The word agriculture is derived from the Latin words meaning "cultivation of the soil" and encompasses the production of food, fiber, feed and other resources by raising plants and animals on a continual basis.Merriam-Webster Dictionary: Agriculture
Agriculture and Ecology
In recent years there has been a trend towards farming practices that are more in balance with the environment. Organic farming, farming without the use of man-made pesticides or fertilizers, is a common example. Other ecologically-based farming practices include crop rotation, water and energy conservation, biodynamic farming, and sustainable farming.Institute for Science in Society: Saving the World with Biodynamic Farming University of Michigan News Service: Organic farming can feed the world, U-M study shows (July 10, 2007)
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Fast Facts
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Also known as farming
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Includes large, corporate farms, smaller family farms and subsistence farmersEPA: Demographics
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Six most important crops
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Largest agricultural output
