This small machete was used by workers at the Mars Center for Cocoa Science in Itajuipe, Bahia, Brazil. Typically machetes are used for a variety of work from trimming of branches and harvesting pods to opening the pods or fending off snakes.
Cacao trees, the source of all chocolate, is grown in equatorial regions of Africa, South America, and Asia by about 6.5 million small land owners using simple techniques. But the trees are endangered by diseases such as black pod, witches’ broom, and frosty pod rot. Additionally, the low productivity of the trees helps lock farmers into poverty. The Mars company maintains a research facility in Brazil to improve cacao cultivation techniques and help develop hybrids resistant to disease and improve yields.
Corey D. Flournoy wore this blue corduroy jacket during his time as the first African-American president of the Future Farmers of America in 1994 and 1995. The blue jacket has the FFA seal on the left breast, with "Corey D. Flournoy / National President / 1994 - 95" embroidered in yellow on the right breast. A large FFA seal adorns the back of the jacket.
Although he was uninterested in becoming a farmer, Flournoy was compelled to join FFA in 1988 as part of the curriculum at the Chicago High School for Agricultural Studies. Due to the diversity of agricultural experiences excluding farming such as food science, aquaculture, horticulture, restaurant management, animal science, biotechnology, business, and engineering—Flournoy became active in the organization, and was elected Vice President of the Illinois FFA when he graduated high school. While attending the University of Illinois College Of Agriculture, Flournoy was named president on November 12, 1994 at the annual FFA convention. In addition to being the first African-American president, he was also the first president from an urban area as the FFA sought to expand its focus to include a wider range of “agribusiness” issues. Flournoy has continued to be active in agricultural industries as the founding director of the Illinois Center for Urban Agricultural Education that works with high school teachers, business partners and community organizations around Chicago with the goal of connecting students to the many career possibilities associated with agriculture.
The FFA was founded in 1928 to engage youngsters with agriculture and prepare young farmers for the future challenges of farming. In 1933 the band from the Fredericktown chapter of the FFA wore the blue corduroy jacket to the sixth annual convention, where the delegates became so enamoured with the jacket that it was adopted by the organization as its official dress.
Faced with increasing price competition from national poultry producers, California poultry producer Foster Farms, the largest West Coast producer, commissioned a humorous ad campaign that promoted their chicken by redefining the word natural and building upon customer’s fears of food purity. The campaign coined the term “Plumping” to describe the widespread industry practice of saline water injection. Seeking to differentiate their “all natural” chicken from competitors’ “all natural” chicken Foster Farms created ads that proclaimed that they did not plump.
This electronic cow tag comes from the Cleburne Jersey Farm in Spring Hill, Tennessee. Developed at Cornell University and manufactured by Alfa-Laval, the tag is an RFID transponder that hangs around the animal’s neck. RFID stands for “radio frequency identification.” When the animal is in range of a reader, an antenna in the reader transmits a radio signal to activate the RFID chip. The chip then sends back a signal containing the animal’s identification number. The reader can relay the information to a computer that tracks each animal. Farmers and ranchers use tags to monitor a number of indicators, including medication dosage, feed output, weight, and milk production.
Historically, farmers and ranchers have used a variety of methods to track their livestock, including branding, ear marking, and visual tags. The introduction of electronic tags in the 1970s provided owners with an entirely new level of technical sophistication. When attached to other sensors, RFID chips can store additional data. For example, temperature readings indicate if an animal is sick or ovulating. Some models are “active” transponders. They broadcast a signal instead of waiting for a scanner to activate them. These chips can transmit an alert as soon as an animal’s temperature is too high or even if it is giving birth. Owners generally use electronic tags in conjunction with another mark, such as a visual tag, that allows them to identify animals on sight.
Created in the 1970s, electronic cow tags were an early civilian use of RFID. As with many inventions, the military was the first to develop the technology. During World War II, the British invented “Identify Friend or Foe” (IFF) radio transponders. On its own, radar could not distinguish between friendly and enemy aircraft. The IFF transponders transmitted radio signals that identified the aircraft as friendly. After the war, scientists worldwide started exploring civilian application for radio frequency technology. At the beginning of the 21st century, RFID systems are found in a wide variety of businesses and public services, including agriculture, manufacturing, logistics, security, and medicine.