AgricultureBy Hailey Burke and Just Adeel

(btw Batman is so much better than superman. superman is so bad his name doesn’t even get a capital letter. Hahaha!)

The Origins of Agriculture

Be fore the invention of Agriculture all humans obtained food buy…

Hunting and Gathering Hunters and gatherers tended to live in small

groups of 50 or less Though most of the world is active in

agriculture today, about .005% of the world’s population still hunts and gathers for daily food

One day a hunter gatherer got bored with hunting and gathering and thus…

Agriculture was born!!!

Not really. What happened was the hunter gatherers discovered that over time, the damaged or discarded food produced plants, and thus agriculture was born.

So basically, they became obsessed with veggies.

Two types of cultivation There are two types of cultivation, planting

and seed agriculture. Vegetative plantin’ is the reproduction of

plants by direct cloning from the existing plant by cutting limbs and dividing roots

Seed agriculture is the reproduction of plants through annual planting seeds

Location of first vegetative planting Carl Sauer believed that vegetative planting

probably originated in Southeast Asia. The region’s diversity of climate and

topography probably encouraged growth of wide variety of plants suitable for dividing and transplanting

Other early hearths of vegetative planting also may have emerged independently in West Africa and north western South America

Location of first seed Agriculture Sauer identified three hearths in the Eastern

Hemisphere: western India, Southwest Asia, northern China, and Ethiopia

Seed agriculture diffused quickly from western India to

The inhabitants of Southwest Asia were the first to integrate seed agriculture and the domestication of herd animals

Difference between Subsistence and Commercial Agriculture

Subsistence farming is found in LDCs ,and is the production of food primarily for the consumption of the farmer

Commercial farming is found in MDCs, and is the production of food primarily for sale off the farm

Five principle features distinguish commercial agriculture from subsistence agriculture: purpose of farming, percentage of farmers in the labor force, use of machinery, farm size, and the relationship of farming to other business

To elaborate… Purpose of farming- In LDCs most people produce

food for their own consumption. Any extra would be sold to the government or at market, where as in MDCs food is grow to sell off the farm.

Percentage of farmers in the labor force- In MDCs the percentage is 5% or less of the population, opposed to the 55% or more in LDCs

Use of machinery- The reason that only 5% or less of the of the population in MDCs can feed the other 95% is because they rely heavily on machinery to perform the work instead of humans or animals. Farmers in LDCs rely on the latter, so the work is done slower and less efficiently.

Farm size- With commercial agriculture the more developed a country is the bigger the average farm will be larger, where as in LDCs the average farm will be smaller to fit the need of the farmer.

Relationship of farming to business- Commercial farming is closely related to other business. Together they are called, AGRIBUSINESS, while in subsistence farming agriculture and business are nearly isolated from each other.

Agricultural Regions in LDCs Shifting cultivation is found in much of the world’s Humid

Low-latitude, or A climate areas , which have high temperatures and large amounts of rainfall

Characteristics of Shifting cultivation- there are to distinguishing hallmarks: the land will have been cleared by slashing and burning, and crops will be grown on cleared land for only a few years until the soil nutrients is depleted.

Pastoral nomadism - A form of subsistence farming based on the herding of domesticated animals.

In contrast to other subsistence farmers, pastoral nomads depend primarily on animals rather than crops for survival.

Intensive subsistence with wet rice dominant- Wet rice refers to the practice of planting rice on dry land in a nursery then moving the seedlings to a flooded field to finish growing. This type of farming is dominant in Southeast China, East India, and much of Southeast Asia.

Intensive subsistence with wet rice not dominant- Climate prevents farmers from growing wet rice in some parts of Asia. Much of interior India and northeast China are devoted to crops other than wet rice.

Chapter 10 Key Issue 3Where Are Agricultural

Regions Developed in MDCs?

Adeel Azeez & Just Hailey.

6 Types of Agriculture Mixed Crop And Livestock Farming Dairy Farming Grain Farming Livestock Ranching Mediterranean Agriculture Commercial Gardening Plantation Farming

Characteristics Of Mixed Crops And Livestock Farming

Most Crops Are Fed To Animals Then Directly To Humans.

