Just A Little Bit of Water

The world is an enormous place. Over 7 billion people call this earth home. While 7 billion seems like an unfathomable amount of people, here's something to fathom: it's going to continue to increase. Now, you're probably thinking, well what do the amount of people in the world have to do with agriculture? What does it have to do with me?

So think of something that you do three times a day. I'll give you a hint, your stomach acts as an alarm clock to remind you to do this every day.

I'm talking about eating.

Think of your favorite three meals. Now think of your favorite snacks. So you've got this mental list of what you like to eat every day. Take that list and multiply it by 7 billion.

The world has to eat, too, you know.

If you can't imagine the number of people in the world, then the amount of food the world consumes as a whole is something that most people can't wrap their minds around.

As of today, August 28th, 2015, the world has consumed over 207 million tons of meat just this year. (www.theworldcounts.com) That number is constantly rising. Meat is just one part of a diet, too. Think about wheat and its by-products like flour. Then lend a thought to corn and everything that is made from it. Food is one of the biggest parts of our lives, and it comes straight from the things that agriculture produces.

Let's say you are a native to Topeka, Kansas. If you drive in any direction outside of the city, the answer to my question becomes clear. Those food products come from the fields and farming operations that you would see on your drive outside the capitol city.

For now, that is just a little bit of water to keep the seed of knowledge inside your mind wanting to grow. The next post to come will shed some sunlight on the role that Kansas plays in the big picture. In the meantime, think a little bit next time you sit down to eat about where your food came from.

Feeding the Population: It Starts With A Seed

Plants don't just spring out of the ground in a matter of moments. You can't walk down the sidewalk and watch grass aggressively break through the cracks in the cement. The same thing applies to knowledge. People can't just wake up one morning and just understand the physics of a car engine. It takes time to build knowledge.

I, Ally Burr, didn't wake up one morning with a newfound knowledge of one of the largest industries in the world. I had to search for the information and make an effort to learn what I have. It didn't help that I was not from a farm family. I was just a person with a hunger for knowledge.

Eighth-grade year was the first time I became exposed to agriculture, and it was through a class. Really, I had been exposed to agriculture my entire life -- everyone has -- but it was a matter of opening my eyes to an industry that will last as long as people do. From that point on, I took all the classes I could to learn about agriculture. Even further, I joined a nationwide organization for youth called the FFA, which allowed me to learn even more about the agricultural industry.

My journey has taught me a multitude of things, many of which I will share through the course of this blog. Just like a plant's roots search for water in the soil, the agricultural industry is looking to expand, but what it needs, the water for the industry, are people to help it grow. Growing doesn't necessarily mean every single person racing out and joining the industry right this second. Sometimes, it simply means being informed and aware. By the end of this blog, I hope that is what you, my reader, will gain: knowledge and awareness.

So, let's not delay anymore. The seed has been planted in your mind. How about let's give it some water?