“Community Management. What, Why and How.”

History of Online Community Management, While the term “online community manager” may not have been used at the time, the role has existed since online systems first began offering features and functions that allowed for comm unity creation.

Online community managers may serve a variety of roles depending on the nature and purpose of their online community, which may or may not be part of a profit motivated enterprise. Every network has an underlying purpose” and motivations for such network creation include; Mission, Business, Idea, Learning or Personal.

The first blog about, Tips for managing a social media community.

Are you trying to build a community for your company or brand?  Are you looking to go beyond just big numbers of Facebook fans or Twitter followers?

This article reveals three important tips you need to know to help build and manage communities.

What is the community management?

 the different roles for those who work with social media in business.   Among the many roles, the community manager is by far the most important because he or she is on the front lines of communication. Here’s how I define community manager:

A community manager usually manages an editorial calendar for a blog/community, a Twitter account and various third-party social media channels like a Facebook fan page or a YouTube account.

A community manager may also be responsible for managing a social listening platform like Radian6 and filtering/assigning conversations to others in the business unit for a proper response.  He or she may even organize in-person events (or town halls) to get feedback from the community. The community manager is the face of the brand.  Conversations are at the core of the job responsibility.

Source: http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/

also, there is an intersting blog about, Create easy and interesting content for your community.

Tweetwally helps you create great content for your community through tweets. Tweetwally helps you highlight the contributions of your community members who participate the most by including them in your content. Here are some potential uses for Tweetwally:

 – Engage your Twitter community by asking a question and showing off their responses in a Tweetwall.

– Share a few tweets from a conference hashtag in a conference wrap-up blog post.

– Share some takeaways from your webinar with your participants’ tweets.

You may recognize this digital storytelling tactic from blog posts that feature a somewhat similar tool, Storify. Why choose Tweetwally? Tweetwally lets you customize the look of your tweet story, so you can create an embeddable image consistent with your company’s branding.

First, you type in the hashtag or username you want to use to create your story.

Next, Tweetwally will deliver all of the tweets for your chosen search. You can edit the look of your Tweetwall under Display Options.

You’re done! Just embed your Tweetwally code into the HTML tab of your blogging system to display your Tweetwall. Here’s just a sample of what a collection of tweets can look like on a Tweetwall.

Make social media listening easier:

As a community manager, you’re the eyes and ears of your company.

Monitoring searches for industry keywords and phrases is an important tactic, along with keeping an eye on your competitors. However, with so much real-time community engagement to take care of throughout the day, it’s hard to keep an eye on all those search terms in real time. You need to prioritize and scale. That’s where Twilert comes in.

source: http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/top-5-twitter-tools-for-social-media-community-managers/

The next blog about,   How agriculture uses social media:

 The agriculture industry can embrace social media as a way to open new lines of communication with growers, distributors and consumers. Social media also gives local farmers and specialty food producers an opportunity to compete with larger farms around the country.  State agriculture departments have already dived into social media, from Michigan’s Facebook page to the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s three Twitter accounts. One of the accounts is targeted specifically to Ohio wineries and wine consumers.

But social media is not just Facebook and Twitter, it’s also blogs that help connect rural famers to cooperative extensions through sites like WNC Vegetable and Small Fruits News . Social media for agribusiness is even being taught at colleges like Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College. The course was geared for professionals, but a younger generation of agriculturalists uses social media in college to network with peers and to join online communities. For example, Alpha Zeta, the agriculture fraternity at N.C. State, uses Twitter, Flickr, Facebook and its blog to communicate with current members and alumni.

These are just some of the ways that the agriculture industry is using social media, but we want to hear from you. Are you a local farmer? Do you use Facebook, or read agriculture blogs? What are some of your favorites? Let us know how you use social media.

source: http://info.ncagr.com/

The next blog about Community Supported Agriculture farms: management and income.

One critical goal of the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) movement is to sustain farm families economically. CSA farms offer memberships to consumers, who receive shares of the farms’ produce during the growing season. Researchers from CIAS and other partner institutions listed below conducted the 1999 National CSA Farm Survey. Overall, they found that these farms tend to offer diverse products and sell them through many markets, not just CSA.

