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Maryland Grain Producers |
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FROM FIELD TO TABLE |
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On the Farm
A seed is planted, nurtured and harvested to provide food worldwide and renewable raw industrial
materials.
The most important
food-energy source for three-fourths of
the world population is grains. Most
grains are members of the grass family
that are grown for their large edible
seeds. Chief among these are wheat,
rice, corn, barley, oats, rye, sorghum,
and millet. All are widely used as food
for humans and animals, both directly
and in processed forms. Use in non-food
products has significantly grown as the
health, environmental and economic
benefits increase.
Modern crop farming
varies widely in its scope, ranging from
intensively managed small plots to
commercial farms covering thousands of
acres. Successful crop farmers must be
expert at selecting the kinds and
varieties of plants that are adapted to
their soils and climate. They must be
skilled in preparing soil and in
planting, growing, protecting,
harvesting, and storing crops. They must
be able to control weeds, insects, and
diseases, and they need good marketing
skills to gain reasonable returns from
their crops.
New applications of technologies of the
1990s are increasing crop production
while providing better management
techniques to protect the environment.
Precision farming, also known as
prescription farming, site specific
farming, or variable rate farming,
utilizes global positioning systems
(GPS) and geographic information systems
(GIS) in the satellite collection and
transmission of data as farmers plant,
fertilize, and harvest their crops.
Combines and other harvesting machines
equipped with electronic scales, which
are linked to a GPS, measure yield as a
crop is being harvested. A computerized
yield map, which locates to within one
yard (one meter) those spots in a field
where the yield is highest and lowest,
is produced. The next time that field is
planted and fertilized, the farmer
adjusts seeding and fertilizer
application rates according to
information on the yield map. This
increases crop production while reducing
the use of both fertilizers and fuel.
GPS also help farmers comply with
environmental regulations that require a
buffer free of pesticides between areas
where they are applied to crops and
nearby streams. Pesticide spraying
equipment can be preprogrammed to turn
off when it reaches the buffer zones. |
In the
Factory
Refiners separate grain into its component parts.
The wet milling
process separates the kernel into its
four basic components: starch, germ,
fiber and protein. First the incoming
grain is inspected and cleaned. Then it
is steeped for 30-40 hours to begin
breaking the starch and protein bonds.
The next step involves a coarse grind to
separate the germ from the rest of the
kernel. The remaining slurry consisting
of fiber, starch and protein is finely
ground and screened to separate the
fiber from the starch and protein. The
starch is separated from the remaining
slurry in hydrocyclones. The starch then
can be converted to syrup or it can be
made into several other products through
a fermentation process. Once the grain
is separated into its components it can
be converted into higher value products.
Sweeteners are the
most important refined products. The
second major refined grain product is
Ethanol, which is gaining increasing
acceptance as a cleaner burning option
for motor fuels. The third major product
is starch, a mainstay of our food and
industrial economy.
Grain and its components are used to make food and non-food products for consumer and industrial
use.
Food processing
encompasses all the steps that food goes
through from the time it is harvested to
the time it arrives on supermarket
shelves. At simplest, processing may
involve only picking, sorting, and
washing fruits and vegetables before
they are sent to market. Some processing
methods convert raw materials into a
different form or change the nature of
the product, as in the manufacture of
flour from wheat or oil from corn.
Processing may also involve an extremely
complex set of techniques and
ingredients to create ready-to-eat
convenience foods.
Byproducts designates a wide variety of
products made from natural, renewable
raw materials which replace products
made from non-renewable resources or
which are produced by chemical
synthesis. As petroleum supplies
dwindle or become less reliable, the
importance of moving away from
petroleum-based products is essential.
Basic consumer necessities such as paper
and textiles are major uses for starch
in sizing, surface coating and adhesive
applications. Production of amino acids,
antibiotics and degradable plastics
expands the byproduct possibilities for
the grain industry, replacing dependency
on petroleum-based products and help
deal with the plastic disposal problem. |
To Your Home
Food and fiber products delivered to you everyday.
After food is processed and packaged, products are
manufactured and packaged, they enter an extensive distribution network that
brings products from the manufacturer to various retail outlets across the
country and even around the world. Modern, high-speed methods of
transportation—trucks, trains, and planes—and reliable methods of environmental
control—especially refrigeration—enable even perishable food to be transported
great distances. Distribution networks help satisfy consumer demand for variety,
making available, even in remote areas, food and fiber products that are not
locally grown or processed. Product distribution plays a vital role in ensuring
the availability of even the most basic items.
Keep the cycle running.
A major advantage of using agricultural products are their
recycleable and degradeable characteristics. Please help protect our environment
in choosing plant-based products and disposing of them properly.
 
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