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Cultivated Plants
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Kentucky is ranked fourth in the nation in number of farms,
with 54% of the total acreage of the state in farmland.
The top five farm commodities, based on cash receipts, from
2005 USDA data are: 1. Horses; 2.
Broilers;
3. Cattle
and Calves; 4. Tobacco; and 5. Corn.
Woodford
County is Kentucky's top agricultural county, (based on cash
receipts), followed by Fayette,
Graves, Bourbon, and Webster, respectively.
In national rankings of 2006 Kentucky crops, the state posted top spots
in burley tobacco, dark fired tobacco and dark air tobacco. However, the
number of tobacco farms across Kentucky continues to decline, as
alternative crops take its place.
The tobacco plant is a member of the nightshade family of plants, that
also includes the tomato and potato. The plant has a long history in the
U.S., having been used by Native Americans before the first Europeans
arrived. Tobacco leaves for smoking were taken back to Europe and the
practice became common there.
In 1604, King James I of England wrote of tobacco smoking, that is was
a custom "loathsome to the eye, hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain,
and dangerous to the lungs...." His words would prove ominous, as
scientific research would later ascertain that smoking is the leading
preventable cause of premature death. Diseases linked to smoking tobacco
include heart disease and numerous forms of cancer. Today, tobacco related
illnesses kill almost a half of a million people each year just in the
U.S. The World Health Organization has estimated that one billion people
will die in this century from tobacco related illnesses. |
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Tobacco has played a major role in Kentucky's history since the 18th century.
However, as tobacco growers leave the industry behind, alternatives growing in
popularity across the state vary from organic vegetable gardening, to
aquaculture, to raising
goats
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In recent years, one crop that has shown growth in number of acres
harvested in Kentucky is soybeans.
The soybean, an annual legume, was first introduced in the U.S. in the
mid-18th century. The plant produces trifoliate leaves, small purple or
white flowers, and seed pods generally containing one to four seeds, or
beans. (In the photo at left, the plants shown are ready for harvest.)
The two main products derived from soybeans -- protein meal and oil,
are used in a wide variety of ways. The oil is an ingredient in margarine,
mayonaise, shortening, and many other processed foods.
Soy meal is the major source of the protein supplement used in animal
feeds.
Soymilk, made from soybean flour and water, is used in some infant
formulas and in making tofu.
Soybeans are also used in cosmetics, clothing, crayons, inks, plastics
and solvents, among other products.
Currently, the U.S. is the top soybean producer in the world; followed
by Brazil, Australia, and Argentina. |
Another common farm crop is maize, or "corn", as it is called in the United
States. Corn is an annual cereal grass first
domesticated in Mexico and Central America. Today, the U.S. is the world's top
producer of corn.
Sweet corn varieties have been developed for human consumption and are
harvested when the kernels are in the "milk stage", i.e. juicy and sweet. Sweet
corn varieties are grown in the majority of family gardens in Kentucky. Eating
corn on the cob is popular in the U.S., but not a common practice in other parts
of the world. Other types of field or feed corn are utilized as animal feed, and
are either cut before the plant matures to make silage or left standing to turn
brown and harden before cutting.
Corn products include corn syrup -- an ingredient in dozens of foods;
cornmeal -- a staple food in many parts of the world and the main ingredient in
tortillas and other common Mexican foods; corn flakes; hominy; and grits.
Corn is also used in the manufacturing of fabrics, grain alcohols, plastics,
syrups; and in new fuel types, such as the currently popular gasoline additive,
ethanol.
Other fruits and vegetables grown in Kentucky for profit and/or in backyard
gardens include: asparagus; beans; beets, broccoli; Brussels sprouts; cabbage;
carrots; cauliflower; celery; chard; Chinese cabbage; collards; cucumbers;
eggplant; endive; garlic; horseradish; kale; kohlrabi; leeks; lettuce;
muskmelons; mustard; okra; onions; parsley; peas; peppers; potatoes; pumpkins;
radishes; rhubarb; rutabaga; spinach; squash; sweet potatoes; tomatoes; turnips;
watermelons; and zucchini.
For more information:
Photographs and statistics, (cited on this page),
provided by the USDA.
From the Garden - Puzzles and Games
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