 In addition, some CSA farms are adopting innovative business forms and land-use agreements. Small size, newness of operation and enterprise diversification help explain why many farms participating in this survey earned a low median gross income of $15,000 from CSA.

 The number of workers hired by the CSA farms in this survey ranged from zero to over 50. The farms hired a median of two workers annually. (The researchers used the average whenever feasible. But since an average can be affected by very large or small values, the median or middle value of the data was sometimes used to illustrate a typical CSA farm.) About 23% of these CSA farms hired no additional labor, while another 23% hired two to three workers.

 Income from CSA enterprises:

 source: http://www.cias.wisc.edu/economics/community-supported-agriculture-farms-management-and-income/

another good blog about,  Community Manager Job Description:

Do you tweet and use Facebook every day, all day? Is building social community so ingrained you just can’t stop? Do you take pride in customer service excellence and fancy yourself an entrepreneur? Do you understand the difference between a “brochure website,” a “publication” and why feeds are important?

We seek a highly a motivated individual with experience and fanatical passion for blogging, micro-blogging and community participation leadership. This position is full time salaried with benefits, including attending mainstream and niche’ conferences.

We are a [your company description here] in [city, state] with an national reputation for [your company mission here] mission. We promote our website by integrated organic optimization (SEO), social media optimization (SMO) and paid placement (PPC). Our Reputation Monitoring & Management objectives are comprehensive.

The successful candidate will join our internal marketing team at the managerial level, and interact with an external Search Marketing agency. Our Community Manager/Blogger will oversee and contribute recurrent content to holistically support our customers and corporate objectives.

Qualifications and Experience

• Has a bachelor’s or associates degree in music, advertising, marketing, graphics, web development, communications, English, IT, music, theater, anthropology, history or related.
• Excels at research, possesses excellent writing skills and the ability to crank editorial and technical writing output without brooding.
• Has work experience or training in advertising, PR, online marketing or similar field
• Proficient with Microsoft Office products.
• Dedicated to blogging and use of Facebook
• Understands the power of feed marketing
• Demonstrated creativity and documented immersion in social media (really send the links)
• Demonstrated ability to map out a marketing strategy and then drive that strategy proven by testing and metrics
• Experience sourcing and managing content development and publishing
• Ability to jump from the creative side of marketing to analytical side, able to demonstrate why their ideas are analytically sound
• Management experience or obviously ready for promotion to management
• Discretion to identify threats and opportunities in user generated content
• Understands social media universe including YouTube, StumbleUpon, Delicious, Digg, Reddit, Flickr, Forums, Twitter, Wikis, blogs, etc…We’re looking for a social media addict who maintains a personal mix of participatory expertise from among these channels.
• Possesses functional knowledge or some experience with HTML/CSS

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Interact with our customers to align unselfish service of their needs, with our corporate objectives
• Be the eyes and ears of our brand as if your own reputation depended on it
• Build and maintain our content distribution network by way of social media channels
• Minute by minute participation in conversations that surround our content and brand, answer comments, be a mediator.”
• Identify threats and opportunities in user generated content surrounding our brand, report to appropriate parties.
• Interact with legal, search, client and cross corporate agencies.
• Create content for feeds and snippets in various social media sites.
• Schedule and organize multiple departments which generate content on a daily basis
• Conduct keyword research including cataloging and indexing target keyword phrases
• Participate in social media, as yourself and white hat avatars, on our behalf
• Optimizing tags, on our feeds, sharing sites like YouTube/Flickr and search engines through copywriting, creative & keyword optimization & buzz pocket mining.
• Tag and title content, with an understanding of how the word’s chosen impact natural search traffic and rankings via recurrent optimized content
• Manage and track link building campaigns, coordinated with all facets of our business.
• Create and update daily, weekly and monthly reports.

source: http://www.aimclearblog.com/2009/04/05/social-media-community-manager-job-description/

