Ephram Albrecht
FARMING
Farmers grow
crops such as corn, soy beans, or
wheat, or they
raise livestock such as cows,
chickens, pigs, or
sheep. They sell what they grow and
gain their
satisfaction from knowing that at the
end of their hard
days work the money that was made
came from the soil the farmers worked. The soil isn’t farmed very much by hand
anymore though, farming has become a high-tech industry that requires farmers to use
complex machinery that has replaced the need of hand labor.
Job Description
Farmers usually have to wake up as early as at six o’clock A.M. During the winter, this
means waking up long before the sun rises. Farmers plan ahead so that all the tasks
that have to be done will be done when the day ends. During the spring, farmers work
hard to till the soil which breaks up the soil releasing the minerals and making the soil
more fertile. Once the soil is cultivated, and weather is good enough, the farmer can
begin planting his crops. Even with using high-tech machinery most farmers still use the
traditional methods such as crop rotation, planting different crops on the same area of
land, and another method that is called monoculture, growing the same crop year after
year. The famer’s knowledge in agriculture and soil help them to make more beneficial
decisions in what to plant and how to plant it, it also helps with managing pests
problems with insecticides and other sprays. When the fall comes around the farmers
use the machinery that they own and harvest the crops that they have planted and
raised the previous spring season. Normally the farmers use combines to harvest the
crops and load them into trucks for transport to the storage container. Inside the
expensive combines the grain is cut, separated, and sifted. There is even a machine
that farmers use that shakes the tree so that the fruit falls into a canvas-covered frame
and the farmers can gather it easier. These objects allow for farmers to save time so
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Ephram Albrecht
that they can tend to other tasks and they can purchase more land and have larger
profits.
Duties
The duties of a farmer is to supply food for the people of the world. Most of the food in
America is grown on domestic soil by farmers. Thanks to the famers, America is one of
the only countries that can feed its own population and the population of other countries
aswell.
Responsibilities
The responsibility of a farmer is to harvest crops for the consumers. This may be just a
mass quantity of one type of crop or it could be many different crops, such as taking in
ten thousand bushels of corn or hauling one thousand bushels of corn, two thousand
bushels of soy beans, and six hundred bushels of wheat.
Qualifications
Most farmers gain their experience from working hands on with their parents. A two year
associates degree or a four year bachelors degree at a college of agriculture or at a
university that offers an agricultural study. These qualifications are becoming more and
more important for farmers who plan on making a living off of their farms. The type of
degree that you choose to take depends on whether you want to be a crop farmer or a
animal farmer. Farmers must have managing skills so that they can organize and
operate a business. A basic knowledge of bookkeeping and accounting is essential
along with a knowledge of credit sources vital to buying feed, seed, and livestock.
Work Environment
The timeframe of a farmers work is year round, when they are not planting or harvesting
a crop they are planning how to plan next seasons, such as where to plant, what to
plant, and how to plant it. The timeframe of free time and of work depends largely on
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Ephram Albrecht
what type of crop the farmer had planted in that field. On large farms, farmers spend
time to talk to the supervisors on the various activities that they had overseen that day
or week. The farm work in modern times can be hazardous because the farm machinery
that is used now can cause serious injuries or even death. Due to the dangers in the
field and working the machinery then farmers must be very vigilant and on the ready for
anything bad to happen. The proper handling of chemicals are necessary for any farmer
to have to safeguard health, avoid injuries, and help the environment.
Earnings
The earnings of farmers varies greatly from year to year because they do not have a
salary. If a farmer has a bad harvest or there is a drought he will not have as profitable
season as if he had a good measure of rainfall and no problems during harvesting. The
profits of crops also fluctuate with the weather and where the farmer is selling his crop.
A farmer is thought of as an independent business man or woman who is purchasing
and selling quantities of crop. A small farm on average has about 50,000$ a year while
some of the larger farms that have many farmhands and machinery and thousands of
acres of land can land a profit that puts them in the millions. Even the small farmers who
do not own that much will on average have half a million dollars invested in machinery
and land. He pays for the property tax and for the fuel, usually diesel, for the tractors
and combines as well as maintenance and on the large farms they have to pay for the
farm hands. Some farmers will pay their farm hands as much as 20$ an hour.
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Ephram Albrecht
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