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.