Recent web applications in the agro‐food sector

 – There are several web applications in the agro-food sector, for instance www.chil.org

chil is a network for professional in the food and agriculture, it consider as a kind of  social network for people interesting in agriculture sector. We can found in the website alot of information, technical reports, events, training and several opportunity for employments.

chil cover a wide range of agriculture sector such as water, innova, markets, nature, animal, plants, industry, rural and biotechnology.

for example if we go into industry part, we will found a lot of information and blogs designed by a professionals in this sector and we can share these information and discussing it in a scientific way to solve any problem regarding agro-food industry, also there are updated announcement about the most important events in this sector like a presentation or seminar or meeting with person who have a professional experience in this field.

in fact this web application is a quit important to share our knowledge about different sector in agriculture sciences.

On the other hand it needs a lot of effort to spread this website all over the world not only for Spain and Latin America but also for all counties. 

source: www.chil.org

 – Another interesting web application is AGRO 2.0, place to connect around the world Tics in agriculture.  You can find people like you with whom you converse.

From the first look on this website I can say that it has a lot functions more than chil.org, for instance is has several type of multimedia cover all subjects related to agriculture sectors. but the problem is that this website in Spanish also and if someone need to know the several part of this web application, it should translate into English. but this website have a lot of information and a lot of groups which specialist on different subjects and any one can join to any group to share any information.

Also there is an important tools in agro 2.0, (learn to use agro 2.0) I think this is very important tool for new user to understand who the website could be used. Another tool which called (buying and selling) I can use this tool to buy any agriculture products and know the prices and the quality of each products also if I want to sell my product I can with this website.

Another important tool called (job markets) for those search for a good job in agriculture sector.

also it has differnt type of blogs and I can comment and share knowledge with the auther of each one.

sourse: http://www.agro20.com

 – There is another web application, http://sigpac.mapa.es/fega/visor/

in this website we can found a lot of information about geographic information system GIS related to agriculture sector.

and it known that spatial information in very important to doing anything specialy in agriculture, in this website there are information and different maps for spain, these maps cove a wide subjects such as rainfall, soil, climate, land use and alnd cove.

all these maps used to select the proper site for any agriculture operations and help the desion maker to take the best descion support system for any operation. Also from this website we can download all these maps for free.

 

source: http://sigpac.mapa.es/fega/visor/

– another website for agriculture sector, http://www.peiagsc.ca/ this website from canada.

The P.E.I. Agriculture Sector Council is a non profit organization which provides a vehicle for effective industry participation in identifying and addressing human resource issues in the agriculture industry. The mandate of the Council is to undertake activities that will enhance the industry’s image to attract and retain skilled workers and thereby increasing its competitiveness in the marketplace.

The P.E.I. Agriculture Sector Council works in partnership with the agricultural industry on the Island, the P.E.I. Association of Sector Councils, and representatives of governments and institutions, to increase the investment of targeted human resources to support a well-trained and available workforce within the agricultural industry of Prince Edward Island. The Board composition represents a diverse group of agricultural organizations, commodity groups, labour and educational institutions.

Mission:
The P.E.I. Agriculture Sector Council represents agricultural organizations and related groups providing collective leadership on agricultural human resource issues. Through promotion, education, skills training, and agriculture awareness, the Council seeks a skilled, sustainable agricultural workforce on P.E.I.
source: http://www.peiagsc.ca/

– another one , http://www.naads.or.ug/, The National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) is a programme of the government of Uganda put in place to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of agricultural extension service. It is a semi-autonomous body formed under NAADS Act of June 2001 with a mandate to develop a demand driven, farmer-led agricultural service delivery system targeting the poor subsistence farmers, with emphasis to women, youth and people with disabilities. The Programme is currently in its Phase II implementing under the Agricultural Technology and Agribusiness Advisory Services (ATAAS) Project set up to support and strengthen implementation and collaboration between the full national programs of NARO and NAADS.

in this website we can found a lot reports , publications, news and events  about agriculture sector. also there is different type of research funding.

 

“World best blogs about agricultural engineering”

I’ve been reading a lot of good agriculture and farm blogs and I wanted to share with you some of the interesting sites I’ve found lately.