Mixed Crop And Livestock Farming Promotes The Distribution Of Even Workload Throughout The Year.

For Mixed Crop: Less Attention Is Required In Winter Then In Spring

Livestock Farming Requires Year-Long Attention

• Runs On A Crop Rotation System.• Farm Is Divided Into Different Fields, Each Field

Is Planted On A Specific Planned Cycle, Often Of Several Years

Benefits Of The System: Helps Maintain The Fertility Of The Field, Because Various Crops Deplete The Soil Of Certain Nutrients But Restore Others.

Choice Of Crops In U.S Mixed Crop And Live Stock Farmers

Select Corn Because Of Higher Yields Of Area Compared To Other Crops.

Most Important Region Of MCLF In The U.S Is Extending From Ohio To Dakota, Within The Center Of Iowa. Called The “Corn Belt”

Approximately Because Half The Crop Land Is Planted In Corn. (Maize)

Soybeans Is The Second Most Crop In The U.S In Mixed Commercial Farming.

Soybeans Are Also Made For Animal Feeding But Are Also Consumed By People.

Tofu Is A Major Food Source, Especially For People In China And Japan.

Soybean Is Also Widely Used In Foods Just As An Hidden Ingredient

HINT: YOU MIGHT HAVE HAD SOYBEAN OIL FOR BREAKFAST! :o

Dairy Farming Most Important Type Of

Commercial Agriculture Practiced On Farms Near Suburban Areas Of N.E U.S, S.E Canada, N.W Europe.

Developed In Countries In The 19th Century

In England, Amount Of Consumption Raised From .2 Gallons To .8 Gallons By The 1950’s

Dairying Has Become The Most Important Type Of Commercial In The First Ring Outside Of Large Cities Due To Transporting Factors

Milk Is Highly Perishable Product, That’s Why They Must be Closer To The Market Then Other Products

The Ring Surrounding A City From Which Milk Can Be Supplied Without Spoiling Is Called A “Milkshed”

In The 20th Century Fairy Farmers Decided To Specialize In Producing Fresh Milk And Other Products Such As Cheese And Butter.

Dairy Farming: Part 2 Dairy Farming Has Regional Differences Depending On Whether The Milksheds Were Located In A Large Suburban

Area Farms Farther Away From Consumers Are likely To Sell Their Output To

Processors Who Make Butter, Cheese And Evaporated/Condensed Milk. In The East Milk Is Is Sold To All Customers In Larger Suburban Areas, Such

As Boston, New York, Phili And Etc. In The West, Milk Is Processed Into Butter & Cheese New Zealand Is The Worlds Largest Producer Of Dairy Products Dairy Farmers , Are Similar To Commercial Farmers Because They Follow

The Same Process By Selling Milk To Wholesalers Who Distribute It In To Retailers. (Retailers Would Then Sell The Milk To Consumers In A Shop Or At Home)

Dairy Farming: Problems For Dairy Farmers

Dairy Farmers Face Economic Problems Due To Revenue And Rising Costs.

Dairy Farming Is Labor-Intensive, Because Cows Must Be Milked Twice A Day. Daily.

Also Dairy Farming Needs Year-Long Attention Expense Of Feeding Cows In The Winter,

Because They Can’t Graze In The Grass N.W Europe And New England’s Resolution Was

To Purchase Hay Or Grain For Winter Feed.

Grain Farming

Grain- Is The Seed From Various Grasses. EX: Wheat, Corn, Barley, Rice Etc. Some Forms Of Grains Can Be One Of The Most Major Crop In A Farm Grain Farming Is Common In LDC’s Because They Sell Their Output To

Manufactures Of Food Products. The Most Important Crop Grown Is Wheat. Which Is Used To Make Bread Flour Wheat Is Also Higher In Costs Because of Its Benefits. It Cant Be Stored Relatively

Easily Without Being Spoiled And Can Be Transported A Long Distance This Is Because Wheat Has A Higher Value Per Unit Weight And Can Be Shipped

Profitably From Remote Farms To Markets

Grain Farming: Regions. U.S Is The Largest Commercial Producer Of Grain. Commercial Farms Are Generally Located In Regions That Are Too Dry For

MC And Livestock Agriculture. Large Scale Production Of Wheat Is Divided In 3 Areas. Winter Wheat- The Crop Is Planted In Autumn and Develops A Strong

Root System Before Growth Stops For The Winter. (Kansas, Oklahoma, And Colorado)

Spring Wheat- Crops Are Planted In Spring And Harvested in late Summer. (Dakotas, Montana, Saskatchewan Canada)

Also Is 2/3rd Of Wheat Grown In The U.S Comes From The Spring And Winter Belt.

