National Winner & Essay
State Winners
News Releases
2008 Ag Day Essay Contest Winner Announced
ACA called upon seventh- to 12th-grade students nationwide to submit original essays of 450 words about the importance of agriculture in the United States. Under the theme “Agriculture – Bigger Than You Think,” students were encouraged to focus their essays on the broader scope of agriculture, showcasing the diversity of today’s American farms. Though row crops and livestock are still very much a part of the foundation of the industry, agriculture today has multiple touch points in our daily lives and many career opportunities.
Wiest, an eighth-grader at Upper Dauphin Middle School, Lykens, Pa., was named the national winner of the 2008 contest during the Ag Day event held at the USDA Whitten Building Patio. Wiest read her essay to industry representatives, members of Congress, federal agency representatives, media and others at the Celebration of Agriculture dinner in Washington, D.C.
The contest is sponsored by CHS Inc., The Council for Agricultural Science & Technology, High Plains Journal, National Association of Farm Broadcasting, National Agri-Marketing Association, Country Living Association and McCormick Company.
National Winning Essay
Agriculture...Bigger Than You Think
by Katlin Wiest
Agriculture is a word many people use, but do they really know what agriculture means? Do they know what agriculture involves? Do they know how important it is to our country and how it impacts each of our lives?
The work of cultivating soil, producing crops, and raising livestock is the definition of agriculture ("Agriculture"). The goods produced and the means by which they are created vary greatly. Agriculture has been an essential part of American life since the foundation of our country. However, many people do not realize that many aspects of human life depend on the numberous types of agriculture.
When the word agriculture is first heard, some people think of corn and cattle; however, that is not all agriculture is limitied to in today's society. Farming is the most common form of agriculture. There are many types of farms specializing in various areas. The most common type of farm is the cultivation farm. On these farms much of the United States' main sources of food are produced.
Livestock farming is the second most common farm type. Animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, turkeys, chickens, and ducks are raised on livestock farms. Horticulture farms producing flowers, trees, fruits and vegetables, aquaculture farms specializing in aquatic species production and apiculture farms specializing in bees and honey are other types of farms common in the United States.
Agricultural products are used by each of us everyday. When our alarm clocks ring in the morning, they are most likely made of plastic derived from corn or soybeans. We then go to our closets and pick out our cotton clothing to wear. Next is breakfast. We grab the carton of milk and the box of eggs, which come from dairy and poultry farms. Soon we hurry out the door to a vehicle powered by ethanol. At lunch, we open our lunch bags and pull out a bologna sandwich with cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes. Also in our bag is an apple. At home we make dinner, honey glazed ham with beans, and sugar cookies for dessert. Everythin we eat is an agricultural product. As the day ends, we crawl under our wool blankets and go to sleep not thinking that the many things we did today involved agriculture.
26,783 United States citizens were employed through agriculture in 2006 (United States Dept. of Labor). Some of these jobs include farm labor, management, retail, veterinarians, engineers, scientists, researchers, and bio-technicians. These jobs keep agriculture a successful and booming business and have a significant impact on our country's economy.
Agriculture affects many aspects of everyone's life and also offers many career opportunities. In the future, agriculture will be more important as our country grows. Agriculture certainly is bigger than you think.
2008 Ag Day Essay State Winners
Arizona - Kayla Islas
Arkansas - John Guffey
California - Theresa Hoang
Colorado - Andrew Bartlett
Florida - Jeremy Hough
Georgia - Sammie Williams
Illinois - John Steinacher
Indiana - Hayden Wilder
Iowa - Kimberly Schroeder
Kansas - Chandra Devine
Maine - Aryn Martin
Maryland - Lauren Bourne
Massachusetts - Stephanie Hobbs
Michigan - Lily Huang
Minnesota - Raven Larson
Missouri - Courtney Redus
Montana - Brooke Ellen Kapalka
Nebraska - Jake Nelson
Nevada - Mark Stewart
New York - Cindy Ramjeawan
North Carolina - Rebekah Miller
Ohio - Brittany Rich
Oklahoma - Heather Piersing
Pennsylvania - Gabrielle Terry
South Dakota - Taylor Clair Geppert
Tennessee - Clinton Dee Snoddy
Texas - Sarah Petta
Utah - Jacob Hadfield
Virginia - Lauren Murphy
West Virginia - Zach Tennant
Wisconsin - Ashley Julka