The first one about, Future Agricultural Production Limited:

The world’s gross agricultural output needs to increase by 3.4% to meet the growing demand primarily driven by emerging markets across the globe. The two primary ways to increase agricultural production are to either increase the amount of acres planted or increase productivity with technology.

Crop yields have been slowly increasing over time, with the largest increases due to the green revolution and the advancement of hybrid seed technology. Even with the past seed technology, crop yield increases are near 1.0% per year in the U.S while a considerable amount of farmland is being lost to development. Crop production must increase via either new technology or by expanding the amount of cropped land by bringing idle arable land into production. 

Land to be Brought into Production 

The ability to expand arable acres over the next 40 years will be difficult. The best areas for farming have already been identified and are being used for production. The incremental arable acres to be put into production will be on the periphery, with marginal growing conditions and transportation issues.

Presently, the growth of arable farmland has been flat as development of farmland in North America and Europe is offset by expansion in Africa and South America

There are roughly 1.5 billion hectares that are currently being farmed in the world. The FAO estimates that the world has a total of 2.5 billion hectares of “very suitable” or “suitable” for cultivation. 80% of the reserve land is located in Africa and South America.

there are several intesting blogs about agricultural machinery, but why we use agricultural engineering?

you can found the answer here……..,

In this blog we will present some of advanced agricultural machinery.

Tractor

JCB Fastrac 7270 Series
Joining the JCB Fastrac 7000 Series is a new model, the 7270. The tractor is powered by a 6.7-liter Cummins engine for extra power and torque. Tractors in the 7000 Series feature all-round, self-leveling suspension for safe operation up to 43 mph between fields. The 7270 features an all-new chassis, which supports the advanced suspension setup, along with a larger-capacity rear axle and 20,000-lb. rear and optional 7,700-lb. front implement linkage systems. A four-range, six-speed powershift transmission gives the tractor a fingertip-controlled power shuttle, with 24 forward and nine reverse speeds. A touch-screen monitor allows different operating modes to be selected, or the operator can manually shift up and down gears with the seat-mounted joystick. The cab features an operator’s seat with air-suspension. Price: $202,500. Contact: a JCB dealer or visit www.jcbna.com.

Tillage Equipment

Krause Gladiator Precision Tillage System

The Gladiator Precision Tillage System from Krause Corporation is built with ST-Pro row units. The Gladiator series is available in 12-row and 16-row configurations. The frames have the capacity to carry a 1,000-gal. liquid tank and tow an anhydrous tank for fertilizer options. The ST-Pro row units are designed for high-residue situations and provide a uniform residue-free strip with consistent tillage depth control. The Drop Zone nutrient placement system allows farmers to set their fertilizer placement independent of the tillage depth. The patented chain reel technology on the Strik’r soil conditioner breaks clods without plugging while finishing a uniform berm. Changing from field operation to transport is quick and easy, and the flip-and-fold toolbar provides a balanced, safe transport. ST-Pro row units are available with spring reset for rocky conditions.

 Seeding Equipment
John Deere DB60 Series Split Row Planter
John Deere adds to its DB Series planter lineup with the DB60 Split-Row Planter. The DB60 combines the flexibility to plant one crop at 30″ rows and a second crop at 15″ rows with the productivity of a bulk-fill planter. The planter configurations include 47-row 15″ and 24-row 30″ planting capabilities. Long parallel arms stagger the rows so they can be locked up and out of the soil during 30″ row planting. The machine is equipped with John Deere’s Central Commodity System (CCS) seed delivery and Pro-Series XP row units. List price: $235,355 with CCS, SeedStar2 monitoring and ProMax40 flat disks and soybean disks. Contact: a John Deere dealer; www.johndeere.com/ag.

Application Equipment

Apache Series self-propelled sprayer
The Apache Series of self-propelled sprayers from Equipment Technologies packs increased horsepower while delivering improved fuel economy. The series features three models outfitted with JCB transmissions and powered by Cummins engines. Models range from 160 hp to 275 hp. The available boom widths include 80′, 90′ and 100′. Machine crop clearance options are 31″, 42″ and 48″. Equipped with Hypro hydraulically driven centrifugal pumps, the sprayers are outfitted with polyurethane or stainless steel tanks, with capacities from 750 gal. to 1,200 gal. The sprayers are compatible with Raven precision ag components.