The Last Grain Farming Region Is The “Palouse” Region Of Washington State.

Grain Farming: Regions Pt 2. In The 1850’s, The McCormick “Reaper” Was

Invented. It Is A Machine That Cuts Grain Standing In The Fields.

Modern Day Machines Now Are The Combine And Are Able To Do All Three Jobs In One Such As Reaping, Threshing, And Cleaning.;

Some Individuals Decided To Keep 2 Sets Of Fields. 1. Spring Wheat Belt 2. Winter Wheat Belt. Which Led To Two Different Regions To Plant And Harvest And Two Different Times.

The Result Of That Led Into Distributing Workload Evenly Throughout The Year. The Same Machinery Could Also Be Used In Different Regions And Spread The Cost Of Expensive Machinery.

Combine Companies Start Working In Oklahoma, And Work There Way Northward.

Importance Of Wheat The Significance Of Wheat Extends Beyond The

Amount Of Land Or Number Of People Involved In Growing It.

Wheat Is World’s Leading Crop Of Export Internationally.

United States And Canada Have The Biggest Role In Half Of World’s Wheat Exports.

North American Prairies Have Been Labeled Bread Basket. The Ability To Provide Food For Many People Elsewhere In The World Is A Major Source Of Economic And Political Strength For U.S And Canada

Livestock Ranching Ranching- Is The Commercial Grazing Of

Livestock Over An Extensive Area. This Form Has Been Adapted In Arid And Semi-

Arid Land Practiced Mostly In MDC’s Where Vegetation Is

Too Sparse And The Soil Too Poor To Support Crops.

Cattle Ranching In U.S Popular Culture The Importance Of Ranching In The U.S

Extends Beyond The Number Of People Who Choose Commercial Farming Because Of Its Prominence In Popular Culture, Especially In Hollywood Films And T.V

Cattle Ranching Dominated Commercial Agriculture In Texas For A Short Period Of Time (1867-1885)

Beginning Of U.S Cattle Ranching Cattle Ranching Was Brought To America By

Columbus On His First Voyage, Because of His Sufficiently Hardy To Survive Ocean-Crossing

North An South America Were Large On Cattle Which Attracted European Immigrants From Spain And Portugal To Continue Their Tradition Of Cattle Ranching In America.

In The 1860’s Cattle Ranching Had Expanded In The U.S Due To Demand Of Beef In East Coast Cities.

Ranchers Were Challenged To Transport Cattle From Texas To Eastern Markets.

Ranchers Who Get Their Cattle To Chicago Were Paid $30-40 Per Head Compared To $3 Or $4 Per Head In Texas

Transporting Cattle To Market To Reach Chicago Cattle Were Driven On Hoof By Cowboys

Over Trails From Texas To The Nearest Railhead. The Rest Of The Journey Was Driven In Cattle Cars. (1867)

The Same Year Joseph G. McCoy (On Whom The Real McCoy Was Based) Launched A Massive Construction Effort To Provide Abilene With Homes, Shops, And Stockyard.

The Number Of Cattle Increased From 1,000 In 1867 Too 35,000 In 1868 And 150,000 In 1869.

Fixed Location Ranching Cattle Ranching Declined Importance During

The 1880’s After Its Conflict With Secondary Agriculture.

Most Ranchers Adhered To “The Code Of The West”

Under The Code, Rancher Had No Range Rights. The Cattle Could Graze In open Land And Had Access To Scarce Water Sources And Grasslands.

Range Wars The U.S Government, Which Owned Most Of The

Land Used For Open Grazing, began To Sell It To Farmers To Grow Crops, Leaving No Ranchers To Legally Claim it.

