How a Farm Works. Part 2

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 377.

UNIT 9. How a Farm Works. Part 2

1. Dairy cattle -молочные породы крупного рогатого скота;

2. Beef cattle –мясныепороды крупного рогатого скота;

3. Produce –овощи и фрукты;

4. Garlic –чеснок;

5. Squash –кабачок;

6. Farmer's market –фермерский рынок;

7. Manure –навоз;

8. Famine –голод;

9. Starvation –голодание;

10. Malnutrition –недоедание.

Technology is also important for raising livestock. Some animals, like pigs and chickens, are kept in huge farm buildings, where food and temperature can be carefully monitored and controlled. Many types of farm animals are raised in the United States. When farmers raise cattle, they can raise dairy cattle (those used for producing milk and other dairy products) or beef cattle (those raised as a meat supply). Cattle can be fed hay or can graze in a pasture. They eat by moving their heads and tearing the grass in the pasture, because they do not have cutting teeth to bite with. Cattle can also be fed cracked corn. Farmers also put out salt and

mineral blocks for the cattle to lick.

Sheep are another common farm animal. There are about 800 breeds of domesticated sheep in the world. Some sheep are used to produce milk and cheese. Farmers also harvest their wool to make clothes and blankets. Some farmers raise llamas to protect the sheep. A llama is a member of the camelid family, but it does not have humps like its cousin, the camel. Goats are important farm animals all over the world because they can live in mountainous, dry areas where other farm animals (like cows) cannot survive. Goats are often used to produce milk.

The donkey is another common farm animal that has been used for thousands of years. Donkeys can be used for riding, pulling carts, or carrying loads. Mules are also found on farms. A mule is a cross between a female horse and a male donkey. Mules are very strong and sure-footed. Other farm animals include turkeys, ducks, geese, and rabbits.

Dogs and horses are used on farms to help herd animals. An interesting animal found on some American farms is the beefalo – a cross between the American bison and cattle. The beefalo is a hearty, strong animal. It can tolerate the heat and the cold. The beefalo does not require specific grasses for feed, but instead is able to eat whatever grasses are available. Because these animals are easy to handle and produce rich milk, they make a good farm resource.

Farms produce many types of produce, such as cherries, pears, peaches, apples, oranges, and apricots. Where they are grown depends on the climate, temperature, and growing season. If fruit trees freeze in the spring once the blossoms are out, the fruit crop for that year can be destroyed.

Many types of grain are grown on American farms, such as barley, sorghum, soybeans, rice, and wheat. There are a variety of vegetables grown on farms. Some of the most common are potatoes, carrots, beets, turnips, onions, garlic, lettuce, asparagus, green beans, cabbage, squash, pumpkins, corn, green peas, peppers, and sweet potatoes. In many places across the United States, farmers collect the produce they have grown and sell it at farmer's markets, which are very popular because the produce is always fresh.

Although modern agriculture is much more efficient and more food can be produced today than ever before, sometimes there are drawbacks. Many farmers use chemicals to improve their produce. They use fertilizers to help crops grow and herbicides and pesticides to kill weeds and insects that can damage crops.

Some farmers have stopped using chemicals and have switched to organic farming and a practice called crop rotation (growing different crops each season) to keep pests down instead of using pesticides. They use animal manure instead of chemical fertilizers and herbal remedies instead of antibiotics.

Another problem with modern farming is that sometimes farmers grow so much grain that they cannot sell it at a profit. Sometimes governments buy it and store it. Governments try to keep the supply and demand balanced so that farmers do not grow too much and lose money or do not grow enough and make food prices rise out of control. It is a challenge to balance food supplies to accommodate surpluses (areas with too much food) and shortages (areas with too little food). Sometimes in developed countries, governments pay farmers a subsidy not to produce too much. Other governments have tried fining farmers for producing too much of a commodity.

In less-developed, poorer countries, there is a different problem: not enough food to feed the population. Famine, starvation, and malnutrition are common problems in these countries. Sometimes, other countries will send emergency food supplies to these nations, but this is not a long-term solution. Farmers in these countries need to produce their own food and adopt land conservation practices that allow them to farm more productively. Sometimes the reasons for shortages are financial, but in other instances, farmers just lack the proper education.