Harvesting Equipment

New Holland CR9060 Combine
New Holland flexes its harvesting muscle with the introduction of the CX8000 Series and CR9000 Series combines. The three models in the CX8000 Super Conventional Series (CX8070, CX8080 and CX8090) range from 322 hp to 400 hp.The combines use a patented rotary separator that separates nearly all of the grain before it reaches the straw walkers. The feeder and header reverser system can be operated either forward or reverse independent of the threshing unit, allowing the operator to work the slugs into the cylinder in a controlled manner. The 21′ or 24′ overheadstyle unloading augers move grain from the 295-bu. or 330-bu. tank at a rate of 3.2 bu. per second, which is the fastest of any conventional combine. Base price: $254,001. The CR9000 Series (CR9040, CR9060 and CR9070) employs New Holland’s Twin Rotor design to speed separation, boost grain quality and maximize capacity. The three models have turbocharged six-cylinder diesel engines that range from 305 hp to 400 hp.

source: http://www.agweb.com/mymachinery/machinery_showroom/

another good blog about, What Is Precision Farming?

The electronics revolution of the last several decades has spawned two technologies that will impact agriculture in the next decade. These technologies are Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS). Along with GIS and GPS there have appeared a wide range of sensors, monitors and controllers for agricultural equipment such as shaft monitors, pressure transducers and servo motors. Together they will enable farmers to use electronic guidance aids to direct equipment movements more accurately, provide precise positioning for all equipment actions and chemical applications and, analyze all of that data in association with other sources of data (agronomic, climatic, etc). This will add up to a new and powerful toolbox of management tools for the progressive farm manager.
Precision farming should not be thought of as only yield mapping and variable rate fertilizer application and evaluated on only one or the other. Precision farming technologies will affect the entire production function (and by extension, the management function) of the farm. A brief overview of the components in precision farming is presented in Figure 1 and listed below.

Yield monitoring
Instantaneous yield monitors are currently available from several manufacturers for all recent models of combines. They provide a crop yield by time or distance (e.g. every second or every few metres). They also track other data such as distance and bushels per load, number of loads and fields.

Yield mapping
GPS receivers coupled with yield monitors provide spatial coordinates for the yield monitor data. This can be made into yield maps of each field.

Variable rate fertilizer
Variable rate controllers are available for granular, liquid and gaseous fertilizer materials. Variable rates can either be manually controlled by the driver or automatically controlled by an on board computer with an electronic prescription map.

Weed mapping
A farmer can map weeds while combining, seeding, spraying or field scouting by using a keypad or buttons hooked up to a GPS receiver and datalogger. These occurrences can then be mapped out on a computer and compared to yield maps, fertilizer maps and spray maps.

Variable spraying
By knowing weed locations from weed mapping spot control can be implemented. Controllers are available to electronically turn booms on and off, and alter the amount (and blend) of herbicide applied.

Topography and boundaries
Using high precision DGPS a very accurate topographic map can be made of any field. This is useful when interpreting yield maps and weed maps as well as planning for grassed waterways and field divisions. Field boundaries, roads, yards, tree stands and wetlands can all be accurately mapped to aid in farm planning.

Salinity mapping
GPS can be coupled to a salinity meter sled which is towed behind an ATV (or pickup) across fields affected by salinity. Salinity mapping is valuable in interpreting yield maps and weed maps as well as tracking the change in salinity over time.

Guidance systems
Several manufacturers are currently producing guidance systems using high precision DGPS that can accurately position a moving vehicle within a foot or less. These guidance systems may replace conventional equipment markers for spraying or seeding and may be a valuable field scouting tool.

