Ag: An Integral Part of The Economy
Why did I get involved with GreenSeam? Agriculture is a natural resource that is very sustainable and feeds the world, and much of that comes from the GreenSeam. Because our natural resource is created and processed annually, and continually, it is the backbone to a very stable market that many regions do not have. I want us to recognize it and maximize it. It is our core economy, plain and simple. It is the reason most of us are here. We are either directly attached to agriculture or in some way support it or support those who support it. Because it is our core economy and so important to not only us, but the world we feed, we should better understand it, learn how to make it better, and educate people to make those advances.
At ISG, as much as 40% of what we design is infrastructure in the food production and related industries. We design systems that improve drainage and water quality, facilities that house livestock, facilities that process livestock, transportation systems dedicated to agricultural purposes, facilities that develop and build technological advancements, and facilities for aqua-culture. We used to think we were an architecture and engineering firm until we really started to think about for whom we are designing. ISG is an integral part of agriculture.
People think that agriculture is farming. They forget about the manufacturing, education, processing, and professional services that support it. They also forget the fact that it is the core economy behind many of our regional centers, and without that core economy, we would not have the jobs, retail, healthcare, and recreation that go hand in hand with regional centers. They often forget because when you are in a regional center, you don’t see ‘farming’.
I have a pretty high level or broad spectrum for how I define agriculture. I think many people perceive agriculture as farming. Sure it may be that to put it simply, but I define it as almost anything in our food chain and those who support it are also very closely related to agriculture. Agriculture is food production; genetics, agronomy, livestock, processing, etc., and closely related are segments of technology, engineering, biological science, manufacturing, transportation, accounting, legal, marketing, construction, and so on. In areas where the land is utilized for agricultural production, agriculture is typically the foundational economy of that region, because it is an annual producer and requires all of these support services.