The Farmer’s Most Potent Weapon Proved To Be Barbered Wire, First Commercially Produced In 1873. This Resulted In The Farmers Winning The Battle.

Ironically, 60% Of Cattle Grazing Today Is On Land Leased From The U.S Government

Changes In Cattle Breeding Ranchers Were Induced To Switch From Cattle

Drives To Fixed Location Ranching By A Change In The Predominant Breed Of Cattle.

Longhorns, The First Cattle Used By Ranchers, Were Hardly Animals, Were Able To Survive Long Distant Drives With A Little Bit Of Weight Loss.

Ranching Outside Of The U.S Commercial Ranching Is Conducted In Other

More Developed Regions Of The World. Ranching Is Rare In Europe, Except Spain And Portugal

The Cattle Industry Grew Rapidly In Argentina, Because The Land Devoted To Ranching Was Accessible To Ocean. Which Then Made It Easier To Transport Meat To Overseas Markets.

Mediterranean Agriculture Exists Primarily In The Lands That Border The

Mediterranean Sea In Southern Europe, North Africa, And Western Asia.

In Addition, Farmers Also Practice This In Cali, Central Chile, And A Southwestern Part Of South Africa.

Mediterranean Areas Share The Same Physical Environment.

Farmers Living Along The Mediterranean Sea, Traditionally Used “Transhumance” To Raise Animals, But Now This Practice Is Less Common.

Under The System, Animals –Primarily Sheep And Goat- Are Kept On Costal Plains In The Winter And Transferred To The Hill In The Summer.

Mediterranean Crops. Most Crops In Mediterranean Lands Are Grown For Human

Consumption Rather Then Animal Feed. Horticulture- Which Is Growing Fruits, Vegetables, And

Flowers. Most Of The World’s Olives, Grapes, Fruits, And Vegetables

Are Grown In Mediterranean Agriculture Areas. Olives And Grapes Are The Two Most Important Cash Crops. Although, Olives And Grapes Have A Big Deal Of Importance,

Half The Land Near The Mediterranean Sea, Is Devoted To Growing Cereals. For Pasta & Bread Etc.

California Is Also Big On Horticulture, Due Its Climate

Commercial Gardening And Fruit Farming This Type Of Farming Is The Predominant Type Of Agriculture In The

U.S Southeast Truck Farming- Grow Many Fruits And Vegetables. Ex: Apples,

Tomatoes, And Cherries Etc. It Got The Name From The Word “Truck” Because That Is A Middle

English Word That Mean Bartering Or The Exchange Of Commodities Truck Farms Are Highly Efficient Are Large-Scale Operations

That Take Full Advantage Of Machinery. A Form Of Truck Farming Is “ Specialty Farming”. Its Spread

In England. In This Process, Farms Grow Crops Profitably But Keep The Demand Increasing Among Consumers

Plantation Farming Form Of Commercial Agriculture Found In

Tropics And Subtropics. Large In, Latin America, Asia, And Africa

Plantation-Large Farms That Specialize In One Or Two Crops. Between Important Crops Such As, Cotton, Sugarcane, Coffee, And Tobacco,

Plantation Managers Try There Best To Distribute There Work Evenly Through Out The Year.

Until The Civil War, Plantations Were Important In The U.S South. Cotton Followed By Sugarcane And Tobacco Were The Main Principle Crops

Demand For Cotton Has Increased Dramatically After The Establishment Of Textile Factories In England, Prior To The Industrial Revolution.

Eli Whitney, In 1793, Helped The Development Of Cotton By Bringing New Varieties That Were Hardier And Easier To Pick.

Chapter 10 Key Issue 4Why Do Farmers Face Economic Difficulties?

Key Issue 4: Why Do Farmers Face Economic Difficulties?

Issues For Commercial Farmers Issues For Subsistence Farms Strategies To Increase Food Supply

Issues For Commercial Farmers Two Economic Factors Influence Choice Of

Crops. • Access To Market • Overproduction

Access To Markets Is Important Because The Purpose Of Commercial Farming Is To Sell Produce Off The Farm, The Distance From The Farms To The Market Influences The Choice Of Crop To Plant,

Von Thunen’s Model Proposed By Johann Heinrich von

Thunen In 1826, A Farmer In Northern Germany.