Records and analyses
Precision farming may produce an explosion in the amount of records available for farm management. Electronic sensors can collect a lot of data in a short period of time. Lots of disk space is needed to store all the data as well as the map graphics resulting from the data. Electronic controllers can also be designed to provide signals that are recorded electronically. It may be useful to record the fertilizer rates actually put down by the application equipment, not just what should have been put down according to a prescription map. A lot of new data is generated every year (yields, weeds, etc). Farmers will want to keep track of the yearly data to study trends in fertility, yields, salinity and numerous other parameters. This means a large database is needed with the capability to archive, and retrieve, data for future analyses.

 source: http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/sag1951

 another blog about The Future of Internet Connectivity on Farm Equipment?

 Smartphones and modems have become an integral part of farming these past few years.  These devices have proven to provide an essential means to not only communicate on the farm but the necessary data and information for day-to-day operations.  Recently, Precision Ag advancements has been amazing which have included new telematics and RTN offerings.  One has to wonder what is next and how technology will efficiently and economically communicate between machines and the internet.

The other day we were conducting a precision ag project and noted the use of 4 cellular plans on the same machine.  These plans included 2 handling RTN correction data transfer for our RTK receivers, 1 providing internet access for another technology, and my Smartphone which I was using to text and e-mail while operating the machine.  Sounds pretty far fetched to have 3 data plans to make all the technology on a single machine work plus the operator maintaining a cell phone.  However, it is not unrealistic to have 2 to 4 cellular plans (one being a personal cell phone) required to run a machine today equipped with precision ag technology.  The expense of these plans can add up quickly over time as we can attest to here at Auburn.

Solutions?  One solution would be using a Smartphone as the “Hotspot” for all required communication on machines.  Farmers and employees already require cell phones so why not have it as the main communication device for everything.  Plus, studies show Smartphone usage has increased among farmers. So the idea would be as soon as someone enters the cab, all technologies quickly connect through the “Hotspot” and have uninterrupted communication once 4G matures to a level which permits voice and data to be simultaneous in rural areas.  We would then have only 1 required plan for the machine which moves with a person to perform other communication tasks on the farm.  Data transmission requirements for most machine applications is rather low, so 4G along with a Smartphone could help reduce dedicated data plans for some technologies.

There is no doubt, internet connectivity in machine equipment will continue to expand based on company offerings and future technologies being developed.  I think cellular communication will be a primary means of internet access for these ag technologies due to its coverage area and accessibility.  If one considers the potential of having multiple, dedicated data plans for their machines plus covering the expense of employee cell phones, it can become expensive.  Further, it could grow into a management concern if using different cellular carriers.  Thereby, reducing this complexity of data plans could be addressed in the future by using Smartphones which allows communication for both voice but also wireless data transfer on machines with 1 device.  This concept might be easier to envision versus making reality, but it would simplify life for precision ag practitioners.

 source: http://www.aces.edu/anr/precisionag/

another one about, Information Systems Technology in Agriculture

Information systems are computer applications to support the operation of an organization: operating, installation, and maintenance of computers, software, and data
Changes in agricultural technology are influenced by internal factors (experience and needs of oneself) and external factors (government policies, extension) changes in agricultural technology affect socio-economic state of society, but does not change the social status of the customs.

Along with improving the quality of the resources of farmers and agricultural actors and the advancement of information and communication technologies as well as consideration of the effectiveness and efficiency of the dissemination of information, one of the solutions offered in order to address issues of agricultural technology transfer and knowledge is the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) are for the extension farm known as “cyber extension” which is the use of on-line network, computer and digital interactive multimedia to facilitate the dissemination of agricultural technologies. This model is considered highly strategic because it can increase access to information for farmers, extension workers, researchers in both research institutes and in universities as well as the extension manager. In addition to using “cyber extension” of agricultural extension is currently also use multiple information systems for rural communities to support the business and agricultural businesses as well as repair of household economies of rural communities. Multiple communication yan used as systemtelephone, wireless information systems, off-talk communication, FAX, CATV, personal computer communication, video tex, satellite communication systems, Internet (EI-net), television telephone system. With the technology used in agricultural extension is expected to improve extension services to farmers’ activities in providing advance yangsemakin agricultural innovation and help the agricultural extension officers play a role in coordinating the elements of agriculture in the region to establish cooperation denganpihak parties or relevant authorities.

