD’s farm was due to their temperament! This was quite an interesting change in my beliefs, grant it I imagine the nutritional requirements are still a topic of issue. Ultimately, something I did not believe was an issue on our own campus, but is certainly an issue in other parts of the world, is land management. I was a bit saddened to learn even here in Newark the greatest challenge is maintaining our resources from being bulldozed over into more buildings, athletics fields, and/or parking lots. Natural land is so important and I am glad to see that, so far, UD has stuck by its South Campus being dedicated to agriculture and the furthered research of it.

After the trip to Ms. Georgie’s organic poultry farm, our class wasted no time in heading on another field trip, this time to Fifer’s Orchards. The vast amount of crops grown at Fifer’s was incredible to witness, and what I was surprised about even more was that the top two grossing crops were sweet corn and pumpkins, the latter less for consumption and more for decorations! While Fifer’s is involved in a few farmer’s markets, their greater connection to the community is their community supported agriculture club (CSA). I had never heard of this before, however it is an ingenious idea. For those who choose to sign up for the CSA, they will receive a produce box for 18 weeks with a mix of crops grown at Fifer’s and other locally-grown produce, along with recipe ideas. The community members can then travel to one of eight locations to receive their produce box. This not only expands Fifer’s reach to the market, but also provides people from farther distances easy access to fresh produce. Being such a large orchard, it should come as no surprise that Fifer’s has adopted the use of biotechnology. For example, they use cameras to help sort apples by color and size, they use GMO crops (i.e. Round-up-Ready crops) and they plant large fields using the GPS tracking via Google maps. Local produce does not have to mean old-fashioned produce. Local farmers are moving into the future while still producing fresh crops for consumers, showing that technology and humans can truly work together for a more efficient, yet still wholesome, product.

First and foremost, what Mark Lynas did at this conference took a lot of courage. He stood up in front of hundreds of people, while also being recorded for the world to look back on and watch, and revoked his previous statements on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). He not only revoked his anti-GMO views, he even admitted to having regrets taking part in those views and fueling the anti-GMO movements in the past. On a personal level, I had much respect for Mark Lynas to be the bigger man and admit he was in the wrong, but with more knowledge he had corrected his ignorance and wished to make up for it.

While GMOs have been around for a little while now, they are still so hotly debated. To a degree, I agree that GMOs should be carefully monitored to ensure only good and healthy scientific advancements come from them, while also considering the consumers. However, I am constantly dumbfounded at how quickly some people are to be against GMOs. They act as if they will mutate your genes so drastically that something only in comic books or a science-fiction movie will begin to take place. If this were the case, we would have seen super heroes and villains running around in the real world many years ago. Ultimately, I am a man of science and logic, thus I seek to ask questions and understand. I refused to stay ignorant and uninformed about the subject until I could formulate my own opinion (and I am sure there is much I still do not know/understand, as science is always evolving). However, what Mark Lynas said in his video was that when he began to study environmental and other scientific issues, he found himself forming his new pro-GMO opinion, and ultimately defending himself in this new view against those uneducated in the science of it. It is truly amazing how quickly people by into the media and other non-scientific/non-proven “facts” about something such as GMOS.

What I found most fascinating about this entire speech, however, was early on when Mark Lynas discussed how the anti-GMO people are typically pro-organic. While organic is not a bad thing, some people are now beginning to study/question if organic farming is harming/setting back agriculture and having a negative effect on the planet. This shocked me, and I need to do more research into this myself to fully understand this newfound topic. However, it would be most ironic if GMOs were better than organics, while the media seems to spin it the other way around. Mark Lynas has proven in this video he has truely come to understand his wrong opinions on GMOs, thus proving that anyone can change their views if they are willing to learn the truth and admit when they are wrong, showing that knowledge and character go a long way in this world, all we have to do is stay open-minded.