Work in the Farming Industry

From last year’s raid on an Iowa slaughter house to last month’s salmonella egg scandal, there is no doubt that America’s food sources are often the subject of some not very good news.

But, farming in the U.S. is also the source of much good news.

For example, did you know that the U.S. is the preferred place for international food manufacturers to test and expand their markets?

But where is all this food coming from? Some of it is imported, yes, but the vast majority of food manufactured and sold in the United State is grown, raised, and / or harvested right here, too. Here are some incredible statistics showing the vast magnitude of the farming profession in America.

Corn farming
The United States is the largest producer of corn in the world, with over ten billion bushels of corn grown at 400,000+ farms in America.

Soybean farming
There are 350,000 U.S. farms producing half the world’s soybeans. This $6.66 billion industry is essential for the manufacturing of soybean oil, which is used in everything from anti-corrosion agents to Soy Diesel fuel to waterproof cement. Soybean is also used in meal, which is used to feed livestock.

Wheat Farming
Ranked third in America’s top producing crop, wheat is farmed at over 240,000 U.S. farms. Approximately 13% of the world’s wheat supply comes from the United States, where nearly 2/3rds of it is grown in the Great Plains. While 70% of wheat is grown for human consumption, the other 30% is used in animal feed and industrial applications.

Cotton Farming
Unlike corn, wheat and soybeans, cotton is a more specialized farm crop, grown in just 32,000 U.S. farms. Those farmers grow 20% of the world’s cotton, which means producing some 7.2 billion pounds of cotton annually. 60% of the cotton grown is used in clothing, 28% in home furnishings and the balance in industrial applications. The seed is used for animal feed or to make cottonseed oil.

To learn more about farming production in the U.S., please come visit the JobMonkey’s newest section on farming jobs.

Statistics Source: EPA.gov