I always enjoy discovering interesting facts about life and the things around us. There is so much to learn, including information about agriculture and food you may not know, or even were afraid to ask.
Popcorn pops because water is stored in a small circle of soft starch in each kernel. As the kernel is heated, the water heats, the droplet of moisture turns to steam and the steam builds up pressure until the kernel finally explodes to many times its original volume.
There are about 7,000 cherries on an average cherry tree (the number varies depending on the age of the tree, weather and growing conditions). It takes about 250 cherries to make a cherry pie.
Lettuce is a member of the sunflower family. Darker green lettuce leaves are more nutritious than lighter green leaves.
The plant pigment that gives carrots and other vegetables their vivid orange/yellow colour is Beta-Carotene. Our bodies convert Beta-Carotene into Vitamin A, which helps your body fight infection, and keeps your skin and hair healthy.
One in eight Canadian jobs are in agriculture and agri-food.
About two-thirds of all eggs sold are sold in the shell and the other one third of them is broken – not by accident, but on purpose. After these eggs are broken out of their shells, they can be made into liquid, frozen, dried, and specialty egg products.
The egg shell may have as many as 17,000 tiny pores over its surface. Through them, the egg can absorb flavours and odours. Storing them in their cartons helps keep them fresh.
In 1931, one in three Canadians lived on a farm. Today, it’s only one in 46.
A hive of bees flies over 55,000 miles to bring you one pound of honey. A honey bee can fly 15 miles per hour. Honey bees must tap two million flowers to make one pound of honey.
There are over 500 different types of bananas. The banana plant can grow as high as 20 feet tall. Bananas are about 99.5% fat free and are a great source of potassium, which helps build muscle power and keeps your body fluids in balance.
In 1900, a farmer produced enough food for only 10 people and Canadians spent 50 cents of every dollar earned on food. Today’s farmer can feed well over 120 people and our food costs are only around 11 cents of every dollar we earn. Canadians have among the lowest food prices in the world.
The average dairy cow produces 22.5 quarts of milk each day. That’s about 16,000 glasses of milk per year, enough for about 40 people. One cow can give 200,000 glasses of milk in a lifetime.
The beef sector in Canada contributes almost $25 billion to the Canadian economy each year.
It takes 50,000 fewer gallons of water to grow an acre of corn today than in 1990.
Think about this – Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.
Just some food for thought.
Remember that here in Chatham-Kent ‘We Grow for the World’. Check out this website – www.wegrowfortheworld.com
Kim Cooper has been involved in the agribusiness sector for over 35 years. He can be reached at: firstname.lastname@example.org
You can also follow him on Twitter at ‘theAGguy’