1. The Importance of Agricultural Mechanics Advances and Employment Georgia MSAGED7-6: Students will critique the area of agricultural mechanics.

2. Ag Mechanics Is... • the use of machinery and tools to do agricultural jobs • includes the design, construction, repair, and operation of machinery • also relates to agricultural structures, land and water management, and electrical applications

3. Why Do We Need Ag Mechanics? • learn important skills that can be used at home, in business, or for fun • need to maintain equipment and keep productivity high • many agriculture jobs and careers involve some type of basic ag mechanics skills

4. Ag Mechanics Influence in History • 100 years ago most of the power came from animals with steam and running water powering a few machines • back then 90% of the U.S. population farmed • the development of the internal combustion engine revolutionized agriculture • horses and draft animals were no longer needed which made acres formerly used for growing feed to be used for other crops • fewer people were needed to do the jobs to produce and process food and fiber

5. Significant Ag Mechanics Innovations • cotton gin - Eli Whitney • reaper - Cyrus McCormick • steel plow - John Deere • mechanical corn picker - Edmund Quincey • tractor - Benjamin Holt • grain elevator - Joseph Dart • automatic baler - Ed Nolt • milking machine - Anna Baldwin • gasoline engine - Karl Benz

6. Careers in Ag Mechanics • Electrician • Welder • Machinery and Equipment Specialist • Tractor Mechanic • Diesel Mechanic • Shop Supervisor • Parts and Equipment Salesman • Irrigation Specialist • Ecology Technician

7. Ag Jobs that Use Ag Mechanics • engineers design tractors and other farm implements • foresters keep chainsaws and other machinery going • soil conservationists construct terraces to control erosion • hardware store employee must be able to locate tools and parts for customers • turf grass management workers install and maintain irrigation and drainage systems and cutting equipment • lawn service mechanic repairs lawn mowers, trimmers, and other equipment • welders must maintain their equipment and repair farm machinery • diesel mechanics keep engines and machines going

8. Ag Mechanics of Tomorrow • robotics are playing an increasing role • GPS/GIS and sensing equipment are helping to increase efficiency of production • The need to produce more food and fiber on less land than ever before makes agricultural mechanics an important field for the future.