According To This Model, A Commercial Farmer Initially Considers Which Crops To Cultivate And Which Animals To Raised based On Market Location

The Commercial Farmer Would Have To Compare Two Costs: Cost of Land And Cost Of Transporting Products To The Market.

A Farmer Doesn’t Necessarily Choose A Crop That Sells Highest Per Hectare, He Also Has To Pay Attention To The Cost Of Transporting To The Market. Every Crop Varies Different Prices.

He Divided His Sections In Rings

Von Thunen’s Model Part 2 Innermost Ring- Market-Oriented Gardens And Milk

Producers. Expensive To Deliver And Are Highly Perishable.

2nd Ring- Woodlots And Timber Was Cut For Construction And Fuel. It Was Important For This To Be Close To The Market Due To Weight

3rd Ring- Various Crops And Pasture. This Commodity Was Rotated From One Year To The Next

Outermost Ring- Devoted To Animal Grazing Which Requires Lots Of Space.

Overproduction In Commercial Farming Commercial Farmers Suffer Low Income Because The Produce

Too Much Than Too Little Commercial Farmers Have Dramatically Increased The

Capacity Their Land To Produce Food Demand In Commercial Farming Remains Constant All Though

The Food Has Increased Because The Product For Market Has Been Saturated.

Agriculture Production Also Increases Because Of New Government Policies.

Sustainable Agriculture Sustainable Agriculture- An Agricultural Practice That Preserves And

Enhances Environmental Quality. Farmers That Practice This, Generate Lower Revenues Than Do

Conventional Farmers, But Also Have Low Costs. Two Main Principals Of Sustainable Agriculture: More Sensitive Land

Management And Better Integration Of Crops And Livestock. Sustainable Agriculture Protects Soil In Part Through Ridge Tillage And

Limit Use Of Chemicals Ridge Tillage- System Of Planting Crops On Ridge Tops. Crops Are Planted

On 4-8 Inch Ridges That Are Formed During Cultivation Or After Harvest Two Benefits Of This Is Lower Production Costs And Great Soil Conversion The Primary Tillage Tool Is A “Row Crop” Which Forms Ridges

Sustainable Agriculture: Part 2 Ridge Tillage Features A Minimum Of Soil Disturbance From Harvest To The

Next Planting. Sustainable Agriculture Involves Application Of Limited If Any Herbicides To

Control Weeds. S.A Attempts To Integrate The Growing Of Crops And Raising of Livestock

To The Max! Subsistence Farmers Also Have Issues, But The Two Main Ones Are Rapid

Population Growth In LDC’s And Adopting The International Trade Approach To Development

Ester Boserup, An Economist, Explains Why Population Growth Effects Types Of Subsistence Farming. According To His Theory, Population Growth Attracts Subsistence Farmers To Farm In A Different Approach To Take Care Of Additional People.

Sustainable Agriculture: Part 3 Referring To Boserup’s Thesis, Subsistence Farmers Increase The Supply Of

Food Through Intensification. He Identifies The 5 Basic Stages Of Intensification.

Forrest Fallow- Fields Are Cleared And Utilized For 2 Years And Left Fallow For More Then 20 Years To Grow Back

Bush Fallow- Fields Are Cleared And Utilized For 8 Years And Are Left Fallow For 10 Years To Grow Back

Short Fallow- Fields Are Cleared And Utilized For 2 Years(Uncertain) And Left Fallow For 2 Years To Grow Back

Annual Cropping- Fields Are Used For A Year And Are Left A Few Months To Grow Back

Multicropping- Fields Are Used Several Times A Year And Never Left Fallow

Sustainable Agriculture: Part 4 To Expand Production, Subsistence Farmers Need A

Higher Yield Seeds, Fertilizer, Pesticides, And Machinery. To Generate Funds They Need To Buy Agricultural

Supplies. The Sale Of Export Crops Brings An LDC Foreign Currency. Desertification- Farmland Lacks Water, Causing Land To

Deteriorate Green Revolution- Invention Of Rapid Diffusion Of More

Productive Agricultural Techniques During 1970’s-1980’s