The technology used is relatively simple and less its application is still on target, this is because the regeneration of extension is not running, the interest of farmers to technology and finding information is still weak, because the media use of agricultural information has not been widespread.

source: http://www.goyangkarawang.org/2011/08/information-systems-technology-in.html

 

“Agricultural Engineering”

 Definitions

Agricultural engineering is the engineering discipline that applies engineering science and technology to agricultural production and processing. Agricultural engineering combines the disciplines of animal biology, plant biology, and mechanical, civil, electrical and chemical engineering principles with a knowledge of agricultural principles.
It requires knowledge of the engineering sciences relating to physical properties and biological variables of foods and fibers; atmospheric phenomena as they are related to agricultural operations; soil dynamics as related to traction, tillage and plant-soil-water relationships; and human factors relative to safe design and use of agricultural machines. The safe and proper application and use of agricultural chemicals and their effect on the environment are also concerns of the agricultural engineers.

Subfields

Some of the specialties of agricultural engineers include:

– the design of agricultural machinery, equipment, and agricultural structures.
– crop production, including seeding, tillage, irrigation and the conservation of soil and water.
– animal production, including the care and processing of poultry and fish and dairy management.
– the processing of food and other agricultural and biorenewable products,and food engineering.
– Bioresource engineering, which uses machines on the molecular level to help the environment.

Day In The Life

Agricultural Engineers combine engineering principles with biological and agricultural sciences. They work to develop equipment, systems, and processes that help improve how the world’s food supply is produced and distributed. They are involved in problem solving, and must have the ability to analyze a current system with an eye toward improving the current process. They often have to look beyond a specific challenge, such as a machine, or storage solution, and consider a larger system, and how improvements or changes would affect the whole.

 Job Duties

Agricultural engineers often work in teams and their duties involve analysis of current methods and equipment applied to the production, packing, and delivery of food products. They might work in a group with other engineers, or those outside of engineering, to solve problems related to systems, processes, and machines. They may be involved in designing a water irrigation system, or in determining alternative uses for agricultural byproducts. They may participate in legal or financial consulting regarding agricultural processes, equipment, or issues. Some agricultural engineers focus on machinery, and may design equipment used in agriculture and construction. These engineers might have a special interest in crop handling, hydraulic power, or the growth of specific crops.
They may be employed by machine manufacturing firms. Other agricultural engineers may find themselves designing buildings or other structured used for livestock, storage of grains, or experimental growing facilities. Still other agricultural engineers might focus on developing systems for food processing, such as drying processes, distillation, or long term storage.

History of Agricultural Engineering

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another good blog about agricultural engineering:

 Like to eat? Give thanks to agricultural engineers. They mix cutting-edge science with the art of farming to keep us well-fed with foods that are safe, nutritious and tasty. Agricultural engineers will never be at a loss for career choices because the number of industries that require their skills is vast.

Make a Difference!

Agricultural engineers are experts in biosystems, so many specialize in finding ways to protect the environment. Some, for example, work to conserve supplies of fresh water, while others develop methods to safeguard the Earth from pollution, including chemical or nutrient runoff from farms. Agricultural engineers are also involved in developing biofuels from algae — that’s right, pond scum — a process that doesn’t need arable land, which is put to better use growing food crops.

Did you know?
Agricultural engineering isn’t limited to planet Earth. NASA uses agricultural engineers to develop systems to grow food in space. One NASA project is developing hydroponic techniques­—the science of growing food in water without soil­—that will keep some future human colony on Mars well-fed.

Where Do They Work?
Agricultural engineers will never be at a loss for career choices — the number of industries that require their skills is vast. Here are just a few examples: farm equipment manufacturers (John Deere, International Harvester); seed companies (Pioneer Hi-Bred, Monsanto); food producers (Kraft, Kellogg’s); environmental engineering firms (Mock Roos and Associates); forest product companies (Weyerhaeuser).

source: http://students.egfi-k12.org/agricultural/