Farms generate spin-off industries.
Farming is big business that does not exist in isolation. A quick look at a grain farm in North Dakota or a ranch in Texas provides an overview of the support people on the farm, the agriculture services and the businesses -- such as machinery dealerships -- that have developed specific to farming. The best way to teach students about jobs that are associated with farming is to arrange them into groups and look at how they are interconnected.
Farmer
The farmer--the primary producer--is a good place to begin, and then you can work outward. Gone are the days of mixed farms when people had a bit of everything; now farmers specialize. Study the different types of farms -- cattle, grain, pigs -- and then take virtual tours of them to better understand how farms operate and what sort of outside support they need (see Resources, below).
Support
On-site jobs, such as dairy hands, are associated with farming. These jobs are essential for larger farms to operate when a one-family operation can't do it on its own and needs additional labor. Look at a job description to get a better idea of the varied tasks farm workers do. Discuss with your students all of these jobs.
Seasonal Workers
Review the work of seasonal workers, such as combine harvesters and fruit pickers who only work for a few months of the year. Go from the planting season through to the harvest to have students understand why some farmers need to hire extra help to get their crops harvested.
Produce Buyers
Also include the people who buy the produce from the farmers, such as the fruit companies, stockyards and dairies. Take a class trip to a grain terminal and see how the grain is graded and moved into bins until it is shipped out. Make posters of how the produce from the farm ends up in the school cafeteria. Wheat, for example, is grown on the farm, delivered to a grain terminal, ground into flour, made into bread and eaten as part of a sandwich at lunch.
Support Services
Another level of jobs associated with farming are professional support services. Veterinarians and accountants, for example, often work closely with farmers, particularly in small towns. Study the sorts of services these people provide, such as a veterinarian vaccinating cattle and helping at calving time.
Machinery
In addition to the people who have jobs associated with farming, there also are farming industry operations, such as a machinery dealerships, and the people who work in that sales field. Have your students better appreciate the machinery that is necessary to run a farm--which in turn creates jobs for machinery manufacturers--by having them research how much farm machinery costs or by visiting a local dealership and seeing the tractors and combines.
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