Decline in Bee Populations Causes Scare for US Agriculture

Decline in Bee Populations Causes Scare for US Agriculture

There has been a lot of buzz in the news about bee populations and a lot of people are confused as to why it matters. I decided to look into it by reading a few online articles.

When one thinks of farming, those mental images usually consist of tractors, crops and silos. But one crucial aspect to the agricultural system is rapidly disappearing and causing a lot of fear for farmers. Since 2008, the population of wild bees has decreased by 23% according to research done at the University of Vermont. Bees are the main pollinators of most ag crops. Without bees, we wouldn't have a way of producing most of the fruits and vegetables we see in our grocery stores. 

There are a few reasons that scientists think that bee colonies could be decreasing, says nature.org. The use of pesticides, loss of habitat, fungal diseases, or mite infestations. Furthermore, scientists now believe that colony collapse disorder (CCD) is the root of the problem. CCD is the unexplained disappearance of bee colonies. Scientists do not know much about CCD, but are doing research to uncover a solution.

Bees are the catalyst for plant growth via pollination. Pollination is the transfer of the male germ in a plant to the female reproductive organ in another plant. This process is so vital because without pollination, plants don't grow. If plants don't grow, farmers don't make money. If farmers aren't making money, the rest of the population has no food. Bees are obviously an extremely important part of our lives. Although bees aren't the only pollinators, things like wind can also pollinate plants, but it's just not an efficient or reliable alternative.

In the end, this bee crisis is something that the US needs to be take very seriously. Hopefully, in time the populations will bounce back and become one of the first things people think about when they buy their fruits and vegetables from the store. 

For more information, visit: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/12/151221193528.htm

Prompt 1- Agricultural Preconceptions

Prompt 1- Agricultural Preconceptions

What do we think of when it comes to agriculture in Michigan? If you're like me, you can remember a time when you drove in the shotgun seat with your grandpa in his beat-up red pickup truck, driving through dirt roads past miles and miles of green corn and golden grain. If you can't remember a time like that, chances are, you don't know a lot about the agricultural economy. Regardless, I'm sure you have some ideas of what the ag industry in Michigan and the US looks like.

I grew up in a family that is very familiar with agriculture, although, before enrolling Michigan State, there were many things I didn't know. Because of my experiences, I assumed a few things. I thought Michigan was mildly diverse in terms of variety of crops. I never thought about how much of the US crop that is exported. And that Michigan grew mostly corn, wheat and soybeans.  Lastly, like most people, when I thought of farms, I thought of quiet family farms of only a few hundred acres.

Upon my first semester at MSU, I took Crop and Soil Science 100. This is the introductory class to CSS, which is the closest major there is to farming. In that class, we didn't have a textbook, rather we used a course pack with information that our professor seemed most important.

 At the very beginning of the class, we learned that the US exports the most amount of crops in the world. The US exports more than $100 billion dollars in agricultural goods. Many to Japan, Canada and China.

When Americans think of agriculture, usually the first crops that come to mind are corn, wheat and soybeans. Yes, Michigan does produce a lot of corn, wheat and soybeans, so you might have also known that Michigan produces more tart cherries than any other state in the country. But I did not know that Michigan ranks first in production of black and red beans, blueberries, cucumbers and Niagara grapes. Moreover, Michigan ranks second in all other dry beans, celery, squash and carrots and third in apples, asparagus and snap beans.

The classic image of the American farm generally contains a middle-aged man in blue collar clothes on his tractor or herding in his cows. But the real scope of Michigan farms is much different. In Michigan, women are involved in operating 42% of farms. 87% of Michigan farms have an individual owner, and the smaller percentage of corporations are producing much more of the overall agricultural output.

After my first ag related class at Michigan State, I did learn a lot of facts on the landscape of what Michigan farming looks like. Our course pack was a great way to correct a few of my preconceived notions and to reaffirm what I had already known.

About Me

About Me

Who am I? That’s a vague question to ask or someone who has been on the earth 19 years. I’ve done a lot of things. Some I am proud of, and some I try to forget. Some funny, some memorable, and some fulfilling. I’m from the Thumb of Michigan. My hometown is a blue-collar town and I'm very proud of it. Throughout my life, I have been heavily involved in sports.  I was a two-year lacrosse all-state candidate and hockey player of the year for my area. I always dreamed of going to Michigan State. Before coming to school, I had a job at a dairy farm in the Thumb and after I left that job, I would go to my other job at a milling company. That summer, I worked around 12 hours a day from midnight to noon.
At MSU, I major in crop and soil science and play rugby in the fall. School has definitely kept me busy and I love it. Aside from math, school has been extremely successful. The next three years hold a lot of new experiences and I can’t be more excited. Alas, as I have only been here for a semester, I do not have much to write about.
As a writer, there isn’t much to say. I don’t like to read and write because, simply put, it’s boring to me. It goes by too slowly and it doesn’t “capture my imagination”. My dad used to be a writer for the Times Herald newspaper in Port Huron and he seems to think I can write pretty well. He’s a flattering man.
In my blog, I will be writing about a field that is over-looked and under appreciated in the public eye. To me, the three most import jobs are mothers, teachers and farmers. Time to gives us farmers our love.